The Ebell of Los Angeles, a women’s club, also serves as a wedding and event venue.
BOUNDARIES: Beverly Blvd., Rossmore Ave., Wilshire Blvd., Windsor Blvd.
DISTANCE: About 2 miles
DIFFICULTY: Easy
PARKING: Free street parking is available on Larchmont Blvd., south of First St.; metered parking is available on Larchmont north of First St.
The Hancock Park/Windsor Square area lies just south of Hollywood and is considered one of the nicest areas in central Los Angeles. It encompasses posh Wilshire Country Club, as well as Larchmont Village, a collection of small, independently owned shops and restaurants (as well as a few commercial chain establishments) that is constantly teeming with residents and their canine companions. This route begins in the village and heads south to explore the homes of Windsor Square, a wealthy neighborhood that the city of Los Angeles declared a Historic Preservation Overlay Zone (HPOZ) in 2005. There was some dispute among the residents of Windsor Square over this declaration. The HPOZ designation can be a blessing in that it protects the houses and ensures that the architectural integrity and cohesiveness of all the buildings in the area are carefully upheld, but it can also be limiting to residents who wish to make their own unique mark on their property.
Begin at the corner of Beverly and Larchmont Boulevards, in the middle of Larchmont Village, which stretches for several blocks between Melrose Avenue and Third Street. Head south on Larchmont. The village is home to more restaurants than you can shake a fork at, ranging from Italian to Greek to Thai to Caribbean. Sartorial enthusiasts will be delighted to find a collection of fine boutiques, although the names on some of the storefronts seem to change regularly. It’s worth your time either before or after this walk to explore Larchmont Village and grab a bite to eat—if you can decide where to dine. A few long-standing and dependably good eateries include 
Prado Restaurant, 
Village Pizzeria, and 
Le Petit Greek. A more recent arrival is the much-celebrated 
Salt & Straw, a Portland-import ice-cream shop specializing in unusual and mouthwatering flavor combinations. The popular 
Larchmont Farmers Market sets up on Sunday mornings in a parking lot on the west side of the street.
Larchmont Boulevard becomes a residential street south of First Street, populated with mostly Spanish and Norman one- and two-story homes. The median is planted with jacaranda, lily of the Nile, and bird-of-paradise. As you near Third Street, look for the stone column erected by the Windsor Square Association at the south end of the Larchmont median.
Cross Third Street and turn left, walking less than a block to Plymouth Boulevard.
Turn right on Plymouth, a quiet street lined with royal palms. The houses here are more appropriately described as mansions, with expansive green lawns and self-conscious ornamentation, such as diamond-paned windows and gingerbread trim. The primary architectural styles are those that work well on a grand scale, such as American Colonial Revival, Spanish Colonial Revival, Craftsman, and Tudor Revival.
Turn right on Wilshire Boulevard. The commanding structure of the Scottish Rite Masonic Temple sits on the northwest corner of Plymouth and Wilshire. On the south side of Wilshire is the Wilshire United Methodist Church, a beautiful building that combines elements of Romanesque and Gothic design and has been declared a Historic-Cultural Monument by the city of Los Angeles. The Italian Renaissance–style headquarters for 
The Ebell of Los Angeles, just west of the church, at the corner of Lucerne Boulevard, encompasses the Wilshire Ebell Theatre and Clubhouse. Founded in 1894, The Ebell is one of the nation’s oldest and largest women’s clubs. The theater and clubhouse were built in 1927.
Turn right on Lucerne Boulevard. At 637 Lucerne, notice a Victorian mansion. Across the street, at 630, is an elaborate Craftsman shingled in green wood. Apart from these two remarkable structures, most of the homes along Lucerne echo the architectural styles of Plymouth.
Turn right on Fourth Street.
Turn left on Windsor Boulevard. A classic white American Colonial Revival home sits on the northeast corner at 354 Windsor.
Carefully cross Third Street; the street is fairly busy, and there’s no crosswalk at Windsor. At 270 S. Windsor, a cheerful orange Spanish home with blue-and-yellow-striped awnings catches the eye. As you continue along Windsor, you’ll see that many of the gardens are planted with white roses and purple lily of the Nile; the landscaping along this street is impressively congruous. Even in the dry heat of summer, Windsor Boulevard smells verdant, thanks to the blooming magnolia trees and amply watered lawns, although the prolonged SoCal drought is gradually prompting some residents to switch over to low-water landscaping.
Turn left on First Street. The Spanish-style home on the northwest corner looks like a tropical resort, gorgeously landscaped with palms and exotic flowering plants. As you cross Plymouth Boulevard for the last time, look north to catch a glimpse of the water tower at Paramount Studios.
When you come to the intersection of Beachwood Drive, veer left to remain on First Street and take the next right (you’ll see Gower Street on the right). Continue on First to the intersection of Larchmont Boulevard.
Turn right on Larchmont and head one block back to Beverly Boulevard, where you started in Larchmont Village.
Larchmont Village and Windsor Square
Points of Interest
Prado Restaurant 244 N. Larchmont Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90004; 323-467-3871, pradola.com
Village Pizzeria 131 N. Larchmont Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90004; 323-465-5566, villagepizzeria.net
Le Petit Greek 127 N. Larchmont Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90004; 323-464-5160, lepetitgreek.com
Salt & Straw 240 N. Larchmont Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90004; 323-466-0485, saltandstraw.com
Larchmont Farmers Market 209 N. Larchmont Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90004, Sundays 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
The Ebell of Los Angeles 743 S. Lucerne Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90005; 323-931-1277, ebellla.org
