Your First Walk In the Canyon
For this tour you will need a comfortable pair of walking shoes, a good sun block, and a sense of curiosity. We begin at 7th and Adelaide (parking is available on one side of Adelaide only!). As soon as you turn left onto Adelaide, you can already see the ocean ahead of you, and off to your right the view of the entire canyon.
Some of the homes on your left date from the 1920's, 30's, and 40's. Walking on, you come to a spiked wrought iron fence on the right. There's a great view of the original one room schoolhouse moved from Sycamore Road to its present site, smack in the middle of the Canyon Elementary School where it is presently used as a computer lab and library. Walk on a few yards and you come to the first set of stairs. These are not the infamous 4th Street stairs. Those are a little farther ahead. As you near 4th Street, on your left is the home built by Robert Gillis, considered to be the first Santa Monica Canyon developer. He even named the street after his daughter "Adelaide." The stairs on your right (these are the infamous stairs) become crowded with people climbing them for exercise. If you look left down the 4th Street meridian, you will see the stretching area for all the 'stair climbers.' But if you look right over the tiled roof tops, reminiscent of the Italian coast, you can see all the way to the Pacific Palisades Highlands, past the ocean and fantastic sunsets.

Ahead of you on Adelaide, on your right is a new cliff hanger home designed by Maya Lin, the young Princeton graduate that won the honor of designing the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C. This was her first residential design. Crossing 4th Street, Adelaide becomes a one-way street. Most of the homes are original or have been respectfully restored. Many of the famous people who have lived in the canyon have memories tied to these homes. The house on the cliff side at 145 Adelaide was the long time home of author Christopher Isherwood and well-collected artist Don Bachardy. Neighboring at 147 Adelaide was the summer home of actor Charles Laughton. On your left at 236 is a beautiful shingled craftsman on a huge lot with rolling green lawns. Continue passing the giant eucalyptus, pines, and flaming bottlebrush as you round Inspiration Point at Ocean Avenue, walk down the hill, and snake around to your left onto Mabery Street.
On you right between 255 & 245 Mabry is one of the safely hidden staircases. Many of the original homes have survived, but many have given way to very contemporary new homes. All of it seems to work. Heading toward the bay before you round the corner and see the spectacular view of the Pacific, on your left and not to be missed, is an original International-style house designed by Richard Neutra. Gratefully, the present owner has had the home registered as an architectural historical site.