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In the hills above world famous Sunset Boulevard resides the community of the Sunset Strip. Known for its breathtaking views, celebrities & amazing homes, this part of the Westside is bursting with nightclubs, shopping & fine dining. You can always find something fun to do in this part of Los Angeles.

The Sunset Strip was originally smothered with poinsettia fields & avocado groves before becoming the elite playgrounds for celebrities it’s more famously known for today. Because the Strip was located outside of Los Angeles, the police were much more relaxed and it soon became the hotspot it is today. In the 1920’s, the boutiques & restaurants of the Sunset Plaza became the center of the Sunset Strip. The historic Sunset Tower was built in 1929 and was known for housing the famous Howard Hughes in the penthouse, along with John Wayne who kept a cow on his balcony. In the early 1930’s, Café Trocadero became extremely popular among stars such as Lana Turner, Clark Gable, Robert Taylor and many others. On Saturday nights, the late night club’s backroom held serious poker tournaments, while on Sundays there was an amateur hour for those not yet established.

During the 1940’s, the Melody Room (today it now holds the venue for the famous Viper Room) was rumored to have been the gambling den for notorious gangsters, Mickey Cohen & Bugsy Siegal. During the 1950’s, many of the “hot spot” clubs suffered because of the competing Las Vegas casinos that were offering to top acts. In 1950, Wilder created the film Sunset Boulevard, which created a large amount of interest in The Strip as it showed the behind the scenes life to the Hollywood crowd. His film obtained 11 Academy Awards nominations & was the recipient of three Oscars.

The famous Rainbow Bar & Grill (previously Villa Nova) was the location of Marilyn Monroe & Joe DiMaggio’s first blind date. Vincente Minelli also proposed to Judy Garland at this restaurant in 1945.

During the 1960’s & 1970’s, the Sunset Strip began to die down in the eyes of the movie crowd, but kept kicking with the music industry. Whiskey A Go-Go was opened and introduced its Go-Go girls in mini skirts and white boots, dancing in cages around the club. Jim Morrison & the Doors became the house band in 1966, followed with performances by Led Zeppelin, AC/DC & Jimi Hendrix. The Rainbow Bar & Grill housed plenty of Rock & Roll history after being opened by Bob Gibson in 1972. Led Zeppelin, Guns n Roses, Jimi Hendrix & many other music moguls were regulars at the club, along with John Lennon and his psychedelic Roll Royce awaiting outside.

Hugh Hefner made his mark in the 1960’s after opening up his Playboy Club, taking up the first four floors of the 10-story building. The club was known for having quite the line on multiple nights of the week. Hefner lived in the top story with hi famous round, revolving bed & moving wall opening up to a full bar. Elton John also made his mark on the strip, opening up the Le Dome restaurant, which was usually packed with Hollywood agents & producers. It opened up in 1977 and closed in 2005.

Later, in the 1980’s, the famous Mondrian Hotel was converted from an apartment complex in 1984. It was famous for housing celebrities such as Keith Richards & Elvis Costello, who practically lived at the hotel bar. In 1995, Ian Schrager, known for his hip night clubs, bought the hotel for $17.5 million to create the structure it is today.

The Tower Bar, which was recently opened in the renovated Sunset Tower Hotel, still attracts some of the old Hollywood. Page Cavanaugh, who played in the 1940’s trio of Frank Sinatra, Doris Day & Nat King Cole, still plays the Baby Grand Piano today.

Today, the Sunset Strip is home to many clubs, restaurants & shopping venues, so you will never find yourself out of things to do. Click above to see more information on the Sunset Strip area as well as recent Sunset Strip real estate market activity.

Timothy Joseph - Coldwell Banker - Beverly Hills North Real Estate
301 N. Canon Drive Suite E • Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Direct: (310)777-6285 • Cell: (310)779-2341