Secret Stairs: A Walking Guide to the Historic Staircases of Los Angeles

Containing walks + detailed maps from throughout the city, Secret Stairs highlights the charms + quirks of a unique feature of the Los Angeles landscape + chronicles the geographical, architectural + historical aspects of the city’s staircases, as well as of the neighborhoods in which the steps are located. From strolling through the classic La Loma neighborhood in Pasadena to walking the Sunset Junction Loop in Silver Lake, to taking the Beachwood Canyon hike through Hollywoodland, to enjoying the magnificent ocean views from the Castellammare district in Pacific Palisades, Charles Fleming’s Secret Stairs takes you on a tour of the staircases all across the City of Angels. The circular walks, rated for duration + difficulty, deliver tales of historic homes + their fascinating inhabitants, bits of unusual local trivia + stories of the neighborhoods surrounding the stairs. Despite the fact that one of these staircases starred in an Oscar-winning short film—Laurel + Hardy’s The Music Box, from 1932—these civic treasures have been virtually unknown to most of the city’s residents + visitors. Now, Secret Stairs puts these hidden stairways back on the map, while introducing urban hikers to exciting new trails all around the city of Los Angeles. Softcover. 240 pages.