Crestwood Hills: The Chronicle of a Modern Utopia

The fascinating story of people and mid-century modern architecture, merging and prevailing to create a neighborhood in Los Angeles.

Their Crestwood Hills is like no other place in the vast metropolis--its history is the result of the singular optimism that defined Southern California in the post-World War II era. A handful of the region's optimists banded together to form a cooperative intent on building a utopian community. And they did.

Author Cory Buckner follows the Mutual Housing Association as it purchased the land, designed and built houses for its members, and faced mounting difficulties establishing a truly communal community. Buckner shares the dramatic ups and downs of Crestwood Hills as it made its way to becoming the only successful large-scale modern housing cooperative in the West. Buckner provides more than 200 vintage and contemporary images, documenting homes as they were in the beginning, complete with floor plans, and today, as the homes have evolved and become local landmarks.