‘Steven Universe’ Creator Rebecca Sugar Buys Eagle Rock Bungalow

One of Cartoon Network’s most notable hits in recent years was “Steven Universe,” the groundbreaking animated series that ran for five seasons and 165 episodes, airing continuously from 2013-2019. The coming-of-age saga received near-universal acclaim from critics and spawned both a TV film (“Steven Universe: The Movie”) and a limited epilogue series (“Steven Universe Future”). It also scored its sole creator, lifelong animator Rebecca Sugar, seven Primetime Emmy Award nominations.

Born and raised in Maryland, near the outskirts of Washington D.C., Sugar has since relocated to California for work. And it’s in the quietly charming suburban neighborhood of Eagle Rock where the 35-year-old has settled down, paying about $2 million for a home that dates to the 1930s. Presumably Sugar will share the property with her longtime partner and husband, fellow animator Ian Jones-Quartey (“OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes”).

Per the listing, the residence is on the petite side, with three bedrooms and three baths in less than 1,500 square feet. But the place is filled with light and abundant charm; there are original hardwood floors, an original wood-burning fireplace, original built-ins and a vintage Wedgewood stove, for starters.

The demure house is mostly hidden from the street behind mature jacaranda and lemon trees, and the drought-tolerant front yard is filled with colorful lantana. Out back, there’s a large wooden deck with a built-in banquette and an al fresco dining area with seating for 12, again per the listing.

While the property does not have a swimming pool, it is equipped with one amenity rarely found in this neighborhood — a half-court sports court, complete with a basketball hoop. A detached two-car garage is upgraded with French doors and an attached bonus room with its own bathroom, perfect for a small guest suite or a work-from-home office.

Also on tap are a storage shed, grassy play areas, four raised planters perfect for a vegetable garden, and a bonanza of citrus trees — besides the lemon, there are also those of the avocado, guava, plum, fig, orange and nectarine variety — plus multiple grape vines. And the house is an easy walk to quiet parks and multiple trendy cafes and shopping destinations.

Google describes Eagle Rock as an “eclectic” Los Angeles neighborhood sandwiched in between the much larger cities of Glendale and Pasadena. The area is named after a huge rock that looms directly above the 134 freeway — from some angles, the rock appears to be an enormous eagle with its wings outstretched. Like many of the surrounding Northeast L.A. hamlets, gentrifying Eagle Rock has recently developed a reputation for being an upscale hipster enclave, complete with the commensurate high home prices you’d expect from that sort of place.