Pacific Avenue 91202 – Northwest Glendale Gridlock Spoils the Walk

Pacific Avenue north of Glenoaks Boulevard has become a bottleneck. The street provides access to the neighborhood of Northwest Glendale at the base of the hills, as well as to Maginn Drive and the hillside homes overlooking downtown Glendale. The Glenwood Road turnoff to the local public schools is a bottleneck itself as each school day begins and ends. In the five short blocks between Glenoaks and Glenwood, commercial construction has replaced several residences.

The latest property to join this trend was a 2 bed/1bath home on a very small lot. 1211 Pacific Avenue sold for a modest $435,000 in late 2006, and is almost complete as a two-story commercial building with parking at the back of the lot. Construction has, of course, impeded traffic.

The just-completed Pacifico Center (seen in the photo with its blue tile roof) replaced a vintage home on the large corner lot of Pacific and Stocker. Access driveways on both streets slow traffic at the intersection, especially after school is out each day and customers head to Haagen-Daaz and Starbucks.

Too many cars ruin what should be a pedestrian-friendly streetscape. Residents can run most errands on foot, and are just steps away from Glendale’s Beeline bus service. Condominiums on the surrounding streets make sense for those who don’t want to bother with a car. But walking on Pacific means watching for drivers trying to beat the light or turn ahead of you as you cross the street, so be warned.  Drivers are also on edge because some pedestrians don’t bother to take a few more steps to designated crosswalks (a problem not confined to this neighborhood).

Two years ago, homes on Pacific north of Glenwood could sell quickly. But the main artery’s short transition from hillside homes to urban traffic is less desirable now. 1347 N. Pacific Ave., listed originally at $579,950, has been taken off the market. 1441 N. Pacific Ave., listed at $569,000 (down from $599,000) is a foreclosure.

Below are some recent sales and active listings in the neighborhood. The condominium asking prices are significantly higher than recent sale prices (which average $292 per sq.ft., according to Redfin).

1410 Pacific Ave.
Sold 2/19/08 for $630,000
2 beds/3 baths
2081 sq.ft.

1435 Pacific Ave.
Sold 5/28/08 for $630,000
3 beds/2baths
1703 sq.ft.

516 South St.
Sold 4/16/08 for $540,000
2 beds/2baths
1,285 sq.ft.

Current listings:

551 Clement Dr.
$649,000
2 beds/2baths
1,573 sq.ft.
On Redfin 61 days

1225 Dorothy Dr.
$850,000
2 beds/2 baths
1,600 sq.ft.
On Redfin 26 days

537 W. Stocker St. #5
$384,900 (price reduced four times, originally $489,900)
2 beds/2.25 baths
1,086 sq.ft. ($354 per sq.ft.)
On Redfin 262 days

551 W. Stocker St. #10
$329,000 (price reduced four times from $389,000)
2 beds/1.75 baths
880 sq.ft. ($374 per sq.ft.)
On Redfin 49 days

551 W. Stocker St. #6
$399,900 (perhaps they should check out Unit 10′s history above)
2 beds/1.75 baths
880 sq.ft. ($454 per sq.ft.)
On Redfin 11 days

1305 Columbus Ave. #102
$469,500
2 beds/2baths
1300 sq.ft ($361 per sq.ft.)
On Redfin 84 days