Some context about Los Angeles public stairways and specially the York Hill/Banbury public stairway.
By Bob Inman – author/historian, Eagle Rock resident, and Occidental College class of 1972.
What is a public stairway? A public stairway (contemporary term is “stairstreet”) is a feature classed
separately from stairs found in parks or civic plaza areas. Public stairways are considered with other elements of
the historic street infrastructure such as sidewalks, streetlights, and roadways built for automobiles. They fall
within the province of Los Angeles Department of Public Works, Bureau of Street Services.
What is their history? In many cases the stairways pre-date all but the very oldest houses in a tract. SurveyLA,
the Los Angeles Historic Resources Survey, itemizes public stairways stating that they are unique features of
hillside residential developments throughout Los Angeles. That survey generally estimates build dates of 1910 –
1930. This survey identifies the York Hill/Banbury Public Stairway and estimates a build date of 1925. The
original purpose of these stairways is often associated with the streetcar suburbanization of Los Angeles. In
many cases, they were built in locations without nearby streetcars simply to enhance pedestrian mobility where
there is a sinuous network of drivable streets.
What is the physical status of public stairways in Los Angeles in 2021? Definitions will vary but I count
nearly 300 open and actively used street-to-street public stairways in the city of Los Angles. These range from
10 – 236 steps in length. Their “open” status is subjective because they might be concealed or might have fixed
gates that are never locked. Three have locks with a combination that the neighborhood group will share when
asked. The greatest concentrations of stairways are as follows: Echo Park-Silver Lake: 93 stairways, Northeast
Los Angeles: 88 stairways (including 14 in Eagle Rock), Los Feliz and Hollywood Hills: 50 stairways, Pacific
Palisades: 18 stairways. The other 40-50 stairways are widely disbursed from San Pedro to Tarzana, from Boyle
Heights to Venice.
Status of the York Hill/Banbury public stairway: This stairway has approximately 100 steps and has locked
gates at either end. In 1996, a report (which was never made public) by the City of Los Angeles Stairway Task
Force noted that these stairs were already closed. This is one of seven Los Angeles stairways that are clearly
seen from the street but gated against public entry. The other six are in Silver Lake (2), Highland Park Mount
Angelus (3), and Westlake. I have no information as to the circumstances on this pre-1996 closure. I would
think that a city agency participated and that it was not merely an unsanctioned privatization.
Effects from the loss of use of the York Hill/Banbury public stairway: This stairway is a link missing from a
pedestrian thoroughfare that includes the beautiful 132-step Cunard/Medlow Public Stairway. The top of that
stairway, which climbs the west side of the ridge, is 100 yards from the top of this gated stairway, which climbs
the east side of the ridge. The absence of this stairway quadruples the walking distance from the ridgetop of
Medlow Avenue or Banbury Place to the important, transit-friendly intersection of York and Eagle Rock
Boulevards (2830 feet vs. 690 feet).
Los Angeles loves its stairways: Neighborhood walking for exercise, pleasure, and dog companionship is a
local passion, up exponentially from what you would observe 25 years ago. Pedestrian amenities like stairways
enhance those experiences. Keeping avenues alive with foot traffic nurtures a safer and more socially connected
community. Secret Stairs by Charles Fleming (2010, Santa Monica Press) certainly energized a civic love for
the stairways. The enthusiasm for Facebook platform walking groups like my own Guide to the Stairways of
Los Angeles (3600 followers) or SoCal Stair Climbers (3400 followers) speak to the passion that Angelenos
have for this subject.