This crossing light has a long wait time
Today NATS (Not A Through Street) brings us to Casper Ave, a small, out of place street. It is parallel to Eagle Rock Boulevard and perpendicular to Colorado Boulevard, the life of Eagle Rock. Casper also crosses Chickasaw Ave and is within close proximity to Fair Park Ave, two of Eagle Rock’s most disjointed streets. Casper Ave hosts the Eagle Rock Farmer’s Market and our library, you would think this street is long or robust, right? Wrong. Somehow, despite all of it’s local descriptors Casper Ave is a short street, an especially short street at that running about a third of a mile from end to end, around 1780 feet long. This little street also holds title as the only street that interrupts Las Flores Ave between Sumner Ave and Townsend Ave, a title I wish it did not have. Las Flores would be an excellent candidate for a bicycle boulevard conversion, an alternative to bike or walk on instead of the crazy former portion of Route 66, Colorado Blvd, if it continued through Casper. Between Figueroa Street and Live Oak View Ave, Casper is also the only street perpendicular to Colorado Boulevard from the North which does NOT connect to Hill Drive. These are the things that distinguish Casper Ave before exploring it as a NATS, so lets take a closer look.
Even before passing beyond the “Not A Through Street” sign, there is something that makes this NATS different from the rest – aside from what was mentioned in the previous paragraph – the location of the NATS sign is unusually low. The interesting thing about the location is that it is tailored for cars, making it somewhat large, and when it is placed so close to the ground that one can stand in front of it, the largeness of the sign is realized to any pedestrian walking by. Anyway…
The first find past XTC was the very cute Jack’s Gym. When my sister was younger she used to have gymnastics lessons all the way in South Pasadena, if Jack’s Gym had been here at the time we could have saved time, and gas while supporting local business. I worry that because of the NATS sign less people will discover this business than if it were placed on a regular through street. However, Jack seems to be in good shape and hopefully playful exterior reflects the classes given there.
And along with the sweet of Jack’s Gym, I found the sour, a lemon tree from the neighboring property that drops free lemons in Jack’s parking lot.
This lemon survived the fall
Across the street from Jack’s Gym was a little less impressive
Grimy, dirty LA with telephone lines, ugly lots and all.
Shortly afterward I discovered a resident growing their own corn, tomato, chilli, and likely more. There’s a sign accompanying the produce though the website on the sign is no longer functioning.
As I paused to photograph the veggies, this large deodar ceder (?) easily caught my eye before I resumed walking up Casper Ave. It stands so elegant, yet strong.
Look at house for idea of the scale
Next, the bicycle enthusiast in me was excited to see that Casper Ave narrows right around the massive tree. Casper still can accommodate standard desired four cars’ width after narrowing and makes me wonder why we insist on making our streets unnecessarily wide.
This is not an optical illusion, look on the right curb and notice the narrowing
Right before reaching the end there’s an other interesting transformation of a front lawn.
The top has been reached and I am greeted with peace, how nice.
... Does this mean "End Peace"
Lots of Cacti on the top too!
Looking South the street is very picturesque with the hills in the background. The noise of Colorado is long gone at the end of this street and standing there, one would never guess so much hustle and bustle goes on just a block away.
Reason number 2 to walk Eagle Rock: Forget the noise of Colorado Boulevard while admiring homes, enjoying a lemon, and finding ‘peace’.
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