What can I say about Bel-Air, except that I’ve been obsessed with it since I watched the 1986 movie Ruthless People with Bette Midler and Danny DeVito. Their fictional home on Bellagio Drive packed with over the top Post Modern furniture from the Memphis Era, inspired and tantalized my early designer taste buds. Little did I know that the set designer of the film was actually mocking the over the top furniture style that’s beginning to make a comeback today. (You can catch a glimpse of it in the clip below) Bellagio drive became one of the first places I wanted to see on my next visit to L A… aw the power of movies. Little did i know that one of my first clients after moving to L A in the mid 90’s would be one of the actresses who appeared in this film. I’d been doing her hair for several years when the subject came up. By then she was working as a red head, no longer being cast as the dumb blonde I’d seen her play in the stereo store with Judge Reinhold… the scene about how bigger is better in regards to stereo speakers.

It seems the allure of Bel-Air continues after nearly 90 years.  Founded by Alphonzo E. Bell, Sr. in 1923, it’s  part of the Platinum Triangle which also includes Beverly Hills and Holmby Hills.  There are 2 major entrances: the East Gate and the West Gate.  Stone Canyon Road was formerly named Bel-Air Woodland… which makes me think of Hollywoodland, another 1920’s real estate development. Did you know that there were several other signs that dotted the landscape during that era? There was Beverly Crest and Beverly Terrace, both on stilts like the famed Hollywood sign, as well as Bryn Mawr, Tyron Ridge and Eagle Rock that were embedded into the hillside itself.

Click this link to view the other signs.

Another interesting fact is that the homes closer to Sunset Blvd are more expensive than the homes higher up in the hills. These gates below give you a sense of the privacy some of these homeowners require.  Bel-Air has such a secluded and tranquil vibe that even a simple drive through it’s canyons can reset your senses. Just beware, there are camera’s at both gates photographing your license plates as you enter and exit, not that you would to anything illegal… but the Bel-Air Homeowners Association is watching just in case.