Westlake, CA
Although it was one of the first post-World War II white-only suburbs in the United States, the Westlake District of Daly City, California, has been as ethnically diverse as the City of Daly City itself for several decades now. The Westlake District was originally established as one of the first suburbs in the United States. Westlake was frequently likened to Levittown, New York, in its early years due to its proximity to San Francisco. Levittown was the first major large-scale postwar middle-class white-only housing development in the United States. Westlake is located just south of San Francisco.
After the end of World War II, Daly City and the majority of the other municipalities in the Bay Area began to develop houses at prices that were more reasonable. Henry Doelger, a builder from San Francisco, purchased approximately 600 acres of land consisting of sand dunes and cabbage patches that occupied the most of the ground that was located between the original westerly limit of Daly City and the ocean. He established a neighborhood known as Westlake, which, in 1948, became a part of the city of Daly City.
The monostylistic architecture of Westlake, which was constructed by a core team of designers to incorporate practically every building in the development and was conceived of by Henry Doelger, is one of the development’s most recognizable features. Because of this, Westlake has become a symbol for architectural monotony, which is illustrated by its never-ending rows of boxy dwellings. These houses served as the basis for the folk song “Little Boxes” by Malvina Reynolds, which was an anti-conformity anthem during the 1960s.
Throughout its sixty years of existence, Westlake has, despite the criticism it has received, been the subject of a significant amount of media attention. In the 1950s, the neighborhood’s architecturally inventive schools started making appearances in national magazines like Life, Architectural Forum, and Fortune. These journals were known for their focus on business and personal finance. In the 1970s, Westlake was recognized by one national magazine as one of the 10 best suburbs in the United States. An article about Henry Doelger and the impact he had on history was published in the New York Times in 2003. In the article, Westlake was named as one of Doelger’s most iconic neighborhoods. Click for more