Hollywood Hills

They climb and cling and cantilever. While the rest of Los Angeles sprawls across vast plains in a geometric grid, the city's canyon neighborhoods hug hillsides, creeping up, not out. Stairways to cliffside homes ascend from side streets that squiggle and dip with the slopes. A single main route is the sole connection to the nearby yet seemingly distant city.

Not only do the Santa Monica Mountains create the distinct metropolitan regions of the San Fernando Valley and the Los Angeles Basin, but the range itself makes up an urban district of its own. Within the range's folds and gaps. Neighborhoods unlike any others in the region--and quite distinct from one another--provide some of L.A.'s best living.

If you don't know what to look for, you can easily miss the public places in these otherwise private canyons. Here's a quick guide to what makes L.A.'s canyon neighborhoods special: good restaurants, unique outdoor experiences, and hidden surprises.

Hollywood Hills, CA

The Neighborhoods

  • Beachwood Canyon
    The atmosphere of old Hollywood dominates Beachwood Canyon, just as the Hollywood sign dominates its hills. Beachwood Canyon works hard to maintain its rural, small-town vibe, even though its population is as Hollywood as you can get. It stretches along Beachwood Drive north from Franklin Avenue. The upper portion of the canyon is the Hollywoodland that was originally advertised in the 1920s by the Hollywood Sign. The canyon features its own market, coffee shop, hiking trails and stables.

  • Hollywood Heights
    Hollywood Heights is a fascinating oasis of cultural landmarks, charming iconic homes and historic properties. It offers a quite residential oasis just moments away from the noise of Hollywood Boulevard. It is bordered by Highland Avenue, Outpost Drive, Franklen Ave. and the Hollywood Bowl.

  • Hollywood Dell
    Technically "Hollywood Hills East", the Hollywood Dell was a part of Whitley Heights before the 101Freeway was built. The Hollywood Dell is so named because it sits "in" the hills that are just above Hollywood. In general, you will go down to get into the dell, and up to get out of it. The roads within the dell are mainly hilly and many homes are built on hillside lots.

  • Laurel Canyon
    Laurel Canyon gained its greatest fame in the 1960s as a countercultural enclave. When Joni Mitchell sang about "the ladies of the canyon," she was referring to Laurel Canyon. Jim Morrison lived behind the 1919 Canyon Country Store, whose Sister Mary Michael-style painted sign indicates that the area hasn't completely lost its Haight-on-the-Hill ways.

    During Hollywood's glory years, many notables, including Orson Welles and Errol Flynn, lived in the canyon. Urban legend has it that another former resident, Harry Houdini, still haunts the remains of his estate, visible on the right just before Lookout Mountain as you drive north.

    Unlike other nearby canyon neighborhoods, Laurel Canyon has houses lining one side of the main street most of the way up to Mulholland Drive. There are many side roads that branch off the main canyon, but most of them are not through streets, reinforcing the self-contained nature of the neighborhood. Some of the main side streets are Mount Olympus, Kirkwood, Wonderland, Willow Glen, and Lookout Mountain Avenue.

    • Hollywood Hills, CA
  • Mount Olympus
    Mount Olympus is a community of single family residences founded in 1969 by developer Russ Vincent. It is bounded by Hollywood Boulevard, Laurel Canyon Boulevard, Willow Glen Road and Nichols Canyon Road. Mt. Olympus is now a "planned community", with a homeowner's association that takes care of the day-to-day operations of the general community.

  • Nichols Canyon
    Cut into the south side of the Hollywood Hills, Nichols Canyon stretches from Hollywood Boulevard to the south up to the top of Mulholland Drive to the north. The narrow winding roads snake through the canyon where homes are tucked into lush vegetation or perched on bluffs and cliffs with views to the ocean and downtown.

    Nichols Canyon has a natural, year-round, spring-fed creek and water fall over 100’ high, and several natural and man-made small water falls. They are the only natural water falls in the City of Los Angeles. The stream that flows through the bottom of Nichols Canyon attracts coyotes, frogs, deer, raccoons, skunks, rabbits and other wildlife. Hawks can often be seen circling the area as well. Home to many celebrities throughout the years, Nichols Canyon is a favorite jogging and cyclist road.

