Beverly Hills, CA Properties Recently Sold or Taken Off-Market

Beverly Hills City Description

Synonymous with swimming pools, movie stars, mansions and expensive boutiques, Beverly Hills was originally the rancho of a strong-willed, Spanish widow who raised cattle and horses and hosted rodeos at the corner of Pico and Robertson Boulevards. Tiring of Indian raids, she sold the ranch to two gringo rancher/farmers who were unsuccessful with their enterprises and in turn sold out to others. By 1900 the area was purchased for oil exploration by Burton Green and his partners which also proved unproductive so in 1906 the oil company was reorganized into the Rodeo Land and Water Company and renamed Beverly Hills after Beverly Farms, Massachusetts by Burton Green and his wife. Green hired a landscape architect who divided the property into wide curving streets that hugged the hills. The City's first streets: Rodeo, Canon, Crescent, Carmelita, Elevado and Lomitas were constructed in 1907. Perhaps the true turning point in the history of the City, was the development of the now famous Beverly Hills Hotel in 1912 which became a focal point for the new community and helped to usher in the glamour days of the 1920's attracting movie stars like Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford, Gloria Swanson, Will Rogers, John Barrymore, Marion Davies, Clara Bow and Rudolph Valentino.

Today Beverly Hills covers an area of approximately 14.7 square miles and has a population of 33,784. Despite its reputation for fame and fortune, life in Beverly Hills is not solely for the rich and famous. The largest, most expensive homes comprise only 10% of the City's total housing. The majority of the homes within the Beverly Hills city limits are detached single family homes with under 3,000 square feet of living space. There are also some small duplex rental units. The city's average household income, just over $71,000, is only $18,000 higher than the county average. Beverly Hills is not as uniformly wealthy as Hollywood portrays it. Although some of the largest homes in Los Angeles County lie within its city limits, these homes make up just 10% of the city. The remaining homes include small duplex rental units and detached homes with less than 3,000 square feet. There are areas within Los Angeles County that are more uniformly wealthy and have a higher household median income than Beverly Hills. The city's average household income, just over $71,000, is $18,000 higher than the county average.

Among the many entertainment icons that call Beverly Hills home are a large number of other professionals including doctors and lawyers. As such, the Beverly Hills Unified School District is knows for it's emphasis on academic achievement and gets high marks with all four of its K-8 elementary schools and the famous Beverly Hills High School.

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Last Updated: 11/26/2009 9:51:23 PM