This Old House magazine has just made it official: West Adams is the best neighborhood in California for old house lovers.

In its third annual, state-by-state survey, the popular monthly chose West Adams as the state's top neighborhood "where the historic homes (and life-affirming DIY challenges they bring) are rivaled only by the community spirit that surrounds them."

The survey's results, which appeared in the magazine's March 2010 edition, were also reported on the Los Angeles Times' online edition, which quoted WAHA board member John Patterson and longtime member David Raposa. The Times' online story, by freelancer Michelle Hofmann, carried a photo by WAHA member Jeff Valdez.

Hoffman said Keith Pandolfi, associate editor of This Old House, called West Adams the kind of place where you can find a solid old house that looks and feels like an authentic, old-fashioned American neighborhood and features some of the most whimsical takes on Craftsman architecture he's ever seen.

"I think that when outsiders think of L.A. houses, the first thing that pops into their heads is some meandering modern mansion somewhere in the Hollywood Hills," Pandolfi was quoted. "That's why we wanted to call attention to West Adams."

Click here to read the Los Angeles Times' online article:

Click here to read This Old House magazine's survey report.

- Jim Robinson