Tiki Apartments
Santa Monica, CA Photo courtesy Jay Villa
A little tropical decoration gives these Tiki Apartments in Santa Monica something extra to show off from the street. Check out the facade, where the wooden accents and carved details give the building a personality of its own before anyone reaches an apartment door.
It’s a reminder of the days when Southern California apartment living could come with a suggestion of an island vacation. No ocean crossing required, just a key and the monthly rent. Builders found plenty of ways to bring the tropical theme home, from elaborate entrance roofs to smaller decorations worked into the front of a building.
UPDATE: The exact identity and current condition of this Santa Monica building have not been confirmed. Listings for a property called Tiki Terraces have surfaced, but a matching name alone does not establish that it is the apartment building shown here. 10-26
Tiki Apartment
Ontario, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Tikis didn’t always have to stand out on the lawn. This Tiki Apartment building in Ontario puts the decoration right against the exterior, giving the walls a little personality of their own.
Check out how the figure becomes part of the building’s trim. It’s a small reminder of the tropical touches that once appeared on apartment houses throughout Southern California. Even coming home from work could include passing a carved face that looked considerably less concerned about the day’s traffic.
UPDATE: The exact location of this Ontario apartment building remains unidentified, so its present condition has not been confirmed. The tiki decoration recalls a time when even the apartment siding could get a tropical treatment. 10-26
Outrigger Apartments
Temple City, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
There’s an A-frame hiding behind the greenery at the Outrigger Apartments in Temple City. Take a closer look through the brush and the steep entrance roof begins to emerge, adding a little tropical architecture to the residential street. Apparently, the landscaping has been getting almost as much attention as the building.
The peaked roof gives the entrance that familiar island-lodge look once popular with Southern California apartment builders. Coming home could include a small suggestion of a tropical getaway, even if the evening’s plans involved laundry rather than lounging beneath a palm tree.
Outrigger Apartments
Temple City, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The tiki out front has a look of its own. Check out the hair, which seems ready for a return to the 1970s. This fellow makes quite a welcoming committee, standing outside while tenants and visitors come and go. A memorable face to help distinguish the place from the next apartment building down the street.
Between the carving and the partly concealed A-frame, there’s more to admire than a quick drive past might reveal. The roof supplies the dramatic shape, while the tiki handles the greeting. Now if the brush would just move aside a little.
UPDATE: The present condition of Temple City’s Outrigger Apartments has not been confirmed. The partly hidden A-frame and tiki with its memorable hairstyle remain the standout details of this earlier roadside find. 10-26
Kahlua Apartments
Rosemead, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Quite a greeter stands outside the Kahlua Apartments. The large tiki gives tenants and visitors a familiar face to pass on the way inside, while roadside travelers get something worth a second look.
The carving helps carry the tropical theme beyond the apartment name. A few palms can suggest an island setting, but a sizable tiki out front makes the announcement a little harder to miss. Apparently, the welcoming committee doesn’t need a chair.
UPDATE: The Kahlua Apartments continues operating on Rosemead Boulevard in San Gabriel, correcting the earlier Rosemead city attribution. The tropical name remains attached to this longtime residential stop. 10-26
Tahitian Village Apartments
Reseda, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
One A-frame apparently wasn’t enough at the Tahitian Village Apartments. Two matching peaked structures face each other across the entrance, giving arrivals a double dose of tropical scenery.
Check out the symmetry. The roofs turn an ordinary walk into the apartment grounds into something a little more memorable. It’s the sort of entrance that could make carrying groceries feel briefly like arriving at a vacation lodge, at least until the bags get heavy.
UPDATE: Tahitian Village remains an active apartment community in Reseda. 10-26
Trade Winds Apartments
Temple City, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
A good tropical name can do some of the decorating at the Trade Winds in Temple City. This apartment building takes a quieter approach than the nearby places with towering tikis and dramatic entrance roofs.
Still, the name brings a suggestion of palms, ocean breezes, and somewhere far from the everyday commute. Perhaps the architecture doesn’t shout about an island getaway, but Trade Winds gives the address a little vacation spirit. Sometimes the lettering gets to carry the theme.
UPDATE: The Trade Winds name still brings a little island breeze to this old apartment entry. 10-26
Tiki Apartment
El Monte, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Check out the A-frame and decorative trim on this Tiki Apartment building in El Monte. The steep entrance roof gives the place a recognizable tropical look without needing an enormous roadside marquee.
The smaller details help finish the job, carrying the theme along the building rather than leaving everything to the entrance. Another neighborhood find from the days when apartment builders gave prospective tenants a little South Seas scenery to go with the floor plan.
UPDATE: The A-frame and decorative trim were still prominent when the property was photographed. 10-26
Tiki Apartments
Tiki Apartment
Outrigger Apartments
Outrigger Apartments
Kahlua Apartments
Tahitian Village Apartments
Trade Winds Apartments
Tiki Apartment
