Beverly Hills

Beverly Hills is synonymous with glamour, fame and riches  and yet it has a distinctive small town feel where you can walk on the streets, do your shopping and meet or run into your friends at a local café. The city has perpetuated this community feeling by expanding the sidewalks, creating more outdoor dining, building additional public parking and rezoning certain sections for mixed use (retail and residential) buildings.

While there are several traditional high-end hotels located in Beverly Hills, The Beverly Hills, The Regent Beverly Wilshire, The Penninsula, The Luxe Rodeo, The Beverly Hilton, a handful of smaller intimate hip hotels like the Avalon, Crescent, Mosaic and Mason 140 have become the destination for many tourists.  At the same time the newest luxury hotel, The Montage has garnered much praise. It is surrounded by gardens and a plaza and includes a limited number of multi-million dollar condos.  Other proposed developments such as an upscale residential and commercial project on the landmark Robinsons-May site and a mixed use project for the Saks Fifth Avenue parking lot next to Barney´s have been put on hold because of the economic downtown; however, the impressive new "green" headquarters for William Morris is almost complete and the conversion of the old Beverly Hills Post Office into the Beverly Hills Cultural Center is in full swing.

Although Beverly Hills is famous for its showcase high-end boutiques along Rodeo Dr., other trendy more accessible retail chains and restaurants are attracting even more shoppers to the area. On North Beverly Drive, you can find The Gap, Victoria´s Secret, Crate & Barrel, Gymboree, Z-Gallerie and North Face. Amid these well-known shops are friendly restaurants and more established eateries like Il Fornaio, The Cheesecake Factory, Sharky´s, The Farm,  the legendary Nate & Al´s and unassuming The Brighton Cafe. Perennial favorites for more upscale dining are Wolfgang Puck´s Spagos on Canon Dr., Lawry´s and Matsuhisa on La Cienega´s Restaurant Row. The French Laundry's Bouchon Bistro is currently all the rage.

Beverly Hills serves as a host for a variety of events including the Golden Globe Awards, fashion debuts, art fairs, car shows, as well as political and charitable fundraisers. With prominent entertainment agencies such as William Morris in Beverly Hills and CAA and  ICM in near-by Century City industry news is often a topic of conversation.

The community is dedicated and takes pride in its educational system. It has four very reputable kindergarten through 8th grade schools plus the highly acclaimed Beverly Hills High School. In the evenings adult education classes are offered to residents and non-residents alike.

The city supports its cultural activities through venues like Theatre 40, which stages professionally acted productions, and the Beverly Hills Symphony that performs outdoors each summer at the historic Greystone Mansion. Another attraction is the Museum of Radio and Television on Beverly Dr. 

Every Sunday the open market sells fresh flowers, fruit, vegetables and other delectable treats. The Maple Counseling Center offers low cost counseling, educational programs and support for infants, children, teens, seniors and families in need.

The public library is a state of the art facility and an integral part of the community. The chamber of commerce of the city is very active in community programs and promoting businesses. Policemen and Firemen are highly visible on the streets and are ranked among the best for their rapid response times and helpful friendly demeanors. With all that Beverly Hills has to offer it is no wonder that it appeals to investors from all over the globe.

Residential Sections of Beverly Hills

The residential sections of Beverly Hills are commonly referred to by the following designations: "The Flats", "North of Sunset", " Wilshire to Burton Way", "North of Burton Way", " South of Wilshire", "South of Olympic", "Beverly Hills East´ and "Trousdale Estates".

The Flats features many architectural styles reflecting the changes in trends and tastes over the years: Architectural, California Bungalow, Cape Cod, Contemporary, Country English, Craftsman, French, French Normandy, Hacienda, High Tech, Mediterranean, Mid Century, Modern, Monterrey Colonial, Neo Classical, Post Modern, Southern Colonial, Southwestern, Spanish, Traditional, Tudor, Villa and the increasingly popular Zen.

The Flats is situated between Santa Monica (S) Blvd, and Sunset Blvd (N) and Doheny Drive (E) to Whittier Dr (W). Going from south to north it encompasses the 500, 600, 700, and (in many cases) the 800 blocks. As the block numbers rise, so do the standard lot sizes. They average on the low side from approximately 11,000 square feet to a high average of approximately 30,000 square feet. For some buyers finding that special lot in The Flats of 30,000 to 50,000 square feet is their number one priority. Larger parcels used to sell at a lesser price per square foot, but that is no longer the case. Now there is sufficient demand for bigger properties which sell at a premium.

West of the Flats, south of Sunset, there is a cluster of exceptional estates situated on generous lots. Some are elevated on gentle slopes overlooking the fabulous views of the Los Angeles Country Club.

North of Sunset is considered to be Beverly Hills´ prime location. Originally it was designated by the developers of the Rodeo Land and Water Company as the most desirable land on which to build their magnificent estates. Many notable personages followed their lead and these mansions became legendary: Douglas Fairbanks Sr. and Mary Pickford built "Pickfair", Harold Lloyd  "Greenacres", Edward Lawrence Doheny Sr. and Jr. "Greystone", Leigh and Mary Smith Battson "The Knoll" and Jack Warner "The Warner Estate" to name a few.

Wilshire to Burton Way refers to the area east of Crescent Drive, west of Robertson Blvd, between Wilshire (S) and Burton Way (N). Buyers seeking to own their first property in Beverly Hills are often drawn to this area, especially those wanting a fixer. Developers see this area as a good investment with lot sizes ranging from approximately 5,700 to 7,500 square feet.

North of Burton Way is between Burton Way(S), Beverly Blvd (N), the Civic Center (W) and Doheny Dr.(E). Apartments, condos and a handful of commercial buildings, including Raffles L´Ermitage Hotel, AOL and the main Beverly Hills Post Office make this area an example of side by side commercial and residential living. Residents who like to walk, enjoy its relative proximity to the center of Beverly Hills as well as to the markets, shops and restaurants along Beverly Blvd.

South of Wilshire began as neighborhood of predominately modest one story homes for families with school aged children. Throughout the years, it has also attracted people who want to be within walking distance of the office buildings, hotels, restaurants and stores along Wilshire Blvd, Rodeo Dr. and surrounding streets. This commercial district at the heart of Beverly Hills is known as the Golden Triangle.

The lots South of Wilshire are approximately 6,000 to 8,500 square feet. Spanish and Traditional style homes sell at a premium. Many buyers appreciate the original colored tile bathrooms and dark hardwood floors, and when renovating, they try to improve upon these features without changing them completely. There are others, however, who are adding a second story, doing a major update or completely rebuilding.

South of Olympic is the southern most point of Beverly Hills with a mix of homes, duplexes, condos and apartments. On the western edge is the ever popular Roxbury Park which has something for everyone: climbing activities for small children, a grassy field for baseball, football, soccer, tennis and basketball courts, picnics tables and an active senior center.

Beverly Hills East usually refers to properties north and south of Wilshire Blvd, east of Doheny Dr. or Robertson Blvd and west of Tower Dr. The area is a combination of homes, condos, duplexes and apartments. The homes are on lots of approximately 4,800 to 7,500 square feet. New developments along Wilshire Blvd with mixed use commercial and residential buildings are expected to stimulate foot traffic and a greater sense of community in this area.