East Gate Bel Air, Los Angeles
Encyclopedia
East Gate Bel Air is a very small and very wealthy (and the most prestigious) area within the Bel Air section of Los Angeles
, California
. It is made up of large, old estates developed mostly before World War II
, all of which are heavily-gated compounds where "tall, dense hedges allow only an occasional glimpse of the homes, creating an air of inaccessibility, wealth and power" (even by Platinum Triangle standards).
Boulevards through the impressive huge iron East Gate entrance—and hence the logical East Gate name) and the five roads which branch from it: Saint Pierre, Saint Cloud, Bellagio (to Stone Canyon), Copa De Oro, and Nîmes Roads. Though many of these 128 lots have since been combined into single properties, this original 1923 Bel Air allotment is what distinguishes East Gate Old Bel Air from the rest of present day Bel Air, which was gradually added by Bell starting in 1931 with Stone Canyon (known then as Bel Air Woodland), and by 1937 Bel Air extended westward all the way to Sepulveda Boulevard
(its westernmost boundary today).
At its southernmost edge (where Copa De Oro Road meets Sunset Boulevard), East Gate Old Bel Air borders the campus of UCLA
. At its easternmost edge (where, as Los Angeles Magazine put it, "Just as the ascetic Saint Pierre
guards the gates of heaven, (the) saint stands sentry at a lofty gateway of his own: the eastern entryway of Bel Air, where Saint Pierre Road begins."), it borders equally prestigious Holmby Hills. This combined contiguous area of East Gate Bel Air and Holmby Hills straddling North Beverly Glen Boulevard (at a verdant bend of Saint Pierre Road and De Neve Square Park
)—which in 2010 contained both the most expensive sale in the country and the most expensive listing in the world—represents easily the highest concentration of property value and wealth in Los Angeles, if not the United States.
In general, the further one moves west from Saint Pierre Road to West Gate Lower Bel Air and north from Sunset Boulevard up the Santa Monica Mountains
to Upper Bel Air, the smaller and the less flat the building lots and the more varied the styles and price ranges of the homes (with development fueled largely by postwar
demand in the 1950s).
Aside from its pedigree and "pancake flat, very big estates," the modern day attractiveness of the East Gate Old Bel Air location is purportedly (according to the Los Angeles Times
) its feeling of "being part of the city and apart from the city all at the same time"—that is to say, its privacy and seclusion (despite a preponderance of gawking tour buses) yet urban cachet from being just north of Sunset Boulevard and central convenience within Los Angeles. This attractiveness, though, has inspired much recent residential development, including large residences (such as by the king of Saudi Arabia and by Ritz-Carlton
developer Mohamed Hadid), and with buildable lots so scarce, unsightly sizable concrete walls have even been erected on several hillsides.
. A design committee existed (and still exists to the present day) to preserve the “architectural harmony” of the community, with restrictions including low masses, horizontal lines, pitched roofs, and unobtrusive and harmonious colors, and deed restrictions required land purchasers to spend a minimum of $20,000 on home construction.
, who lived on Saint Cloud Road, to the highest paid CEO in the world in 2009 Ray Irani).
East Gate Old Bel Air is unusual in having a rather high concentration of very large Republican Party
contributors, as Los Angeles is otherwise heavily Democratic
. (Notable among them is Jerry Perenchio
, who election records show paid over $18 million in donations to Republican candidates, party funds and related causes as of 2006.)
and First Lady
of the United States
).
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It is made up of large, old estates developed mostly before World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, all of which are heavily-gated compounds where "tall, dense hedges allow only an occasional glimpse of the homes, creating an air of inaccessibility, wealth and power" (even by Platinum Triangle standards).
Location
As shown in the “Bel Air First Residential Allotment” map from 1923, the original Bel Air tract of East Gate Old Bel Air founded and opened by Alphonzo E. Bell, Sr. was composed of 128 lots on Bel Air Road (which passes north from South Beverly Glen and SunsetSunset Boulevard
Sunset Boulevard is a street in the western part of Los Angeles County, California, that stretches from Figueroa Street in downtown Los Angeles to the Pacific Coast Highway at the Pacific Ocean in the Pacific Palisades...
