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Larchmont Chronicle Neighborhood newspaper representing Hancock Park, Larchmont Village
Miracle Mile, Park La Brea Fremont Place in the Wilshire center area of Los Angeles. Local News and
stories about the local Los Angeles Scene. Historical informattion regarding the Larchmont Chronicle and
Hancock Park area. Founded in 1963 on Larchmont Bouelvard, Los Angeles, CA, California

April 30, 2010

POOL'S A HIT, BUT DOESN'T DOMINATE BACK YARD

Laura Eversz

MINI-WATER PARK provides plenty of fun for kids.

One of the things Katie Buckland liked about the 1925 Country English-style home on Wilcox Ave. when she purchased it several years ago was the back yard.

The previous owner designed it for her daughter’s wedding 25 years ago, dividing it into two sections, said Buckland, executive director of the California Women’s Law Center.

“I wanted to put a pool in because I thought that as my son got older, I’d really like for him and his friends to hang out here, and they would if we had a pool. But I personally don’t like backyards that are all pool. This was great because I could put one in that didn’t dominate.”

Buckland positioned it so that mature trees—a hallmark of the neighborhood—could be kept.

Now, “there’s still a big lawn area that’s separate from the pool,” said Buckland. “It has a much more verdant, green feeling that’s also in keeping with the neighborhood.”

But instead of an ordinary pool, Buckland built a mini water park, complete with jets that shoot water high into the air, a nine-foot-tall water slide and a current that can be swum against.

“I just enjoy having my son, Jack, who’s 12, and his friends over,” says Buckland. “It was a great investment.

Buckland recalls the builder telling her that it’s quite common for people to put in a pool and not use it that much. “I’m a big advocate of a smaller, more shallow pool,” said Buckland. “That way, you can afford to heat it so you’ll use it more often. We use it constantly.”

The current, in particular, is really fun, she says.

It was designed to be swum against to mimic doing laps, “honestly it’s not that satisfying for laps, but it’s really great for boogie boarding.”

Buckland, who recently put her Wilcox home on the market, is already planning her next pool. “If we move, I’ll do it again. I learned a lot the first time; the second pool will be even better.”

Larchmont Chronicle
542½ North Larchmont Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90004

Editor & Publisher: Jane Gilman
Associate Publisher: Irwin Gilman

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Information about the Larchmont Village, Hancock Park, Miracle Mile, Park LaBrea areas of Los Angeles, california. The larchmont Chronicle provides information, news stories, local events, advertising, real estate information, real estate listing advertisings, Los Angeles area demographics and other neighborhood news.