Hollywood Hills… One Word… Nostalgia.
You were probably expecting a word like "Glitz" or "Glam", weren’t you? Well, sorry, that’s just not the case… at least, to the extent that you are thinking. Planning to make your new home in the historic Hollywood Hills is a beautiful decision, as you will be following in the footsteps of giants. "Giants" in the sense that a lot of American culture has come out of these hills. The history surrounding the entire movie and entertainment industry centers on this area, located just north of Hollywood Proper and West Hollywood, and the creative juices that have flowed in these amazing homes will astound you.
It remains a bohemian enclave with its roots stemming from the days of classic cinema and rock-n-roll ~ here stars such as Frank Sinatra, Orson Wells and The Rolling Stones all have lived and created masterpieces. Today, its musical reputation still thrives, along with its being a haven for celebrities seeking the beauty and solace of a quiet canyon atmosphere overlooking one of the most "electric" places on earth… Hollywood!
There are more than 20 different neighborhoods within Hollywood Hills, with the most notable being Laurel Canyon, Nichols Canyon, Sunset Hills and the Outpost Estates, among others. Laurel Canyon is best known as being the home to several rock legends such as The Rolling Stones, Crosby Steels & Nash, Marliyn Manson, Alice Cooper, Joni Mitchell, Frank Zappa and the Red Hot Chili Peppers (to this day), just to name a few. Its main thoroughfare, Laurel Canyon Road, is a significant connecting route between West Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley… yet it remains a quiet, self-enclosed canyon neighborhood with several cul-de-sacs for privacy.
Nichols Canyon,on the other hand, named after its first mayor in 1853, John G. Nichols, begins at Hollywood Blvd, and leads into the canyon hills just below Mulholland Drive. It is full of waterfalls, many man-made, but two of which are the only two natural waterfalls in the City of Los Angeles, each being more than 100 feet high and stunning in their presentation. Today Nichols Canyon is full of current movie stars and their families.
Sunset Hills is yet another quaint little community with very expensive homes literally clinging to the high cliffs of east Laurel Canyon. Sunset Blvd is its southern border and Sunset Plaza Drive is to its west. Home to the late Frank Lloyd Wright, as well as John Belushi, where his famous overdose took place, Sunset Hills has been graced with many of the old movie stars… today several famous faces continue to enjoy the views and privacy of this very beautiful spot.
The Outpost Estates neighborhood is historic, in that, it is one of the original "luxury" neighborhoods of Old Hollywood from the 1920's. It is also known for having a very similar sign to the Hollywood(land) sign at the time in order to advertise for the selling of these luxury homes. However, unlike its famous counterpart, it did not survive the scrutiny and was torn down after serving its purpose. The name "Outpost" Estates came about in the 1920's by using the name of the clubhouse for entertaining guests at the home of the then Los Angeles Times newspaper owner, General Harrison Grey Otis. Since then, most of the older homes have been renovated and preserved just as you would have seen them during the time of Old Hollywood. It’s quite a beautiful place to visit and would be an even more exquisite place to live…if only the walls could speak…
If you are interested in living in the beautiful and historic Hollywood Hills.