You know you’re really rich if your house has the vague look of a prison. On La Mesa Drive — a 6-block residential street on the northeastern edge of Santa Monica, every house is a mansion encased in tall imposing walls, each metallic gate punctuated by a security sign.

Money may not buy happiness, but I’m pretty sure it can buy you loneliness –

A little research shows these houses were conceived by big-name designers — and indeed they are unique — and probably better appreciated after you pass the cameras, the keypads, the “Beware of Dog” signs, and the electric gates.

The fig trees freely flourish outside the walls though, and are gorgeous –

[The kickoff post's here; dark red lines mark the streets I've walked so far]

Update, 6/7/07: Carlyle, Marguerita, and Alta are here.

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