Laurel Canyon is a canyon neighborhood of Hollywood Hills houses located between Sunset Strip to the west and Nichols Canyon to the east. It was first developed in the 1910s by Charles Spencer Mann, an engineer and investor who built the nation’s first trackless trolley there in 1913. Ten years later Laurel Canyon became a part of the city of Los Angeles in 1923 (prior to then, it was an unincorporated part of Los Angeles County). Community life in Laurel Canyon is focused on its central thorough fare, Laurel Canyon Boulevard where you can find a country store, superb Italian restaurant call Pace and dry cleaners. Unlike other nearby canyon neighborhoods in the Hollywood Hills, Laurel Canyon houses line one side of the main street most of the way up to Mulholland Drive. There are many side roads that branch off the main canyon into self-contained Hollywood Hills macro-neighborhoods including Laurel Hills, Mount Olympus, Briar Summit, and Woodrow Wilson Drive commonly called celebrity row. Many film stars of the early 19th century such as Charlie Chaplin, Errol Flynn and Ramon Navarro took refuge in Laurel Canyon and built exquisite Hollywood Hills homes that are now the historical back drop of Hollywood’s past in the canyon. It wasn’t until the 1960’s that Laurel Canyon cemented its reputation as the commune for legendary rock n’ rollers. Even rivaling its Northern cousin San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury, Laurel Canyon became known for welcoming hippies, as well as successful and aspiring musicians. This rich history is reflective in the wide range of architectural styles from Spanish Revival to Mid-Century Modern to Country Traditional, making this one of the most eclectic housing areas of the Hollywood Hills.
