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Brentwood Today
Brief History of Brentwood
Welcome to Brentwood, City of Los Angeles. At the turn of the century, these undulating hills and canyons of the upper Westside were still a part of the original land grant titled Rancho San Vincente y Santa Monica. The rolling, grassy land swept upward into the Santa Monica Mountains and it provided some of the most spectacular scenery in California.
Lying between the city of Santa Monica (at 26th Street) and the Pacific Branch of the National Soldiers Home (gifted to the federal movement in 1888, now the VA), subdivision of the land was accomplished in the usual way in Los Angeles: along streetcar lines.
In 1906, the elegant Westgate line was laid out in what is now the coral tree median along San Vincente Boulevard from the VA to the sea. Interurban service promised easy and direct transportation to downtown Los Angeles and Santa Monica. The town of Westgate (1905) was plotted at the West side of the VA. Brentwood Park was filed for subdivision in 1906. Other tracts soon followed.
By the eve of World War I, much of lower Brentwood, near San Vincente, had been laid out. The area was without commercial activity except at the eastern end of San Vincente Boulevard. Adding to the recognized ambiance of the area was the new Brentwood Country Club on the south side of the electric car line. Begun as a cooperative venture by many of the prominent real estate promoters, the club quickly became a focal point for the area.
Styles changed after the war. Craftsman homes with their wide eaves, porches and steeply sloped roofs soon sat beside tiled Spanish Colonial Revival, timbered English Tudor and French Country houses. Much of the empty look was filled in and the automobile became the primary mode of transportation. A city to sea highway was paved along the foothills and in 1926, Beverly Boulevard (now Sunset) was opened. Homes began appearing in the hills on the "Tiger's Tail" and in Boca de Canon (Mandeville Canyon).
Most of the upper Brentwood, with its steep hillsides and wonderful views, developed in the canyons after World War II. Barbecues, patios and walls of sliding glass were trademarks of these homes, which were built to take full advantage of the outdoor lifestyle, which is the hallmark of Southern California. Crestwood Hills was a model community, which captured national attention.
The latest addition to the area was the community of Mountain Gate in the 1970's. The latter was a planned neighborhood high in the hills Sepulveda Boulevard. Attached and detached homes of traditional style were built around a country club in a beautiful setting of rolling hills and great views.
Brentwood today continues to be the sophisticated community that it was destined to be when it was laid out 90 years ago. The successful shopping districts along San Vincente Boulevard and the low-density housing have combined to create a wonderful place to live and to play. It is certainly a large jewel in the crown of Los Angeles.
Brentwood Today
Brentwood isn't actually a town or city. It is a section of West Los Angeles. ZIP code 90049, just west of the 405, between UCLA and Santa Monica. There is a city called Brentwood, in Northern California. This causes occasional confusion for local postmasters.
The population of Brentwood is approximately 38,000. There are close to 18,000 residences, made up half of single family dwellings (mostly north of San Vincente) and half apartments or condominiums (mostly south of San Vincente).
Brentwood is called home by many of the area's most prominent business, political and academic leaders--and of course, movie stars, screen writers, directors and others "in the business."
Despite Brentwood's higher profile in recent years, the locals consider themselves to be "just plain folks" who cherish their community and their privacy.
San Vincente Boulevard is the "Main Street" of Brentwood. Its median strip is lined with Coral Trees whose oddly twisting branches appear almost ancient in a land where all is new.
Some of LA's best shopping and dining locations are found along San Vincente; the Country Mart (at 26th and San Vincente) and Brentwood Village (where Barrington and Sunset intersect) also offer anything you might be looking for.
The opening of the new Getty Museum on a majestic hilltop north of Sunset, just west of the 405, will provide a home for one of the world's greatest art collections. The Getty is expected to attract over a million visitors each year.
Though Brentwood has lost its anonymity in recent years, it has lost none of its charm. People who live here can think of nowhere else they'd rather be.
Welcome to Brentwood! Enjoy your visit!
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