Boulevards through the impressive huge iron East Gate entrance—and hence the logical East Gate name) and the five roads which branch from it: Saint Pierre, Saint Cloud, Bellagio (to Stone Canyon), Copa De Oro, and Nîmes Roads. Though many of these 128 lots have since been combined into single properties, this original 1923 Bel Air allotment is what distinguishes East Gate Old Bel Air from the rest of present day Bel Air, which was gradually added by Bell starting in 1931 with Stone Canyon (known then as Bel Air Woodland), and by 1937 Bel Air extended westward all the way to Sepulveda Boulevard
Sepulveda Boulevard
Sepulveda Boulevard is a street in Los Angeles, California, which stretches some 42.8 miles from Rinaldi Street at the north end of the San Fernando Valley to the city limits of Hermosa Beach, where it "jumps" east and continues on to Long Beach. It generally runs north-south, passing underneath...
(its westernmost boundary today).
At its southernmost edge (where Copa De Oro Road meets Sunset Boulevard), East Gate Old Bel Air borders the campus of UCLA
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
. At its easternmost edge (where, as Los Angeles Magazine put it, "Just as the ascetic Saint Pierre
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
guards the gates of heaven, (the) saint stands sentry at a lofty gateway of his own: the eastern entryway of Bel Air, where Saint Pierre Road begins."), it borders equally prestigious Holmby Hills. This combined contiguous area of East Gate Bel Air and Holmby Hills straddling North Beverly Glen Boulevard (at a verdant bend of Saint Pierre Road and De Neve Square Park
De Neve Square Park
De Neve Square Park is a quaint urban pocket park located in the affluent neighborhood of Holmby Hills in West Los Angeles, California. It is located at the northern terminus of Mapleton Drive where it meets Saint Pierre Road at Beverly Glen Boulevard, where Holmby Hills borders East Gate Bel Air...
)—which in 2010 contained both the most expensive sale in the country and the most expensive listing in the world—represents easily the highest concentration of property value and wealth in Los Angeles, if not the United States.
In general, the further one moves west from Saint Pierre Road to West Gate Lower Bel Air and north from Sunset Boulevard up the Santa Monica Mountains
Santa Monica Mountains
The Santa Monica Mountains are a Transverse Range in Southern California, along the coast of the Pacific Ocean in the United States.-Geography:...
to Upper Bel Air, the smaller and the less flat the building lots and the more varied the styles and price ranges of the homes (with development fueled largely by postwar
Post-war
A post-war period or postwar period is the interval immediately following the ending of a war and enduring as long as war does not resume. A post-war period can become an interwar period or interbellum when a war between the same parties resumes at a later date...
demand in the 1950s).
Aside from its pedigree and "pancake flat, very big estates," the modern day attractiveness of the East Gate Old Bel Air location is purportedly (according to the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
) its feeling of "being part of the city and apart from the city all at the same time"—that is to say, its privacy and seclusion (despite a preponderance of gawking tour buses) yet urban cachet from being just north of Sunset Boulevard and central convenience within Los Angeles. This attractiveness, though, has inspired much recent residential development, including large residences (such as by the king of Saudi Arabia and by Ritz-Carlton
Ritz-Carlton
The Ritz-Carlton is a brand of luxury hotels and resorts with 75 properties located in major cities and resorts in 24 countries worldwide...
developer Mohamed Hadid), and with buildable lots so scarce, unsightly sizable concrete walls have even been erected on several hillsides.