  • Sunset Hills
    Sunset Hills is a small, affluent enclave in Hollywood bordered by Laurel Canyon on the east, Sunset Plaza Drive on the west and Sunset Boulevard on the south, which is also the City of Los Angeles' border with the City of West Hollywood. Primary access roads are Kings Rd., Little Hollywood Blvd, Queens Rd. and Sunset Plaza Dr.

    A neighborhood of expensive, multi-million dollar homes clinging to dramatically rising hills, Sunset Hills is home to such landmarks as the Chateau Marmont Hotel, built in the 1920s and the famous Frank Lloyd Wright home on little Hollywood Blvd. Residents enjoy seclusion and staggering views of Los Angeles. Homes typically range from $3–5 million for small multi-level houses, with some larger homes exceeding $10 million.

    • Hollywood Hills, CA
  • Whitley Heights
    Located a few blocks north of Hollywood Boulevard between Cahuenga Boulevard and Highland Avenue, Whitley Heights is known for its meandering, foliage-lined lanes and Italian architecture.

    Few other areas, outside of Beverly Hills, have been saturated with the glamour and celebrity of Hollywood like Whitley Heights. Many of the 150-plus homes have been occupied by celebrities over the years, and real estate listings frequently mention those former residents,

Points of Interest

  • The Hollywood Sign
    One of the most identifiable landmarks in the world, the 45-foot tall, 350-foot long white letters that spell out Hollywood are protected by a nonprofit trust. While visitors cannot get close enough to the sign to touch it, they are able to hike in the hills around it and are treated to breathtaking views of the ciy.
    • Griffith Observatory
  • Griffith Park
    One of the largest urban parks in the country, Griffith Park covers 4,210 acres of land on the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains. It's known for its untamed, rugged terrian that's perfect for hiking and horseback riding. It's also home to more urban attractions, including the Los Angeles Zoo, the Griffith Observatory, the Greek Theatre, several golf courses, and an antique carousel. It's also home to the famous Hollywood sign and has served as the backdrop for more than one blockbuster film. Every Christmas, the park is transformed by the LADWP into one of the largest holiday lights displays in the city.

  • The Hollywood Bowl
    A modern outdoor amphitheater nestled into the hills, the Hollywood bowl has an extensive and ecclectic summer concert series every year. It is home to the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra as well as the summer home to the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

  • The Magic Castle
    Located at the base of the hills, The Magic Castle is a private nightclub for magicians and magic enthusiasts, and is also the clubhouse for the Academy of Magical Arts. Scoring a ticket to the Magic Castle is a unique gift, and visitors - dressed in the required formal attire - are treated to several spooky bars, as well as magic memorabilla and a few attractions that are just... mysterious, including a ghost pianist, Houdini seances, and nightly performances by a rotating schedule of magicians and illusionists.

  • The Sunset Strip
    A mile-and-a-half stretch of Sunset Boulevard that passes through West Hollywood, between Harper and Sierra Drive, the Strip is known for its boutique, upscale boutiques, unique restaurants, and cutting edge bars and nightclubs. The strip is to Los Angeles what Times Square is to New York: it's full of larger-than-life, colorful billboards, and is enjoyed by tourists and locals alike. It's also known as one of the key parts of the city to see movie stars.

Restaurants

Schools



Community Statistics

    People

  • Population: 23,125
  • Median Age: 40.7
  • Married: 37.11%
  • Single: 62.89%
  • Average Household Size: 1.7 people
  • Median Household Income: $62,765

    Housing

  • Median Home Age: 45 Years
  • Median Home Cost: $918,310
  • Home Appreciation: -26%
  • Homes Owned: 40.54%
  • Property Tax Rate: $8.38

    Education

  • School Expenditure per Student: $5,539
  • Pupil/Teacher Ration: 15
  • High School Grads: 92.49%
  • 2 Yr. College Grads: 5.40%
  • 4 Yr. College Grads:34.85%
  • Graduate Degrees:20.06%

    Climate

  • Rainfall (in.): 15.8
  • Precipitation Days: 34
  • Sunny Days: 292
  • Elevation: 531 ft.

    Voting

  • Democrat: 63.102%
  • Republican: 35.598%
  • Independent Other: .282%
  • Independent Liberal: .409%
  • Independent Conservatives:.609%