Locked PUBLIC Stairways

There are many locked PUBLIC stairways in the city of Los Angeles. The stairways on this blog are all public stairways, which mean they are, or should be, open to the public!!  Hopefully this blog will inform the public about these locked staircases.  If anybody knows of other locked staircases or the reason why some staircases are locked, please email me.

The questions about these locked public stairways that need to be asked are:

Why are some PUBLIC stairways locked?

Who makes the decision to lock PUBLIC stairways?

Are these locked PUBLIC stairways illegally locked by homeowners and residents who live nearby?

How can the public get the illegally locked staircases, reopened?

Highland Park/ Mt. Angelus

In the Mt. Angelus area of Highland Park, there are five locked staircases that were locked by the city of Los Angeles years ago.  In 2011 neighborhood activitist, Louisa Van Leer, was able to get four of the five locked staircases opened for a day.  The streets and staircases in Mt. Angelus are named after well known activists in the women’s suffrage movement and abolitionists.

This staircase starts at the corner of Figueroa and Piedmont and goes up to Mt. Angelus Place.  The day I went and took pictures the bottom gate, the first picture below, was unlocked.  But, when I took the picture at the top on Mt. Angelus Place, the gate was locked.  I was also informed by Bob Inman, that this staircase is usually opened on Saturdays. 

This staircase goes from Mt. Angelus Place to Mt. Angelus Drive.  As you can see this staircase has been closed for a long time.  Even the top entrance gives the impression there is a house.  But as you can see there is a staircase, behind that locked gate!

The Hosmer staircase goes from Mt. Angelus Dr. to La Follette Dr.  There is another staircase that also goes from Mt. Angelus Dr. to La Follette St, that is open but a mean barking dog welcomes you at the bottom of that staircase.

The Lower Monte Vista staircase goes from La Follette St. to Livermore Terrace.

The Emerson staircase goes from Garrison Dr. to Lamont Dr. Pictured below is the locked staircase at Garrison.

Cypress Park

York Hill Pl to Banbury Pl.

Silver Lake

This staircase starts at Rockford Rd and goes up to Fargo St. Rumors are that this staircase is illegally locked. If this is true, why does the city of Los Angeles allow PUBLIC staircases to be illegally locked?

This staircase goes from Effie to Mohawk and as you can see is locked. When I took this picture at the top of this locked staircase on Effie, some old hag asked me what I was doing. I told her it's none of her damn business. As I was leaving, she told me "The city locked those gates." Well if the city did legally lock that gate, why is she so worried that somebody took a picture of that locked gate? Why didn't she just mind her own damn business? Typical snotty arrogant resident of Silver Lake.

Parkman Ave. and Westerly Terrace

Echo Park

This is the top of the Montana stair case in Echo Park. For some reason this staircase is locked.

FAQ

1. What counts as one staircase?

To me, as long as you do NOT have to cross a street to get to the next staircase, that is one staircase; no matter how long it maybe or if they go both up and down like Loma Vista.

Staircases that intersect like the Fairbanks/Montana staircases in Echo Park, I consider them two separate staircases.

Whether you agree or disagree with this definition is fine. If you have a different definition of what counts as a stair case, great. If you want to break up a long staircase and call it two staircases, knock yourself out. I don't really care to debate something so stupid. So please don't email me or send comments about the definition of a staircase.

2. How do you name staircases?

Most are named after either the street they start at or end up on. For example, Silver Lake Blvd to Occidental, is just named Occidental.

3. Step counts.  Most of the step counts are based from Fleming's Secret Stairs book.  If he was off by one or two steps, who cares?  But, I did find two step counts that were way off; the Edendale steps in Walk #26- Fleming lists this having 134 steps, but the actual step count is 147.  The Entrada Dr. to Mabery Rd. stairs in Walk #40, Fleming lists that as 169 steps, when it is 79 steps.