Stanley and Livingstone go together, and since we visited the Livingstone Hotel yesterday I thought we'd look at the Stanley Apartments today. The Stanley (below left) is one door south of the Livingstone (below right). As you can see, Stanley looks to be in better shape right now.
Again, there's a dearth of information on the web about the Stanley. I found one review from 2003. Nice, but not nearly enough when I want to know what it's like to live there NOW! Honestly, the building looks like the lovely old Gold Coast Chicago apartment buildings I used to covet.
More information, however, is available about KC Stylist, the beauty studio downstairs. Click around and find the Hollywood stuff they've done.
14 comments:
You know, the red brick does make it look like the apartment buildings I lived in in Chicago (but NOT on the Gold Coast).
Glad the West Coast got you instead of the Gold Coast.
Stanley and Livingstone ... how neat is that! Nicely done, Petrea.
Dina, I peeked in and they have one of those old lobbies with mail slots. Couldn't get a decent picture, though.
Thanks, Shell.
Can't help you with what's there now. Many moons ago my mother had an office at 250 and would sometimes take lunch or dinner clients to Miyako, rather than the "expensive" Hilton. I do remember the brick building...but beyond that...I'm a blank, sorry!
I do know that there used to be MANY more buildings like this, that might remind you of Chicago, before teardowns and rebuilds. Some new buildings are great, but the old ones sure give you that relaxed, old time feeling.
I ate at the Miyako twice. Once in the 90's when the sushi was really good, and once in this century, when it seemed kind of creepy and not entirely clean inside.
I was there for the better part of half an hour taking pictures, Trish, and it never occurred to me to take a photo of the Hilton. It's so nondescript. You can see a building like it anywhere. I understand its function and I know it's useful, but to me it's exemplary of why the older buildings are treasures.
Karin. Eeuw.
Dina is right about these buildings looking very Chicago. Even when I lived nearby I thought they looked out of place. I wonder what that area looked like in their heyday.
Love the brick, oh how I love the brick! I lived in brick apartment buildings in DC and Minneapolis, and if I couldn't afford a house in Pasadena, I'd surely live at the Stanley.
the hilton has been redone since the days when my mother had her office at 250...*I* don't recognize it anymore...and you're right, uuuuuuuugly! I MUCH prefer the brick...reminds me a little of a place I stayed in NYC near 5th and Lex many moons ago too.
There are a few other brick apartment buildings in town I'd like to photograph: one on Marengo north of the freeway, one at the corner of Union and something (or is it Walnut?) and one at the corner of California and something (or is it Del Mar?) Laurie already shot that one, it's on her overage blog. I wonder if the bricks were made here. Maybe. If you take a look at the back porch of the Gamble house you'll see what I mean.
I just stumbled across these posts about the Stanley and Livingston apartments. It's one of my favorite parts of Pasadena, because as others have commented, these buildings are so unique (by Pasadena standards). The lobby with the old-fashioned mail slots looks almost more something from a hotel or SRO hotel. And of course there's all that brick, not a wise material in earthquake country but these buildings were presumably built before people realized the hazards. The buildings do seem from another time and place (could indeed be Chicago, where I've lived, but as Dina said not the Gold Coast).
A similarly fascinating, though probably lower rent, red brick apartment building is at the northeast corner of Del Mar Blvd and El Molino Ave. That one reminds me of Boston. And another one at the south corner of Villa and Lincoln, about a block south of the post office.
Hi mkt-
Del Mar and El Molino. That's the one I was trying to come up with in the comment above yours. I can't picture the one on Lincoln. I'll have to go back over there. Having lived in Chicago myself, these brick buildings charm me.
This post has been around for a while, and I am hoping I am not late to the party! I would be happy to share what I know about the Stanley, as I have lived there! I moved there in 2002 for about a year. I was moving for school and after my schooling was complete, I moved to NY. I MISS the Stanley. What a wonderful charming, and haunted place! :) Yes it is true, there are gold mail slots built with antique keys that the mail man hated! There is also a desk there, where I presume the Lobby Receptionist would have sat years ago. The sofas and furniture were equally old, and dusty! I completely remember the down feather green velvet sofa...rather comfortable even if it hadn't been cleaned in years. To the left of the mail slots, is the first apartment and then there were a set of stairs to carry you up three floors. If you didnt want to take the stairs, you could use the elevator....bt beware! its old! Its the sort of elevator that does not have doors, but instead has a metal cage door that you have to close and latch just right in order for it to work. The buttons are worn and very vintage. Its very cute. I lived up on the third floor, nestled all the way in the back right corner. The doors are all painted red! To the left of each door is a tiny little door about the size of a bread basket. This is where the milk man used to drop your goods off at or where room service would deliver your trays! My apartment was a suite of sorts. I paid nothing for that place with all its charm. It was a steal! You walked into a square room, that was the parlor or sitting room. to the right there was a closet and a skinny drawer where the ironing board would hide, attached to the wall. To the right of that more was a joining door to the next room that had been sealed off. straight in front of the entry door, were two more doors, one went to the kitchen, the other to another sitting room (which was so large!) and to the left of the entry door was the bedroom where the bathroom and closet were attached. So lets start at the kitchen! How the fridge got in there is beyond me. The doorway was so small. I took it upon myself to purchase wood laminate and completely fix up the kitchen. Great kitchen, lots of charm. Loved that kitchen. The alternate sitting room was as big as a studio apartment. I easily placed two full size sofas and still had room for probably four more. It was fun to decorate that room. The whole room was lined with windows that opened horizontally. I had an old fashioned heater...the kind that bubbles and is VERY hot if you get near it. (those are not standard in cali). The bedroom was of great size as well. A king size bed and full furniture didn't even do it justice. The closet was cedar lined throughout, and could have easily been changed into an office. The bathroom...OH THE BATHROOM! it was so cute! Originally back and white hand placed tiles that were the size of a quarter. My bathtub had claws and the fixtures were so antique. The whole house had the original crown molding and the frame molding around the doors. It was picture perfect and i wish i had more images of it. Lets talk about downstairs...in the basement! That is where the maintenance man lived. It is also where you did your laundry. I never went down there at night, only during the day in bright sunlight. The basement scans the entire length of the building. I asked the manager once why the basement had stalls..it looked like horse stalls. He told me that was exactly what it was for...horses. Back in the day everyone moved by horse and carriage, this is where the horses stayed. I met the best people in this place. Most i still talk to today! I walked everywhere i needed to. I enjoyed the history so much...it was really the best place to live in. If i cold buy the building today, i gladly would.
Miss Ashley, thank you! Your description is most welcome. I hope to get a tour of the building someday, but I doubt I'll get one as good as the one you just gave me.
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