Feb. 10, 1927: The Garden of “Alla” (later changed to Allah) at Sunset Boulevard and Havenhurst Drive.
Sunset Boulevard and Havenhurst Drive via Google’s Street View.
This postcard showing the home of actress Alla Nazimova has been listed on EBay. This is apparently the home on 2 1/2 acres at 8080 Sunset Blvd., but it’s unclear whether the card shows the original home, or the 15-room house she built behind it in 1924. In later years, Nazimova, who died in 1945, lived at the famous Garden of Allah, 8152 Sunset Blvd., which was built on her property in 1926 and torn down in 1959. Bidding on the postcard starts at 79 cents.
Aug. 7, 1919: Nazimova buys the property at 8080 Sunset Blvd.
Curiously enough, the address was also used in 1924 for something called the Facial Institute.
ladailymirror.com 
Never ceases to amaze how the images of old Los Angeles dazzle over the sterile, contemporary ones. Here in San Francisco, much the old is venerated and often improved upon. A key reason why I left L.A.
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Unfortunately my only experience with the Garden of Allah was tamer: the bank on the corner, Subway, and that weird Mickey D’s drive-thru! I would much rather have had recollections of some of those vintage late-nites there.
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Wonderful post, Larry! Could you please supply a link to the full page with the newspaper illustration of the overhead view above, from Feb. 10, 1927? Or, could you please upload a high-resolution version that readers can click on to enlarge? The detail would be appreciated. Thank you very much!
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I highly recommend Gavin Lambert’s 1997 biography of Nazimova, by the way–fascinating book.
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She was born in my city Yalta, Ukraine ))
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The postcard shows the main house on the estate. The correct date for the “Handsome New Home” article is Feb. 2, 1924. Nazimova built the second house after her film career began its downward spiral. She intended to live in the smaller house and lease the estate, which she did, first to Beatrice Lilly and then to Joe Schenck. But it wasn’t enough and she was convinced by her business manager to convert the estate into a residential hotel, first known as the Garden of Alla, and later renamed Garden of Allah. One of the first tasks in building the hotel was to demolish the smaller house, which by then was just two years old.
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