One of Barbara Bestor’s Blackbirds is up for grabs in Echo Park

Blackbirds, a micro-neighborhood consisting of 18 homes designed by Barbara Bestor, is still massively appealing.

When a small lot home is done right, it offers the perfect balance between architectural details, relative affordability, and community. Built in the hills of Echo Park, Bestor says, “The community is a thoughtful blend of private, semi-private and public space, and promotes connections with neighbors and the community by encouraging interaction and exchange …. The emphasis of the design is on a higher quality of life within an urban context.”

The kitchen cabinet, bookshelf and dining area
The dining area with an outside view
Second-floor sitting place and glass window

Dark grey or white fiber-cement and standing-steam metal decorate the dwellings that line the “living street: a central courtyard that comprises both landscape and parking areas and serves as the stage for larger community functions and play.”

Polished concrete and white oak flooring anchor the 1,580 square feet of living space inside. Elevated décor includes custom lighting by Brendan Ravenhill, custom cabinetry, and floor-to-ceiling bookshelves.

Bedroom with glass door and balcony
The sitting place with an outside view
Balcony sitting place with an outside view

A sense of indoor/outdoor living is accomplished through large windows that frame sweeping views of the hills, a rooftop deck off the spacious bedrooms, and access to a private yard below.

Landscape design by Mia Lehrer + Assoc enhances the central living street and frames the views from each floor.

The project sold out in 2015, with very few offerings since. Listed by Courtney Smith, this three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath home located at 2030 Blackbirds Way seeks $1,095,000 with a small monthly maintenance fee.

Interested in seeing this home? Let's Talk. 323.829.4440 EMAIL