You Can't Live in the Daly Street Historic District

Large white and gray RV parked outside a boarded-up Victorian cottage. Paint appears to have been white at some point. A tan Victorian cottage is to its left, with a green Victorian cottage on the far left with visible window boards.

Yesterday, Redditor r/iatethething shared a picture of seemingly abandoned, fenced-off houses at Daly and Main in Lincoln Heights, inquiring if anyone knew why they have been empty for so long.

Last year, neighborhood advocate Lincoln Heights Intel reported that the Riboli family, owners of the San Antonio Winery, are responsible for buying up the houses on this block. The most common guess is real estate speculation.

The winery’s marketing trumpets its 100+ year history. Where is the concern for houses that are considerably older than the winery? Regular readers will be well aware of my disdain for hypocrisy.

While Victorian houses are often thought of as stuffy, over-decorated mansions for the obscenely rich, many small, modest Victorian houses were built for the middle, lower middle, and working classes. This block is made up of cottages built between 1886 and 1909 for working families. (Except for 1822 Daly, a 1909 cottage that was torn down last year for a duplex that is apparently under construction.)

In fact, it’s eligible for local, state, and national landmark status, according to the city’s own SurveyLA.

And several of the contributing homes are sitting empty, unused.

If anyone knows the owners, please refer them to Omgivning’s Historic House Relocation Project. Someone would be very happy to have one of these charming, time-tested homes.

Edited to add: someone claims that the Ribolis have offered the houses to fire victims. Since I don’t know this person and didn’t hear this from the Ribolis themselves, I can’t say whether this is true. If it is, I’d be only too happy to post a follow-up celebrating the houses’ relocation once they’re safely out of the wrecking ball’s path. Hint hint.

1800 block of Daly Street behind the 7-11, Lincoln Heights. (Note: Not every house is empty.)