The "Thriller" House

Remember this scene in Michael Jackson's "Thriller" music video? Where the girl runs into this house to flee Michael and the zombies? The video wasn't shot on a fabricated set. This is a real house on a street that's chock full of beautiful Victorian houses. And you can live there, too, as the house 3 doors down is for sale.  Here are more shots of the Thriller house, taken on Valentine's Day this year:

The "Thriller"  house in 2011

The porch cover of this 1887 home needs repair, but the owner has been making renovations. The 200-year old Moreton Bay fig tree (Ficus macrophylla) is a beautiful accent and provides much needed afternoon shade. Happily, the tree shares protected historical landmark status with many of the homes in the neighborhood. There is also a large sago palm, and the steps of this home are flanked by standard red roses, and a white rose hedge- unfortunately out of bloom during my visit- lines the driveway. There is a large carriage house in the back of the property. The Thriller house address is 1345 Carroll Ave. in Los Angeles. The best time to visit is just past noon on Thursdays, when the street will be free of cars due to the restrictions for morning street sweeping.

The lot is not very wide, but goes back pretty far

Moreton bay fig tree

Here is a view down the street to the east:

The house across the street exhibits hints of Halloween with 2 pumpkins on the steps and a crow on a bench. Their lightening rod even looks like a pumpkin.

1324 Carroll Avenue

And the house next to that one has a reaper peering from the tower window

A grim reaper surveys the street

The homeowner, passing by, told me Carroll Avenue is "the best for Halloween. We got a thousand people last year." That house also has a nice front garden with roses and the powerful heavenly scent of jasmine vine (Jasminum polyanthemum) filling the air. I find it ironic that such a garden-y house would have a grasshopper design for their weathervane (not shown).

1320 Carroll Avenue had one of the best gardens

Carroll Avenue has had all utilities placed underground, period street lamps added, more houses moved to lots here, and an interesting variety of hitching posts added along the street. More pictures of houses across the street:

1330 Carroll Avenue

1344 Carroll Avenue

This beauty, on the corner, had one man touching up the paint near the doors. When he finishes painting, he probably has to start all over again.

1300 Carroll Avenue

Here is the view of Los Angeles from that same corner. It's something like the view they'd see from their rear upper windows:

View of Los Angeles sky scrapers

Since it was Valentine's Day and we were a bit thirsty, Dennis and I partook of some purple-colored Love Potion No. 69. I'm not sure we would try it again, but we both finished our bottles.

 Next on the agenda was a visit Halloween Town (2921 W. Magnolia, Burbank) to shop for a hat and some jewelry. The store windows are always interesting. I didn't attempt any photos inside. (This post explains why.) I noticed that behind the cash register area, the monitors from their security cameras did include scans of the sidewalk outside and they had probably seen me snapping away, so next time I'll take pictures on the way out, not as I go in.

Stayed tuned for the next post, about another famous house.