History
On the undeveloped hillsides of original Bel Air in 1922, Alphonzo Bell built water and sewage pipes, installed underground electric and telephone lines, and planted thousands of trees along winding streets traversing the hilly terrain. He decreed that Bel Air would be “a haven of rest for the businessman who toils in big, noisy, congested Los Angeles,” and installed uniformed guards at the entry gate to check in visitors—a first for any local community. “A comprehensive plan of restrictions for the protection of its residents” controlled who could buy and build and live behind Bel Air’s gates. In fact Bell refused to sell the original East Gate Old Bel Air allotments to anyone in the film business, though changed his mind on all of Bel Air with the arrival of the Great DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. A design committee existed (and still exists to the present day) to preserve the “architectural harmony” of the community, with restrictions including low masses, horizontal lines, pitched roofs, and unobtrusive and harmonious colors, and deed restrictions required land purchasers to spend a minimum of $20,000 on home construction.
Demographics
East Gate Old Bel Air has always been home to many of the wealthiest people in the United States (from the highest paid man in America in the 1930s Louis MayerLouis B. Mayer
Louis Burt Mayer born Lazar Meir was an American film producer. He is generally cited as the creator of the "star system" within Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in its golden years. Known always as Louis B...
, who lived on Saint Cloud Road, to the highest paid CEO in the world in 2009 Ray Irani).
East Gate Old Bel Air is unusual in having a rather high concentration of very large Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
contributors, as Los Angeles is otherwise heavily Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. (Notable among them is Jerry Perenchio
Jerry Perenchio
Andrew Jerrold "Jerry" Perenchio was the former chairman and CEO of Univision, the largest Spanish-language company in the United States.-Early life:...
, who election records show paid over $18 million in donations to Republican candidates, party funds and related causes as of 2006.)
Notable residents
Current and former residents of the six roads that make up East Gate Old Bel Air range from business leaders and studio heads to celebrity entertainers (and even a former PresidentPresident of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
and First Lady
First Lady of the United States
First Lady of the United States is the title of the hostess of the White House. Because this position is traditionally filled by the wife of the president of the United States, the title is most often applied to the wife of a sitting president. The current first lady is Michelle Obama.-Current:The...
of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
).
| Name | Road |
|---|---|
| King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia Abdullah of Saudi Arabia Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, is the King of Saudi Arabia. He succeeded to the throne on 1 August 2005 upon the death of his half-brother, King Fahd. When Crown Prince, he governed Saudi Arabia as regent from 1998 to 2005... (former) |
East Gate at Sunset Blvd. |
| Beny Alagem Beny Alagem Beny Alagem is an Israeli American entrepreneur, developer, and the founder of Packard Bell Electronics, a leading American computer manufacturer during the late 1980s and early 1990s.... |
Bel Air |
| John Anderson John Edward Anderson John Edward Anderson was the president and sole shareholder of Topa Equities, Ltd. Anderson oversaw more than 40 wholly owned subsidiaries in diverse industries such as agriculture, automotive dealerships, insurance, real estate, oil, and wholesale beverage distribution... |
Bellagio |
| Stephen Bollenbach Stephen Bollenbach Stephen F. Bollenbach is the nonexecutive chairman of Los Angeles based KB Homes. and a member of the board of diretors of Time Warner. He is also a director of Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc., Macy’s, Inc., and the Los Angeles World Affairs Council. Previously he was the Co-Chairman and Chief... |
Saint Cloud |
| Sonny Bono Sonny Bono Salvatore Phillip "Sonny" Bono was an American recording artist, record producer, actor, and politician whose career spanned over three decades.-Early life:... and Cher Cher Cher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in... (former) |
Saint Pierre |
| Franklin Otis Booth, Jr. (former) | Bellagio |
| Bruce Cabot Bruce Cabot Bruce Cabot was an American film actor, best remembered as Jack Driscoll in King Kong . He is also known for his roles in films such as the sixth version of Last of the Mohicans, Fritz Lang's Fury and the western Dodge City.-Early life:Cabot was born Etienne Pelissier Jacques de Bujac in Carlsbad,... (former) |
