A sad chapter in Alhambra's history ended in 2003 with the razing of the Perl home, a once grand residence and pride of the neighborhood whose property once boasted lush Japanese gardens and well-manicured lawns. Originally, the property extended from Hellman Avenue to Hampton, and Baltimore to Garfield Avenue nearly encompassing 3 acres.

Although technically not in Alhambra's boundary, the property did sit on the Alhambra/ Monterey Park border at the corner of Hellman Avenue and Baltimore Street. The home itself, a large two-story 1909 Craftsman in the "airplane" style was significant because the owner, Leon Perl was a vaudevillian actor as well as an Alhambra business owner who imported East Indian spices. He repackaged these spices under the brand name of "Perl's Temperamental Chutney" (see label).

The home had been severely neglected throughout the years, most particularly after 1960 when the owners passed away leaving it to their son, who let the home fall into disrepair.

Another contributing factor was the encroachment of the Monterey Park hospital just behind the home which had been wanting to buy the property as an extension to their parking structure. It didn't help that the City of Monterey Park had rezoned the property without the owner's knowledge thereby making it impossible to rehabilitate the home as a single-family dwelling.

Because the owner could not find a suitable place to live and move out by the deadline, he asked the new owners (a group of doctors) if he could stay a bit longer while he found a place. The new owners charged him a weekly rent and 3 months later, the previous owner moved out.

The house sat vacant for 9 months until the summer of 2003, when bulldozers leveled the property.

As of this writing (December 12, 2004) the property still remains a vacant lot of overgrown weeds.