7 Things That Make Homes In Los Angeles Unique

If you've ever lived in places other than Southern California then moved here, you'd notice some things that are different about the houses we have.  As someone who has lived all over, I'd like to tell you what our homes here in LA have that differ from homes in other places.

1. Not too many homes made of brick. You'll find brick homes in most other states across the US but not here.  Earthquakes and brick homes don't go together well.
2. Not all homes have Heating and Air Conditioning. There are so many homes in LA that were built well before these amenities were common to every home. So unless your home is newer or someone has added Heat and Air, you may find homes that still don't have it.  Also, homes closer to the beach typically don't need AC since the weather stays so mild there.  Beach city homes may have heat but a lot of them opt out of having an air conditioner.
3. We don't have a lot of "Neighborhoods" here.  In a lot of American towns, if someone was asked where they live, they may say something like "Stoney Brook Meadows" or "Oakwood Heights" and you would see a little sign that has the name of your subdivision at each entrance.  However, here in LA, when people tell you where they live it's typically the name of the city or a locally-known name of the specific area in the city such as South Pasadena or Hancock Park.
4.  You will see a lot of homes that have air conditioning units on the roof of the house.  This can be found in a number of cities other than LA but if you haven't been to those cities, it may be a surprise to some to see the AC units perched up there. But with large lots being hard to come by here, it sure saves space.
5.  LA may hold the most vast amount of styles of homes than anywhere else in America.  Now, this is just a guess I'm making here but I would be surprised if any other place holds as many different styles as we do.  From Colonial, Mediterranean, Mid-Century Modern, Farm houses, Victorian, Cape Cod, Craftsmen, Contemporary, Tudor, Ranch and on and on.... Our mild climate allows for just about every style home. And architects love to come here to flex their creative muscles so-to-speak because of our climate and many different landscapes to work with.
6. Some of our houses are on stilts that hold part of the home that is over a steep hillside.  This was a unique characteristic I had not seen before moving to LA that still fascinates me.  And it's very common in places like the Hollywood Hills.
7.  It's not common to have basements or attics you can walk in here.  Most of the cities I've lived in have basements, whether they are storm basements, partial basements, or full basements that are used as extra living space.  Also, attics where you can pull down a folding ladder to walk up into it or a door that leads to stairs that go to the attic are common in many places but not in LA.  Here, you may find "California basements" which are usually the size of a closet but even those aren't common.  And while we have attics that hold ducting and insulation, it's not usual to find walk-up attics here.

If you don't live in LA and get the chance to come here, make a point to drive through some of our cities and look at the homes.  If you like looking at houses as much as I do, you will find some very fascinating, beautiful and unique houses while you are here.