Bet you didn’t know this unassuming Los Angeles neighborhood is a superstar. Cheviot Hills, founded in 1924, is nestled on the Westside. It has served as a prime filming location for countless movies and television shows.
Cheviot Hills owes its fame to its location. It is conveniently located near Sony Studios and Fox Studios. This made it a haven for actors, recording artists, and studio executives. Many called Cheviot Hills home.
Almost all of Cheviot Hills was once part of Rancho Rincon de los Bueyes. It remained largely undeveloped until the 1920s. Construction began west of Motor Avenue in that decade. From the 1920s to 1953, the Pacific Electric Santa Monica Air Line ran along the southern edge. It connected Cheviot Hills to downtown Los Angeles and Santa Monica.
The area east of Motor Avenue transformed in the early 1950s. It was built on the former California Country Club site. Cheviot Hills boasts homes designed by famous architects. Raphael Soriano designed the Strauss-Lewis House. Wallace Neff designed the Harry Culver Estate.
Originally, Cheviot Hills was a middle-class neighborhood. Homes started at $50,000 in 1926. That’s about $861,000 in today’s money. In recent years, prices have skyrocketed. They rival those of Beverly Hills and Bel Air. This surge led to new development. Many original 1920s homes were lost. Cheviot Hills was named Redfin’s “hottest” neighborhood for real estate in 2014. It was also the “hottest” in Los Angeles for 2015.
Monte Mar Vista is the most affluent part of Cheviot Hills. W.R. McConnell, Fred W. Forrester, and John P. Haynes developed it between 1926 and 1940. Many properties offer views of the Hillcrest Country Club and Rancho Park Golf Course. You can also see Century City, the Hollywood Hills, and the Hollywood Sign.
California Country Club Estates is known as New Cheviot. It was built in 1952 on the old California Country Club grounds. Sanford Adler, owner of the Flamingo Las Vegas, developed it. A. Quincy Jones designed some of its homes.
Cheviot Hills’ proximity to studios made it a popular filming spot. Laurel and Hardy films like The Finishing Touch were filmed here. Later, The Ropers television series and the movie Private School used the neighborhood.
In 1968, John Martin moved Black Sparrow Press to Cheviot Hills. He published early Charles Bukowski books there.
Cheviot Hills is bordered by several landmarks. These include the Rancho Park Golf Course and the Hillcrest Country Club.
The Cheviot Hills Park is a local treasure. It features a recreation center, basketball courts, and a baseball league. It even has an archery range. President Barack Obama once played basketball here with George Clooney and Tobey Maguire.
Hillcrest Country Club was founded in 1920 for Jewish people excluded from other clubs. The Griffin Club, formerly Beverly Hills Country Club, was for entertainment industry workers.
Many famous people have called Cheviot Hills home. Lucille Ball, Ray Bradbury, and Jonah Hill are among them.
So, next time you watch a movie or TV show, keep an eye out. You might just catch a glimpse of the star-studded Cheviot Hills.