Two Homes Empty Since 2017

It breaks my heart to see a perfectly lovely home sit empty for years - even more so when two houses on the same lot are sitting empty.

2749 W. 8th Street was built in 1907, with a back house (numbered 2745) added in 1921.

In those days, Westlake was a fashionable district, and by the 1920s, films were shot in the nearby park (now MacArthur Park). 2749 and 2745 had easy access to streetcars, certainly a selling point in the days when car ownership was far less common.

The neighborhood's fortunes have certainly changed. While the houses are still close to mass transit, nowadays there are two bus stops just steps from the gate.

The property last changed hands in 2006, and the owner filed for Ellis Act evictions on January 11, 2017.

The houses have been empty ever since, forlornly sitting across 8th Street from a modern strip mall.

Westlake hasn't been a wealthy neighborhood for decades. I question where the evicted tenants could realistically afford to live, and I have concerns about the owner letting the houses sit empty while they are needed more than ever.

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