Saint Pierre |
| Nicolas Cage Nicolas Cage Nicolas Cage is an American actor, producer and director, having appeared in over 60 films including Raising Arizona , The Rock , Face/Off , Gone in 60 Seconds , Adaptation , National Treasure , Ghost Rider , Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans , and... (former) |
Copa De Oro |
| B. Gerald Cantor B. Gerald Cantor Bernard Gerald Cantor was the founder and chairman of securities firm Cantor Fitzgerald and an important philanthropist supporting visual arts institutions in the United States... (former) |
Saint Cloud |
| Johnny Carson Johnny Carson John William "Johnny" Carson was an American television host and comedian, known as host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for 30 years . Carson received six Emmy Awards including the Governor Award and a 1985 Peabody Award; he was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1987... (former) and Joanna Carson |
Saint Pierre |
| Marion Davies Marion Davies Marion Davies was an American film actress. Davies is best remembered for her relationship with newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst, as her high-profile social life often obscured her professional career.... (former) |
Saint Pierre |
| Michael Eisner Michael Eisner Michael Dammann Eisner is an American businessman. He was the chief executive officer of The Walt Disney Company from 1984 until 2005.-Early life:... |
Bel Air |
| Georgia Frontiere Georgia Frontiere Georgia Frontiere was the majority owner and chairman of the St. Louis Rams football team and the most prominent female owner in a league historically dominated by males.... |
Bellagio |
| Zsa Zsa Gabor Zsa Zsa Gabor Zsa Zsa Gabor is a Hungarian-born American stage, film and television actress.She acted on stage in Vienna, Austria, in 1932, and was crowned Miss Hungary in 1936. She emigrated to the United States in 1941 and became a sought-after actress with "European flair and style", with a personality that... |
Bel Air |
| Judy Garland Judy Garland Judy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage... (former) |
Bel Air |
| Brad Grey Brad Grey Brad Alan Grey is the Chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures, a position he has held since 2005. Under Grey’s leadership, Paramount has finished No.2 in market share in 2008, 2009 and 2010 despite releasing significantly fewer films than its competitors.Since arriving at Paramount in 2005,... |
Copa De Oro |
| Salma Hayek Salma Hayek Salma Valgarma Hayek Jiménez de Pinault is a Mexican film actress, director and producer. She received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her role as Frida Kahlo in the film Frida.-Early life:... |
Nîmes |
| Rick Hilton | Copa De Oro |
| Darby Hinton Darby Hinton Darby Hinton is an American actor and filmmaker initially cast in commercials when he was six months old. From 1964–1970 he portrayed Israel Boone, a son of American pioneer Daniel Boone, on the NBC adventure series Daniel Boone, with Fess Parker in the title role... and Daryn Hinton Daryn Hinton Daryn Hinton born in Santa Monica, California, raised in the Hollywood entertainment industry. Hinton had a spiritual conversion and left the Hollywood connections behind to pursue her new found faith.-Family and background:... (former) |
Bel Air |
| Alfred Hitchcock Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood... (former) |
Saint Cloud |
| Alan Horn | Saint Cloud |
| Howard Hughes Howard Hughes Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. was an American business magnate, investor, aviator, engineer, film producer, director, and philanthropist. He was one of the wealthiest people in the world... (former) |
Bellagio |
| Ray Irani | Saint Pierre |
| Mick Jagger Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones.... (former) |
Saint Pierre |
| Jonas Brothers Jonas Brothers The Jonas Brothers are an American boy band. The band gained its popularity from the Disney Channel children's television network. From the shore region of New Jersey, the band consists of three brothers: Paul Kevin Jonas II , Joseph Adam Jonas , and Nicholas Jerry Jonas... (former) |
Saint Pierre |
| Tom Jones Tom Jones (singer) Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records... (former) |
Copa De Oro |
| Jordan Kerner Jordan Kerner Jordan Kerner is an American film producer, who was born on February 5, 1950 in Los Angeles, California.- Biography :Kerner began his undergraduate studies at the University of Southern California. He subsequently transferred to Stanford University where he graduated in 1972 with distinction and... (former) |
