Those who stumble on Westlake immediately notice something delightfully strange about this foggy suburb south of San Francisco: it’s an architectural time capsule, straight out of the era when poodle skirts were the fashion and Chevys ruled the road. And as people start to prize quality craftsmanship over size, this quirky enclave of Daly City is enjoying a little renaissance.
It all started after World War II with Henry Doelger, a successful local builder influenced by the space age–crazed ’50s. In Westlake, Doelger built Northern California’s first-ever large-scale suburban development and one of the few fully planned burbs in the nation. His 6,500 midcentury tract homes boasted boxy, atomic-age designs and modest, functional layouts for family living.
“You literally didn’t have to leave your neighborhood,” says Rob Keil, author of Little Boxes: The Architecture of a Classic Midcentury Suburb. “Basically, if an alien were to fly down in the ’50s and land there, it would think, ‘This is what life’s like on Earth.’” Westlake had everything: schools, churches, a shopping center, parks, a medical facility, a library, even a futuristic bowling alley. Today, its population is about half Asian American, with some original Westlakers and a sprinkling of urbanites drawn by the architecture.
Folk singer Malvina Reynolds sang disapprovingly of Westlake’s homes in her 1962 anthem “Little Boxes,” but nearly 50 years later these “little boxes made of ticky-tacky” have proven that conformity can be sweet.
THE SIGHTS
To see how they lived in the ’50s, jet across John Daly Blvd. and up Sheffield Drive . Most popular were architect Ed Hageman’s cartoonish “Fish n’ Chip” homes, many barely exceeding 1,000 square feet. With crazily slanted roofs and protruding wraparound windows, the split-level homes are complemented by futuristically shaped shrubs and manicured lawns. (Please don’t disturb the current residents!)
Follow the road around and down Cliffside Drive to see the first phase of the Westlake housing development, built in 1949.
For a bit of California history, travel north on Lake Merced Boule-vard to the Broderick-Terry Duel site, where in 1859 two prominent politicians settled an argument by pistol over whether California should be a free or slave state. U.S. Senator David Broderick, who opposed slavery, died three days later from the chest wound inflicted by former California Supreme Court chief justice David Terry. Broderick’s death made him a martyr and helped sway popular support for keeping California a free state. 1100 Lake Merced Blvd.
Heading back down Lake Merced, veer right on Northgate into the “Olympic” residential area. Slow down at Henry Doelger’s house, built circa 1953, which at one time contained a movie theater and an indoor pool. Today, most suburb developers build and get out, but Doelger made his home in Westlake. 112 Northgate Ave.
Heading uphill on Southgate, you’ll see the progression of Westlake homes. The later models were often upgraded with more spacious layouts and fancied up with balconies and extended wraparound windows. In the midst of these homes appears Marjorie H. Tobias Elementary . With a flying saucer shape and pastel color scheme, Tobias is one of five Westlake schools designed by Mario Ciampi. The award-winning architect designed it to focus attention on its central courtyard, which contained a garden and artwork. 725 Southgate Ave.
THE GRUB
On the original site of the Doelger Company lumber mill, Boulevard Cafe exemplifies the architectural style that defined many of Westlake’s original commercial buildings. A gyro-style chicken souvlaki pairs well with cocktails in the posh Art Deco lounge. 2 Poncetta Dr.
It was the hot spot then, and it remains so today. Nothing in the burb beats the chicken parmigiana and other Italian-American dishes at Joe’s of Westlake, where servers still wear black tuxedos with bow ties and call the locals by their first names. 11 Glenwood Ave.
One of the first malls in America, Westlake Shopping Center has been a construction zone for years and is now undergoing a $50 million makeover. Shoppers still grab a cup o’ joe and a tuna melt at the historic Westlake Coffee Shop. 52 park Plaza Dr.
HANGOUT
Perched on a hill is Palisades Park, located just above the two-story, two-car-garage homes of the late ’50’s. Although the park itself is nothing spectacular, locals say that when the neighborhood isn’t shrouded with fog, it has an awesome view of Westlake and the San Francisco skyline. Palisades Dr. at Westridge Ave.
WHAT IT COSTS
…to rent: $1,450 for a one-bedroom apartment with an ocean and city view in Westlake Village. 331 Park Plaza Dr.
…to buy: $799,000 for a three-bedroom home built in 1950 (a new house at that time went for about $12,000). 77 Wilshire Ave.
ONLY HERE
On February 4, 1974, the nation was stunned by the kidnapping of 19-year-old Patty Hearst in Berkeley. At one point the Symbionese Liberation Army kept Hearst in a 1958 ranch house in the Westlake Heights neighborhood, according to Keil, where Hearst says she spent days in a closet.
THE BOOK
Little Boxes: The Architecture of a Classic Midcentury Suburb (Advection Media, 2006) is the first book about the history and the architectural style of the Westlake district. Keil, a lifelong resident of Doelger homes, first thought about looking into the human story behind the development when he was renovating his home and found an old, crumpled-up pack of Phillip Morris cigarettes in the wall.