Established in 1887 as part of L.A.'s first official suburb, Angelino Heights, Carroll Avenue is famous for having the largest concentration of Victorian-era homes in the city, and the highest concentration of Eastlake and Queen Anne residences in Southern California. A dozen or so of the houses appear on the historic sites register. Located just a mile from downtown, Carroll Avenue also features a few homes that have been featured on television and music videos, including the Charmed house and the abode shown in Michael Jackson's “Thriller” video.

Angelino Heights was L.A.’s very first designated Historic Preservation Overlay Zone (HPOZ), created largely due to the efforts of the committee's chairman, Tom Morales.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Carroll Avenue became a very rough neighborhood and renovation has only come about in the last few years. Today, the neighborhood is an urban explorer's dream, showcasing these painted ladies proudly displaying their gingerbread trimmings and gabled roofs.

All photos by Star Foreman