Case Study House #22, the Stahl House, is truly an icon of mid-century modernism. The 1959 masterpiece by Pierre Koenig for C.H. “Buck” Stahl is the perfect west-coast counterpoint to the Glass House: seduction over seclusion, urban landscape over manicured landscaping, pool over pond. For the architecturally inclined tourist the Stahl family, still the guardians of the house, are opening it for limited tours. With reservations starting at $20, no self-respecting LA resident should miss it.

Amazingly, the current tour listings show that the prime sunset and sundown slots are wide open. Given the options of viewing LA at noon or at the golden hour, we’d take the latter, and try for a Shulman photograph of our own. For the full experience, look into private tours, avoiding the 19 other people that want you out of their pictures, too. Details can be found at the soon-to-be-renovated stahlhouse.com or on The Stahl House group on FaceBook.