The Brand Library & Art Center comprises a fanciful hodgepodge of architectural styles.
BOUNDARIES: Brand Park, Grandview Ave., Kenneth Rd., Western Ave.
DISTANCE: About 1.5 miles
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
PARKING: Free parking is available in the Brand Park lot.
Located between Burbank and Pasadena, the city of Glendale bridges the gap between the San Fernando and San Gabriel Valleys. This walk explores two of Glendale’s more charming attractions, Brand Park and Kenneth Village. The Brand Library & Art Center, inside Brand Park, was built in 1904 as the home of Leslie Coombs Brand, an early developer in the Glendale area. He named his mansion, perched in the foothills of the Verdugo Mountains, El Miradero, or The Lookout, for its views of the valley below. After exploring the park, head downhill to Kenneth Village, which lends a delightful small-town character to this part of Glendale.
Begin in 
Brand Park, at the intersection of Mountain Street and Grandview Avenue, where you can spend some time exploring the park and the Brand Library & Art Center. The lovely structure combines elements of Spanish, Moorish, and Indian architecture. Stop in to peruse the library’s impressive art and music collections or to admire the latest exhibition in the adjacent gallery. While in the park, you may also want to visit the Whispering Pine Treehouse & Friendship Garden, a lovely little Japanese garden and pond, as well as the Victorian Doctor’s House Museum and Gazebo. The Doctor’s House was the former residence of three prominent Glendale physicians and has been restored to its late 19th-century appearance.
Exit the park onto Grandview Avenue. A large 1925 Spanish Colonial Revival home named Casa de Carmen catches the eye to your left, at 1770 Mountain St. Head south on Grandview, going slightly downhill away from Brand Park. Notice the homes over the next three blocks: you’re in the North Cumberland Heights Historic District, where you can see examples of period revival architectural styles, as well as Minimal Traditional and ranch-style homes. Use the left side of Grandview, as the sidewalk on the right side is intermittent, occasionally pushing pedestrians onto this fairly high-traffic street.
Turn right on Kenneth Road. You’re now in the midst of Kenneth Village, Glendale’s diminutive, old-fashioned downtown area. This one-block stretch has a pleasing small-town vibe and is home to the 
Village French Bakery, a yoga studio, a music center, and more.
Turn right on Sonora Avenue. Enjoy the view of the foothills and mountains ahead as you stroll slightly uphill along this residential street. The neighborhood features an eclectic architectural mix—Mediterranean, Norman, Cape Cod, and traditional—and most of the homes have broad green lawns (if it’s not a drought year, that is).
Turn left on Bel Aire Drive. This street’s residences range in style and size; modest traditional homes stand alongside grand Mediterranean villas. The large wood-shingled house at 1600 Bel Aire, with its steeply pitched roof and stone chimney, catches the eye.
Turn right on El Miradero Avenue. The architecture here is remarkably cohesive, consisting mostly of meticulously maintained Spanish-style homes, many with distinctive flourishes such as colorful tile work and arched picture windows. As you near the end of El Miradero at Mountain Street, you’ll see the white Brand Park entrance gate ahead.
Walk through the gate to return to your starting point inside the park.
Brand Park’s entrance gate
Glendale’s Brand Park and Kenneth Village
Points of Interest
Brand Park 1601 W. Mountain St., Glendale, CA 91201; 818-548-3782, tinyurl.com/brandpark
Village French Bakery 1414 W. Kenneth Road, Glendale, CA 91201; 818-241-2521
