Walking L.A. #21: Larchmont Village and Windsor Square—a Welcome Dose of Small-Town Charm, 2.9 miles 

Barbara and I return to Larchmont to check off the Walking L.A. version of a hike we've done before. The driving factor of our repeat was a shoe store—one of those why-didn't-we-buy-something-last-time-hope-it's-still-there shopping regrets. A streetcar suburb in the 1920s, Larchmont Village remains a quaint shopping street alive with small town charm and bustling with people, babies in strollers, dogs, dogs, dogs, and a magnificent Sunday-morning Farmer's Market. Saving the shopping for later, we headed south from Beverly Blvd. on Larchmont into Windsor Square for some aspirational house shopping along Plymouth Blvd., Lucerne Blvd., and Windsor Blvd. A Historic Preservation Overlay Zone (meaning owners can't mess with the architectural integrity of the neighborhood), most homes in Windsor Square date back to the 1920s. Deep landscaped setbacks in bloom, and tree-lined parkways frame the grand American Colonial, Spanish Colonial, and Tudor Revival mansions, including Windsor House, home of L.A. mayor Eric Garcetti. Our verdict: seriously, who needs that many rooms? Back to the village for some serious window shopping and a mocha. The shoe store didn't pan out, but Barbara came home with a pack of humongous, fat, ripe strawberries from the Farmer's Market, and I scored a "2+2=5" T-shirt I couldn't resist from a progressive street vendor. Sunshine+exercise+shopping=great way to cap the weekend.

Windsor House, home of L.A. Mayor Garcetti