Mickey Mouse and Disney have strong ties to Los Feliz.

2495 Lyric Avenue, Los Feliz

I'm a real estate for Keller Williams in Los Feliz and I love the history of this town.  I love homes in the area too - here's a piece on the Los Feliz is the birthplace of the most enduring and lovable stars that Los Angeles has ever produced; Mickey Mouse.

The Pacific Ready-Cut house at 2495 Lyric Ave. was built by Walt Disney in 1926 for $8,000, including the 2875 square foot lot. His brother Roy bought an identical house and lived next door with his wife. Ready-Cut homes were ready to assemble houses, that came complete with the framing, doors, windows, sinks, cabinets - even the nails and paint were included along with an instruction manual to put it all together. Pacific Ready-Cut were popular houses in the 1920’s, selling over 37,000 in Southern California.

The 12,000 pieces for the houses were delivered by rail in August of 1926 and construction was finished by December, in time for the holiday season. The modest, two bedroom, one bath house was 1066 square feet inside. Walt and Lillian lived on Lyric Ave until they moved to Working Way in 1932. The brothers houses were identical and both are still standing today.

The current owner of the house bought it in 1997 for $150,000, not knowing the home's origins. He started to hear rumors that Walt Disney had owned the house and began investigating. When he bought the house, the previous owner had died, leaving it vacant for six months. Sadly, the house was in such a state of disrepair that it had to be completely gutted, with new plumbing and electrical installed.

Mickey Mouse was born in the garage of the house on Lyric Ave. Walt, Roy and Ub Iwerks worked in secret on the project, while still under contract to Charles Mintz and Universal Studios for the Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoons.

Disney had strong ties to Los Feliz, with many of the original workers living in the area. A co-worker moved into Walt’s house when he left for Working Way, while his brother stayed on at his home on Lyric Ave.

The very first ‘Disney Bros Cartoon Studio’ was located in the garage of Walt’s uncle Robert Disney at 4406 Kingswell Ave. The garage has been on display for the public since the 1980’s, at the Stanley Ranch Museum in Garden Grove. The brothers also rented an office next to their uncles house, which is where Walt met Lillian when he hired her as an ‘ink and paint girl’.

In 1926, Disney opened a new, larger studio at 2719 Hyperion Ave. Many Disney legends were created in that studio, including Snow White and the Seven Dwarf’s. It was sold in 1940 and demolished in 1966, replaced by a shopping center which is now Gelson’s market. In honor of the studio, Disney continued using the name Hyperion for many different things, such as Hyperion Books and the Hyperion Theatre.

Disney was fond of saying “it all started with a mouse!” The part that many people don’t know is that the mouse got his start in a modest home on Lyric Ave. in Los Feliz.

When hiring a real estate agent, hire local.  Debbie Pisaro

World Elephant Day at The LA Zoo August 8th & 9th

Did you know there is a World Elephant Day?

It is a day dedicated to the conservation of elephants. These majestic creatures are still being hunted and killed for their tusks, to supply the demand for ivory. While ivory bans exist in some parts of the world, many still allow the trade.

President Obama has just announced major restrictions on ivory in the US. He made the announcement while in Kenya, saying that the new legislation would not only further restrict the import of ivory into the US, but severely restrict the sale of ivory between states, limiting it only to antique pieces over 100 years old.

California lawmakers have proposed AB96, a bill that would ban ivory sales in California. The bill was drafted with the help of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s 96 Elephants campaign.

All of this is good news for the elephants. Restrictions on the ivory trade and education about the killing of elephants for their tusks have been largely responsible for the gains in elephant conservation.

To celebrate World Elephant Day, the LA Zoo in our very own Griffith Park will be hosting World Elephant Day Weekend, an event where you can learn about and enjoy it’s resident elephants.

Visitors to the zoo here in Los Feliz will get to see the state of the art Elephants of Asia exhibit, where they can learn about how the elephants are cared for, from feeding to the enrichment activities used to keep the elephants happy and entertained.

