Hey, Dingbat!

Did you know that "dingbat" isn't just a term your grandfather used to describe his younger brother? It's true!

"Dingbat" was actually the name given to the style of boxy, 2-3 story apartment buildings with overhangs sheltering street-front parking that flourished in Los Angeles in the 1950s and 1960s. The name more directly refers to the stylistic star-shaped decorations, reminiscent of typographic dingbats, that often garnish the facades.

There was a period in LA's history where neighborhoods like Angeleno Heights were the norm... stunning Victorian homes with spacious yards.

Over time, as the economic landscape and the city's love of highways evolved, more and more of those homes were replaced by these boxy apartments. With more people able to occupy less space, dingbats were considered an economic way to provide housing for a marked increase in population following WWII. The buildings were cheap and easy to build and made the most of its land by not only building above the cars but also by leaving little, if any, room for yards.

This trend in architecture was considered an eyesore when it first grew popular in the early 1950s but nowadays the look seems almost synonymous with Southern California urban living. One could say it was the mid-century urban equivalent of the popular and efficient "cookie cutter" neighborhoods that have become increasingly popular in American suburbs.

Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase, doesn't it? So, next time your Grandpa calls you a "dingbat", surprise him with a little history lesson. And then run away before he whacks you upside the head for being a know-it-all.