Saint Pierre |
| Otto Klemperer Otto Klemperer Otto Klemperer was a German conductor and composer. He is widely regarded as one of the leading conductors of the 20th century.-Biography:Otto Klemperer was born in Breslau, Silesia Province, then in Germany... (former) |
Bel Air |
| Carole Lombard Carole Lombard Carole Lombard was an American actress. She was particularly noted for her comedic roles in the screwball comedies of the 1930s... (former) |
Saint Cloud |
| Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller... and Marc Anthony Marc Anthony Marc Anthony is an American singer-songwriter, actor and producer. Anthony is the top selling tropical salsa artist of all time. The two-time Grammy and three-time Latin Grammy–winner has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide. He is best known for his Latin salsa numbers and ballads... (former) |
Saint Pierre |
| Dean Martin Dean Martin Dean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"... (former) |
Copa De Oro |
| Louis Mayer Louis B. Mayer Louis Burt Mayer born Lazar Meir was an American film producer. He is generally cited as the creator of the "star system" within Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in its golden years. Known always as Louis B... (former) |
Saint Cloud |
| Bob Newhart Bob Newhart George Robert Newhart , known professionally as Bob Newhart, is an American stand-up comedian and actor. Noted for his deadpan and slightly stammering delivery, Newhart came to prominence in the 1960s when his album of comedic monologues The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart was a worldwide... |
Bel Air |
| Jerry Perenchio Jerry Perenchio Andrew Jerrold "Jerry" Perenchio was the former chairman and CEO of Univision, the largest Spanish-language company in the United States.-Early life:... |
Saint Cloud |
| John Phillips John Phillips (musician) John Edmund Andrew Phillips , was an American singer, guitarist, songwriter and promoter . Known as Papa John, Phillips was a member and leader of the singing group The Mamas & the Papas... (former) |
Saint Pierre |
| Tyrone Power Tyrone Power Tyrone Edmund Power, Jr. , usually credited as Tyrone Power and known sometimes as Ty Power, was an American film and stage actor who appeared in dozens of films from the 1930s to the 1950s, often in swashbuckler roles or romantic leads such as in The Mark of Zorro, Blood and Sand, The Black Swan,... , Linda Christian and Romina Power Romina Power Romina Francesca Power is an American-born singer and actress.-Biography:Born in Los Angeles, California, Romina Power is the eldest daughter of American actor Tyrone Power and his second wife, actress Linda Christian.... (former) |
Copa De Oro |
| Elvis Presley Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King".... (former) |
Bellagio |
| Prince Rainier of Monaco (former) | Bellagio |
| Ronald Reagan Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor.... (former) and Nancy Reagan Nancy Reagan Nancy Davis Reagan is the widow of former United States President Ronald Reagan and was First Lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989.... |
Saint Cloud |
| Terry Semel Terry Semel Terry Semel is an American corporate executive who was the chairman and CEO of Yahoo! Incorporated. Previously, Semel spent 24 years at Warner Bros., where he served as chairman and co-chief executive officer... |
Bellagio |
| Mark Spitznagel Mark Spitznagel Mark Spitznagel is an American hedge fund manager, derivatives trader, and value investor.Spitznagel is known for a hugely profitable billion dollar derivatives bet on the stock market crash of 2008, for allegedly crashing the market again in May 2010, as well as for his highly unconventional... |
Saint Pierre |
| Elizabeth Taylor Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE was a British-American actress. From her early years as a child star with MGM, she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age... (former) |
Nîmes |
| Cheryl Tiegs Cheryl Tiegs Cheryl Rae Tiegs is an American model and actress.- Early years :Tiegs was born in Breckenridge, Minnesota but raised in Alhambra, California, and she graduated from Alhambra High School in 1965. She also attended the California State University, Los Angeles and became a little sister to the Sigma... |
Nîmes |
| Sir Peter Ustinov (former) | Bellagio |
| Johnny Weissmuller Johnny Weissmuller Johnny Weissmuller was an Austro-Hungarian-born American swimmer and actor best known for playing Tarzan in movies. Weissmuller was one of the world's best swimmers in the 1920s, winning five Olympic gold medals and one bronze medal. He won fifty-two US National Championships and set sixty-seven... (former) |
Saint Pierre |