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L.A. at Home

Lost L.A.: Krotona -- Hollywood’s utopian oasis

By Craig Nakano

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.


For proof of just how long Hollywood has held the dreams of the hopeful, read Sam Watters’ latest Lost L.A. column on Krotona. Nearly a century ago, the dream wasn’t a six-picture deal or a YouTube stunt gone viral. Krotona was a place where the faithful hoped to study philosophy, appreciate nature, celebrate performance and otherwise live a fuller life -- all in the Hollywood Hills. Among the architecture that rose here: the home of New York transplant Grace Shaw Duff, above, which blended California Spanish with Moorish design. To find about what happened to Krotona and to Duff’s house, read Watters’ story.

-- Craig Nakano

Photo from the collection of Sam Watters

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L.A. at Home
Craig Nakano

Craig Nakano is the assistant managing editor for Entertainment and Arts. He joined The Times as an assistant travel editor, later served as home editor and most recently was the fine arts editor, leading a team whose accolades included a Pulitzer Prize and an Online Journalism Award. A California native, he worked at the Desert Sun of Palm Springs and at the San Francisco Chronicle after graduating from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. He lives in Long Beach with his husband and son.

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