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Whether arriving via the escalator from the subterranean parking or descending in the elevator from the six-level parking structure and enjoying the view through the glass enclosure, you find yourself suddenly transported in space and time to a peaceful but bustling village green, greeted by spouting fountains, an “ol’ town clock, colorful hanging baskets of flowers, beautifully appointed landscapes, a grass so well maintained and manicured that it feels like carpet beneath your feet, decorative pole lighting with stained glass lamps, tidy, neat streets and sidewalks, and …what is that? a shiny red trolley quietly (it’s electric), leisurely approaching you, shuttling people about town.
What place is this? What year is it? Have I left the earthly plane? No, you have entered … Americana at Brand.
Americana at Brand landed in Glendale, Calif., northern Los Angeles County. It’s bordered east-west by Brand Blvd. and Central Ave., and to the south by Colorado Street. Glendale, if you’ve never been, is nestled against the Verdugo Mountains. Just west of the Glen is what Johnny Carson liked to call “beautiful downtown Burbank,” home to NBC, Warner Bros., Walt Disney Co., et al.
The “Brand” in Americana is for Leslie Brand (1859-1925), who built his El Miradero estate here in 1904 (now Brand Park) and a private airstrip in 1919. Aviation, in fact, put Glendale on the map. Glendale’s Grand Central Airport, built in 1928, is considered an important part of U.S. aviation development.
These days, admittedly, Glendale is perhaps best known for its role in the fast food culture, being home to the Bob’s Big Boy and Baskin Robbins 31 Flavors chains. In local news, there has been recent sitings of cougars in Glendale parks.
Glendale’s neighbor to the east, you’re certainly familiar with. It’s Pasadena, host to the annual Rose Parade and Rose Bowl Game.
To Glendale’s southeast is Eagle Rock, mentioned not because it has a “hip” reputation (it does), or because it has a big boulder that viewed at certain angles at certain times of the day looks like the brow and beak of an eagle, but because it is home to Occidental College, a private school attended for two years by a fellow named Barack Obama, before he transferred to Columbia University. Anyway, that’s the neighborhood.
After $400 million and two years under construction, Americana at Brand (AB, for short) opened May 2, 2008. An estimated 475,000 people appeared, as if by magic, for the long anticipated opening weekend. The developer, Rick Caruso, is known for The Grove, a Los Angeles destination just east of Beverly Hills near the Farmers Market that offers mega shopping, genial gastronomy, myriad theatres, fancy fountains and free concerts in the park. Other than the location, you’ve just described AB!
Americana at Brand, some contend, is The Grove on steroids. AB covers four city blocks and has all the elements of the Grove, but it is also a residential development! More on that in a moment. AB, like The Grove is high-end retail, versus the nearby, more down-to-earth Glendale Galleria.
Central Avenue separates the Galleria from AB. On the west side of Central Ave. (no tracks here) it’s JC Penny; on the east side of Central it’s Barny’s New York CO-OP. Hmmm…in these troubled economic times, it’s not hard to figure which mall is the busiest.
The Galleria sports a quite nice Nordstrom, an Apple store, a Macy’s, a Frederick’s of Hollywood, Florsheim, etc. AB offers GUESS by Marciano, Lacoste, Calvin Klein, Bokaos Aveda Lifestyle Salon, Lululemon Athletica, Michael Stars, et al. You know it’s upscale when the name is Italian, French or you’ve never heard of it!
Editor’s note: AB is not all upscale. There is a three-story Barnes & Noble that anchors the retail and individual vendors in kiosks at one end of the Green. One spot was selling “electric cigarettes” (you blow vapor, not smoke)!
AB is what developers like to call a mixed-use development. Secluded back of the retail area is Excelsior, “100 prestigious condominium homes (that) represent the pinnacle of luxury.” Excelsior owners, we’re told, “revel in 5-star hotel-style living with unparalleled amenities and … truly pampering One-Call™ concierge services.”
Excelsior amenities include a private fitness club; resort-style pool, spa; outdoor fireside retreat; luxurious library (not a common alliteration); club room with demonstration kitchen, dining area; “lobby ambassador” (we think this means doormen); four high-speed private residential elevators; independent residential gated parking garages; high-speed broadband internet; onsite car wash; valet parking for residents; full-time concierge call center; home delivery from select AB restaurants and onsite security.
Editors are not pampered types, but that sounds pretty good! A person could, if the food wasn’t being delivered that morning, descend from this “pinnacle of luxury” to Beard Papa, the cream puff maker, and eat the delectable treat outside of Tiffany and Co., á la Audrey Hepburn.
Those not into film nostalgia, from Excelsior condo owners to the man on the street, can attend one of the 18 AB theatres to see the movies they feel semi-obligated to see, i.e., the recent Academy Award winners, before opting instead for a few good laughs—some stupid movie like the Mall Cop, for instance, or the latest effort from Will Ferrell.
Perhaps you prefer a pad to the pinnacle. If so, you’ll love The Residences at AB, your choice of 238 luxury-apartments (four communities) where “Living in style is more fun than ever.” And who doesn’t want to have fun? The apartment buildings are above the retail, as high as four stories up and of various architectural styles.
The apartments all have terraces and offer amenities like “lush pool & spa deck, state-of-the-art gym” and, of course, concierge services.
