Rossmoyne

Rossmoyne is located close to Glendale Community College off of North Glendale Avenue. The neighborhood has many homes built in the first half of the 1900's utilizing Spanish Colonial Revival architecture. The yards are on the smaller side, and are extremely well-maintained. Homes range in size from bungalows to mansions. The location is excellent in that it is close to all types of shopping and restaurants, and easily accessible to the Glendale Freeway and Route 134. An excellent choice for community to LA yet getting more bang for your buck than West of The 5.

The Rossmoyne neighborhood stretches north of Glenoaks Blvd. to the edge of the hills. It goes from N Brand Avenue on the west to the northern turn of Glenoaks Blvd. on the east. This is an affluent neighborhood for the most part with the median income approaching $90K per year.

Rossmoyne is a “historic” Glendale neighborhood dating back to before the Second World War and one area where you can see this is in the architecture of the buildings. I put quotes around the term “historic” because I want to make clear that although the age of the homes that make up the neighborhood clearly identify it as a historic neighborhood, it is not currently identified as one of Glendale’s three official “historic” zones. It is, however, in the process of applying for this distinction which, if approved, would seek to keep the neighborhood’s character by only permitting redesigns that would be in keeping with the general historic character of the neighborhood. Three quarters of the homes in the area were built before 1950. In fact, you will be hard pressed to find many homes built in this millennium. Despite this, the homes are so well kept that most people would prefer them to more contemporary housing choices. The fact that so many of the structures have a story to them gives the neighborhood a classic feel that is one of its main attractions.

North of East Stocker Street, visitors will find the most expensive of the homes in the area. The straight streets here are lined by the iconic high palm trees that SoCal (and Beverly Hills of course) are known for. The homes along these streets run the gamut from variations on the Mission Revival style (some vary the traditional adobe walls with a darker version of the clay and tiles that give the homes a distinctly Mediterranean feel) to refurbished bungalows with intricately landscaped lawns leading to the walk up steps. Squat palm trees are a stock favorite of local landscapers. If you are willing to adhere to the historic preservation ordinances applying to not just windows but even the trees, and if you can afford the high prices, then you are sure to fall in love with this neighborhood.

South of East Stocker Street, the neighborhood is largely made up of apartment buildings (most of them are also dating from mid-Twentieth Century and, even though they are not as attractive as the homes north of Stocker, they have a definite classic look to them that many will find attractive). Many of the newer constructions in the area are in this area as well. Typical rents run about $1200 for a two bedroom apartment and about $950 for a studio.

East of North Jackson Street, the homes are more modest, by north Glendale standards, though no less historic or well-maintained. The smaller lots don’t seem to make any difference in terms of how beautifully manicured the lawns are kept or how carefully the architectural flourishes are detailed.

This is not a museum exhibition, however. The residents take a lively interest in their community and in supporting Glendale’s civic responsibilities. Nibley Park on the eastern end is a great neighborhood park where locals hold birthday parties and barbecues. Although there are no schools within Rossmoyne, a couple of religious private schools are right at the borders and the north Glendale public school system is well-regarded and well-funded (even though two thirds of local children attend private schools).

All in all, a wonderful neighborhood to live in if you love a classically maintained neighborhood and can afford it.