For families, the zoo is offering a craft area, where children can create cards symbolizing their commitment to elephant conservation which will be displayed at the Elephants of Asia Elephants Circle. Kids can also bring their toy elephants (or purchase one at the zoo) to be examined by experts and given a certificate of health.

Visitors will learn about current and past elephant conservation efforts, including the restrictions on the sale of ivory and the importance of protecting elephant habitat.

In the Thailand pavilion, you can learn about working and unemployed elephants, who are so essential to the Thai economy but are slowly being replaced by construction equipment. The Elephants of India plaza shows the impact of habitat destruction on that country's elephants. It provides waterfalls for the elephants to bathe in and hidden nooks and crannies for the trainers to place treats. You can also see the respectful relationship between the Dia people of China and elephants in the Elephants of China exhibit. Finally, enjoy the Elephant Lake in the Cambodian Pavilion, where there are many enrichment activities for the elephants.

In addition to the elephants, visitors can view the zoo’s collection of over 1000 animals, covering 250 different species. The botanical gardens boast 7000 plants representing 800 different species.

World Elephant Day Weekend runs on Saturday August 8 and Sunday August 9, from 10am to 4pm. Admission to the zoo is $20 for general admission (ages 13 - 61), $17 for seniors (62+) and $15 for children 2 - 12 years old. Children under the age of 2 are free. Members of the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association enjoy free admission.

What does the Future Hold for the Griffith Park Tea House?

If you would like to visit Griffith Park’s brand new tea house, you should probably do it soon. The art project, which was installed a month ago, has a very uncertain future.

At 5 am on June 30, a few dozen people gathered in the pre-dawn darkness in response to simple wooden invitations, asking them to meet in Griffith Park for tea and wishes. Upon arrival, the guests found tea cups, LED lights and a map, directing them along the path to Mt. Bell.

The map lead to the freshly installed Griffith Park Tea House, brought into existence by an artist’s collective. No official permission for the project has been granted, so the artist wish to remain anonymous.

Participants enjoyed a tea ceremony to open the Tea House as the sun rose, enjoying the spots incredible views of the Verdugos and the San Gabriel mountains.

The Tea House is only 80 square feet and is made from the singed wood of trees devastated in the 2007 Griffith Park fire. The structure was left after the ceremony, a gift from the artists to the people of LA.

The Tea House was designed with the help of professional craftspeople, ensuring that the structure is sound. It makes use of an old concrete foundation found at the spot, likely the remnants of an old utility shack.

The inspiration came from frequent trips into the park, a visit to Japan and a love of tea. The wood for the structure came from trees killed in the fire as well as redwoods that the park has removed because they are a non-native species that require a lot of water. The design of the Tea House was dependent on the amount and size of the wood that was available. No trees were cut down for the project, instead the group used wood which was already dead and on the ground.

The roof is inspired by Japanese lines, the structure has many windows to ensure a good view of the surrounding park and mountains. The finishing touch, carvings of griffins, partially inspired by the parks red-tailed hawks. A small bell can be rung for ceremony or fun.

At the opening ceremony, guests were given small pieces of wood, to write a wish for the city. The pieces are hung all over the Tea House, with wishes for peace, love, happiness and all the Lego sets. Some bear pictures instead of words, some are memorials, making beautiful and moving decorations for a unique little house.

The Department of Recreation and Parks is still unsure of the fate of the Tea House. It may stay where it is, be moved to another part of the park or become a travelling art piece. A petition to allow it to remain has been launched. [link to petition: https://www.change.org/p/david-e-ryu-tom-labonge-eric-garcetti-la-city-parks-la-mayor-s-office-keep-the-griffith-park-tea-house-standing]

In the mean time, visitors are enjoying the Tea House. One has left a small jar of oolong tea

with a note for others to help themselves. It is clear that this piece of guerrilla art is quickly becoming a favourite of visitors to Griffith Park.