Gray Group Real Estate & Design
Laurel Canyon Real Estate Knowledge
If Beverly Hills and Bel Air are known as Old Hollywood history, Laurel Canyon would be Hollywood’s groovy history. Settlers were initially attracted to the area for its year-round natural water spring, similar to the canyons of Beverly Hills. However, Laurel Canyon was woodsy and wild so therefore it was not developed as early as its luxury neighbors to the west. To this day, some of the homes there will be ones with interesting floor plans where someone would have to go through a closet and a bathroom to get to a bedroom, for instance. But in that wild amalgam set in a shaded, forested canyon holds the ultimate charm of Laurel Canyon.
The scenery drew to music artists in the 1960s and 70s. It was a playground for artists coming together, singing songs and writing music in all sorts of genres like jazz, blues, rock and roll, bluegrass and more. Some of the artists at the time who lived in Laurel Canyon were Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, the Eagles, Jim Morrison of the Doors, the Mamas and the Papas and many more. Their music inspired by the forested terrain to the east and west of Laurel Canyon Boulevard and Lookout Mountain Avenue influenced a generation of future artists.
Today, Laurel Canyon for more or less is still a bit mountainy and bohemian. What Venice is to beach culture in LA, Laurel Canyon is to mountain culture. There still are plenty of music and entertainment stars living in the Laurel Canyon neighborhood. Woodrow Wilson Drive is a star-studded street with a section of it referred to as “Celebrity Row” with residents such as Lady Gaga, George Clooney, and others.
Besides celebrities, more families have moved into Laurel Canyon for its top-rated Wonderland schools. When driving through the winding streets, there will be signs instructing cars to slow down for children on Laurel Pass Avenue dead ending right into the elementary school.
Benefits of living in Laurel Canyon
Lifestyle and Homes in Laurel Canyon
Similar to Beverly Glen, a major draw to Laurel Canyon is that you can get a nice Los Angeles home with sometimes great canyon views for less than $2 million. One long-time resident commented once that homes above $3 million are challenging to sell because anyone who can afford more typically wants Beverly Hills or Bel Air. This depends of course of views, which can be quite epic of the San Fernando Valley if on Skyline Drive or the Edwin streets, or city views from the Mount Olympus subdivision.
Being high up in the hills, to get a “jug of milk” there is no choice but to go down into the city if the historic Canyon Country Store on Laurel Canyon Boulevard is closed. But that is just life in the hills. However, off Mulholland Drive just east of Laurel Pass Avenue is the Laurel Canyon Park and dog park, which is a much closer alternative to Lake Hollywood’s version. Don’t forget all of the scenic overlooks on Mulholland Drive with tourist buses traversing the drive which just adds to the Hollywood mystique of Laurel Canyon.
Top-Rated Schools in and around Laurel Canyon
In Laurel Canyon, you get a nice LA house in the 90046-zip code, plus the incredible Wonderland school district while being in a forested retreat sheltered from the city.
Elementary Schools
Middle School
High School
Private Schools
Elementary Schools
Wonderland Avenue | 8510 Wonderland Ave, Los Angeles 90046
Middle School
Bancroft | 929 N Las Palmas Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038
High School
Fairfax High | 7850 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles 90046
Private Schools
Harvard Westlake School | 700 N Faring Rd, Los Angeles 90077
Harvard Westlake Upper School | 3700 Coldwater Canyon Ave, Studio City 91604
Curtis School | 15871 Mulholland Dr, Los Angeles 90049