Spanish Romance Behind a Hedge | A 1926 Compound in Longwood Highlands Discover a rare kind of privacy in Longwood Highlands, a quiet pocket of Mid-City where 1920's architecture survives block after block. Behind tall ficus hedges, a scrolled iron gate opens onto a courtyard the street never sees a tiered stone fountain at its center, decomposed granite underfoot, warm stucco walls, and the decorative wrought iron window grilles of a 1926 Spanish house beyond. The moment the gate closes behind you, Highland Avenue disappears and the day slows down. Three separate residences approximately 4,122 square feet in all are arranged across a 6,954 square foot lot, each with its own private entrance and its own address. The front building holds two gracious three-bedroom residences, wholly independent of one another, each with a full bath and a powder room. Both wear their 1926 character beautifully: a graceful arched opening between living and dining rooms, warm hardwood floors underfoot, custom cabinetry, stone countertops, soaking tubs and glass shower enclosures in the main baths. Generous living and dining rooms flow into kitchens where a bar-height counter invites people to pull up a stool and stay a while. The ground-floor residence lives easily on a single level, entered without a step. The upper residence, reached by its own private entrance, follows the sun through the day early light waking the rear bedrooms, afternoon and evening pooling across the front living and dining rooms. It is the brightest space on the property, and the hardest one to leave at five o'clock. Both have rear doors to the side of the house and the yard beyond. At the rear of the lot, a detached two-story guest house stands entirely on its own a permitted ADU with its own address and its own Certificate of Occupancy. One bedroom, one bath, and a fireplace to sit beside on a cool evening. Three outdoor spaces belong to it alone: a sheltered gravel court at the entrance, a full-width balcony directly above it, and a second deck off the rear. And then the water. A pool and spa rare for a multi-unit property in this part of the city set among slate pavers, with lawn and open room to gather on every side. In the yard, a Meyer lemon and an apricot grafted to bear three varieties on a single tree, both planted in 2023. Pentair equipment, smart control, and pool safety fencing. Beneath the romance, everything has been rebuilt. Central heat and air in both front residences, a two-zone mini-split system in the guest house. The attic and crawl space are fully insulated and lined with a radiant barrier, so the rooms stay cool through an August afternoon and warm underfoot in January not something a 1926 house does on its own. Both structures re-roofed under permit in 2023. The sewer lateral sleeved and warranted for thirty years. Lutron lighting, keyless entry at every exterior door, Ring cameras with motion-activated floodlights, and a Level 2 Tesla charger at one of two on-site spaces. The block restricts southbound traffic, so the street stays quiet and parking stays easy out front. A legal three-unit property with three private entrances and three addresses, all delivered vacant occupy one and lease the others, lease all three, or arrange the compound however life requires. A rare Mid-City retreat where 1926 character, modern comfort, and a courtyard gate between you and the city come together on one quiet lot.