The horticulture on display at Americana at Brand is diverse, explains Don Brinkerhoff, FASLA and CEO of Lifescapes International of Newport Beach, Calif., the landscape architectural firm for the project. The diversity reflects, he says, the many plants immigrants brought to California in the earlier days of the state. The mild Southern California climate allowed most of these plants to thrive, which Mr. Brinkerhoff notes is why the area developed “one of the most sophisticated and extensive landscape nursery businesses in the world.”
“We consider our gardens outside rooms,” says Julie Brinkerhoff-Jacobs, president/CFO of Lifescapes International. “This also applies to gardens that surround the buildings in which we work and the centers where we shop, eat and play, and certainly our homes.”
Americana at Brand is a modern village, a new city landmark with a sense of history,” says Don Brinkerhoff. “Rick Caruso had the city in mind when we jointly designed the Green as a gathering place for civic events and a destination to attract people from nearby homes and businesses,” referring to the luxurious grass betwiks the fountain and retail. The Green, Don continues, is designed and built on a pedestrian scale. “There are short distances to walk, the buildings are close to the sidewalks and walk paths and all situated within a safe, comfortable and beautiful environment.”
“We create beautiful, safe and exciting neighborhood centers-all within a comfortable ambience,” explains Rick Caruso, president/CEO of Caruso Affiliated, the developer. High-quality design and engaging the community he believes distinguishes his developments from the competition.
Lifescapes International, now part of the Caruso “family” of design team members, understands what is expected and delivered on that promise. The firm has over 50 years of experience creating gardens throughout California and an intimate knowledge of what plant materials thrive on such a property, plus the knowledge and resources to find the many plants at local nurseries and other sources throughout the state. The firm’s design team set out to create a resplendent and verdant garden setting for Americana at Brand.
Designing pedestrian-oriented places, Lifescapes says, means embracing the human scale over the vehicular, while still accommodating traffic and parking. The subterranean parking close to the Green is one such convenience. A tall parade of Washingtonia palms, in combination with lemon citrus and annual color combinations of petunias, margarite daisies, impatiens and red-leafed begonias, define the entrance to the underground parking. Underneath, at the valet area, kentia palms, orchids and other shade-oriented plant materials continue the lushly landscaped vision at the project.
AB offers numerous choices to sate the palate; The Cheesecake Factory, Frida Mexican Cuisine, Nestle Toll House Café and Richie’s Neighborhood Pizzeria, for instance. While some of the shopping may be upscale, there is some reasonably priced foodstuffs. We ate crêpes—not the thin, flimsy kind, but sturdy crust-like crêpes shaped like large-mouthed cones full of good stuff that did not leak out the bottom! We also partook of fresh crème puffs. Both choices were my wife’s. Credit where credit due.
A children’s play park is part of the Green. During the Christmas season, as you can see from the images, an area is reserved for a towering Tannenbaum and Santa’s house. The 2008 tree lighting ceremony had an estimated 50,000 people attending. Santa, that rascal, arrived in a balloon!
Fully grown, signature trees accent the park: two giant Jacaranda trees (33-ft. and 38-ft. tall) with lavender-colored flowers; a 30-ft. tall coral tree with red blossoms; a pretty 30-ft. pink tulip canopy tree, and a statuesque, multi-trunked California Sycamore reaching 45 feet into the sky. In addition, thousands of flowers are also featured in and around the park including over 12 different varieties of roses.
Over 144 hanging baskets drape down from the street lights throughout the 15.2 acre development. Some of these baskets are designed for shade oriented flowers such as fuchsias, wandering Jew, ferns, ivy and impatiens while others are designed for full sun exposure and feature flowers such as trailing petunias of blue, white, pink, yellow and red flowering varieties, Ageratum (baby blue flowers) and white daisies.
Many plants and shrubs are also planted at the residential levels above the retail area, including Showbiz roses, Intrigue roses, giant lily turf, sweet viburnum, lavender, peach, white angel trumpets, hydrangeas, hyacinth, tulips, pink camellias, espaliered podocarpus, bromeliads and much more.
There are traditional elements such as double spiral Thuja and juniper spirals in pots at the front of residential entrances and along the sidewalks and walking paths. Special agaves and aloe succulents are also planted in pots at the residential units.
Japanese boxwoods are planted along the sidewalk edge and along the exterior restaurant areas to help define these unique spaces and guide guests and visitors into the stores and restaurant areas.
Over 10 varieties of palms totaling in excess of 230 fully grown trees, celebrating the warm California weather are featured at the property. Some of these varieties include date, sago, Mexican fan and pygmy date. The dominant palms at the residential levels are the queen and medjool.
California sycamores, pink tulip and Bradford pears are the predominant street trees. Chinese flame tree, purple robes, Japanese privets, skyrocket junipers and Purple Leaf Plums abound. There are over 560 mature trees, deciduous and evergreen (17-45 feet tall), plus 230 palm trees.
Americana at Brand Developer: Caruso Affiliated Architect: Elkus/Manfredi Landscape Architects: Lifescapes International Fountain: Wet Design Lighting: Visual Terrain
The Waters of Americana at Brand Glendale , Calif. Completed May 2008 WET®, Sun Valley, Calif.
Photos: Adam Scott Kelly
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Plant Vendors AJJ Associates Baron Brothers Color Connection Country Garden Nursery Growest Nurseries Instant Jungle JC Associates Jordan Farms Norman’s Nursery Senna Tree Co. Sunny Slope Trees Valley Crest Tree Co. WD Young & Sons
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November 12th, 2025
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