Discover Contemporary Homes in So Cal and the Bird Streets of LA

You would think that in Los Angeles, during a Pandemic, the buying, selling, renting, building and tearing down of contemporary homes in So Cal would slow down. But in seven of the most desirable locations on earth, the Hollywood Hills, Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Bird Streets, Brentwood, the Pacific Palisades and Malibu the money changes hands and the hammering never stops

The aforementioned Southern California and Los Angeles luxury neighborhoods came into being for a number or reasons, including the City of Angels’ nearly year-round sun and temperate climate, pristine beaches, and magnificent mountains. These wealthy, celebrity-filled neighborhoods offer contemporary homes perched on the sides of the hills with jaw-dropping views overlooking the Pacific Ocean with miles of stunning beaches, gentle breezes, and extraordinary sunsets.

Architects who design these opulent, luxurious homes take advantage of the environment to maximize outdoor living and the home’s expansive views. One such neighborhood is the Bird Streets.

One neighborhood that most folks have never heard of is the Bird Streets. The “Hollywood Reporter” declares that the Bird Streets–the exclusive area above the Sunset Strip where the streets are named after birds like Oriole, Thrasher, and Nightingale–is hotter than ever.

Residents in the neighborhood include A-listers Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Jodie Foster, and Keanu Reeves; musician Herbie Hancock; talk show host Byron Allen; producer Megan Ellison; The Big C showrunner Jenny Bicks; Hustler publisher Larry Flynt; Sunset Tower Hotel owner Jeff Klein and producer John Goldwyn. There are also lots of new (rich) neighbors moving in (including two Friends–Matthew Perry just bought, Jennifer Aniston just rented).

Brokers and residents say the neighborhood’s superior “jetliner” views of the city and proximity to the Sunset Strip — a drive from Soho House to the top of Blue Jay Way takes less than five minutes — make it extremely desirable. Ben Bacal, a Keller Williams Realty agent who represented the seller in the Perry deal, says homes that are considered teardowns can fetch as much as $7 million if the lots offer “10 out of 10” views. And homes without views can be valued at half of what comparable homes with views are worth. Indeed, residences with superb views fetch among the highest prices in L.A. on a per-square-foot basis. Perry purchased his home for $2,162 per square foot. Those prices are typically achieved only in neighborhoods such as Malibu’s Carbon Beach.

But even great views need help from architects for homes to take advantage of the sense of place. One of Dean Larkin’s design projects on Blue Jay was a complete re-imagining of an existing home. The jetliner view is in full display as well as a fully integrated rear yard. The master suite on the main level has covered seating and even extends the sleeping area to the outside. Perhaps the most dramatic part of the home is the knife edge swimming pool which can be accessed by a sliding wall of glass from the living room. Lit with color-changing LED’s, the pool becomes a kinetic work of art connecting earth and sky, inside and outside.

It may be surprising to some, but the Bird Streets neighborhood is not without its sense of community. “It’s a really nice feeling in a city where there is much more anonymity than you would really like,” says Hollywood divorce attorney Laura Wasser, who has represented Christina Aguilera and Angelina Jolie. The neighborhood’s most obvious expression of communal togetherness is its Doheny Dining Club, an open group that meets roughly twice a year for progressive dinners that have drawn up to 50 people. Founded in 2008, the group attracts actors, producers, lawyers, doctors, and such, says attorney Lindsay Berger Sacks, a DDC co-founder. “We didn’t think this was the kind of community that wanted to get to know their neighbors,” says Sacks. “But it seems that everybody wants that.”

Dean Larkin Design was established in Los Angeles in 1999. This modern architecture firm maximizes the intrinsic potential of a location while meeting each client’s specific lifestyle, business or institutional needs. Dean Larkin is very familiar with both historical and contemporary homes in So Cal and the entire Los Angeles area, and the firm endeavors to achieve a complexity that is multi-layered with an effortless elegance. For a design that is modern and innovative, unlocks your location’s innate potential by making specific use of light, views and more, and is uniquely designed for the way you live, contact Dean Larkin for a consultation.