Beverly Hills

Beverly Hills History

Beverly Hills has long been known for glamour, distinctive luxury property, upscale shopping and fine dining, though few people know about the city’s history. The development of the Beverly Hills area started in the early 20th century with the opening of the Beverly Hills Hotel, which drew a lot of visitors into the area. By 1914 the community had a high enough population to incorporate as an independent city. Traditionally, the houses situated on the hillside north of Sunset Boulevard have a much higher value than the average housing price in the rest of the city. Santa Monica Boulevard divides Beverly Hills into two areas. Referring to the train tracks that were once used by the old Pacific Electric streetcar these two areas are locally known as "North or South of the tracks".

Architectural Masterpieces and Movie Stars

In 2014 Beverly Hills celebrated 100 years of cityhood and a glamorous history that began with the arrival of the movie stars. It all started with Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford and their famous mansion, Pickfair – an 18-acre estate designed by architect Wallace Neff. Neff is responsible for developing the regions distinct architectural style referred to as "California" style. As a student of architect Ralph A. Cram he drew his inspiration mainly from the Spanish and Mediterranean architectural styles. Today’s famous Neff-style fans include a lot of movie stars and industry people.

Cultural Highlights

Fans of the arts are always delighted by the city’s rich and diverse art and cultural history with venues such as The Paley Center for Media, The Wallis Annenberg Center for Performing Arts and the Greystone Mansion and Park. On top of it, some of the biggest names in contemporary and fine art can be found in Beverly Hills; Gagosian Gallery, Ace Gallery and Gallery Michael are just to name a few. From Renoir to Picasso to Warhol to Koons – all the big names in can be found in gallery around the city. Beverly Hills is one of the finest places to live. It has the perfect combination of old style glamour and contemporary style.