Dingbats: LA's Most Iconic Illegal Apartment Buildings

A look into LA's iconic apartment style that is now illegal to build.

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[DogLegalServices]

This is what affordable housing looks like; cheap, minimal, and efficient. An underappreciated element of these compared to other apartments is there's no interior hallways or lobby, so the unit doors open directly to the outside. It's very pleasant to be able to open your front door and walk right out to the street, or leave your front door open on a hot summer day, especially since they usually have screen doors.

[leslieannvanhumbeck]

In Vancouver, we have the Vancouver Special. They are everywhere and illegal to build now since the 80s. People thought they were ugly.

[DEVINdevdev]

as a person from europe. these dingbats are beautiful and carry unique movie feel, it's hard to describe this feeling exactly and I bet most people who live there have no idea about what I'm talking about.

[matthewbarba]

I never knew these buildings were such an LA thing, growing up in LA I thought these buildings were so normal

[CrissaKentavr]

The biggest reason is that soft-sided buildings are illegal due to earthquake readiness: Many collapsed in the Northridge quake. Those open carports with poles are really hard to make resist multiple angles of quake waves.

[michikosmith]

Grew up in these in Torrance Ca in the 90's as a teen and early 2000s. Gives me all feels and makes me homesick.

[LisaMontoya]

They keep reiterating "cheap" but they were built in the 50's and 60's and still standing, still housing folks, and getting those soft-story retrofits all the time. Wish they could build them again. We need them here in LA!

[servantpinkieCAC]

agree with your points except the “no room for socialization” thing. I have never once wanted to pay for a space to socialize with my neighbors, especially if it means using space that couldve gone to make more units so the apartments are cheaper. That kind of stuff is for high-income housing. We want a place to live, not to be some property developer’s social experiment for “communal living” or whatever

[kilroywuzhere]

I live in a dingbat next to the Hauser shown at the beginning of the video. It’s rent controlled, so I pay $600 a month in rent for the past 16 years

[ej]

I live in one of these in Santa Monica, a few blocks from the "swiss chalet" apartment. Mine is not poorly built. It is spacious, has a balcony, has the original wood cabinetry in the bathrooms and kitchen, original tile, stove, and louver windows. They are beautiful. It even survived the Northridge quake. I never knew that these types of buildings are called dingbats. I am a fan of them.

[Dafnessific]

The 'Crapi' apartments started out as the 'Capri' apartments. Someone switched the letters a few years back. What's funny is that the facade has been cleaned up since (and the property manager's sign updated) -- so now management is in on the joke. Must be a kinda sick feeling signing a lease for that building at West LA rents while the landlord is in on the lulz....

[jillionairess]

My aunt and cousins lived in Le Tiki in the early 70’s when I was around five years old. We thought it was like a tropical paradise. 😂

[ellyngl]

Seeeing these types of buildings in movies and shows is how I know it’s filmed in LA and not somewhere else. It’s fascinating how different regions in the US have specific types of structures that they’re known for and they’re distinctive in their own ways

[tobiwalker]

Incredibly nostalgic, brings back driving around Los Angeles and the Valley in the 1970s looking for my next apartment...

[ReubenWalton]

As someone from New England the dingbat style of apartment architecture is very very appealing to me because it’s the antithesis of everything having to look quaint and historical and it reminds me of the Flintstones or Hannah Barbra cartoons and there’s a levity to the design that I don’t ever see where I’m from

[norwegianblue]

I much prefer the look of dingbat housing than the sea of generic, faux-luxury units we have today. Who doesn't love the distinctive L.A. mid-century look? They are like a mirage, an oasis, with loads of character. Perfect for Tinsel Town. They should make more of these, just with better insulation and modern building techniques.

[alanthefisher]

Ok, whenever I go to LA I have to see some of these. Love mid century modernism

[grumpyschnauzer]

I love these buildings! So many cool ones in Redondo and Torrance.

[MrKyledane]

Awesome, I lived in LA for eight years and it's possible that every place I ever lived (other than the UCLA dorms) was a dingbat, and I had no idea they were called that. The reality is, that when I lived there (most of the 90's), it was not hard at all to find an affordable place to live in LA and I think these buildings are a big part of the reason why.

[kusalaom]

Dingbats are the most LA architectural style I've ever seen. Love these kooky and moderne mid centuries