Location
Bordered By
- San Diego 405 Freeway and Bel-Air in the East
- Mandeville Canyon in the West
- Mullholland Drive in the North
- North side of Wilshire Boulevard from San Vicente Boulevard to the east side of Centinela Avenue in the South
Brentwood: A Brief History
Brentwood is often confused with the city of Brentwood in the San Francisco Bay Area. LA's Brentwood was once part of the Rancho San Vicente and Santa Monica land grant. In 1848, it as sold into parcels after Mexico’s defeat in the Mexican-American War.
The Brentwood area began its development within the small community of Westgate, in the late 19th century. Westgate Avenue remains a reminder of this. Many local streets are in fact named after British regions like Barrington, Bristol and Gorham, yet the neighborhood has no connection to Brentwood, England. In 1916, Brentwood was annexed by Los Angeles.
In 1961, a fire, fanned by the Santa Ana winds, spread into Brentwood. Though 22% percent of homes were destroyed (484 homes), no one was killed. The fire however burned 16,090 acres of land and caused damages worth approximately $30 million.
Brentwood Today
Today, Brentwood is known as one of the wealthiest areas of LA, populated by affluent professionals, political figures and celebrities which once included O.J. Simpson. The area received a great deal of negative publicity in 1994 when all media eyes turned on it for coverage of the Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman murder trials.
The notorious police chase of O.J. Simpson’s white Bronco ended at his Brentwood mansion. Courtroom play-by-plays regarding Brown Simpson and Goldman’s meeting referred to the Brentwood restaurant Mezzaluna (now closed) and the former’s Brentwood home at 875 S. Bundy Drive. The paparazzi continue to camp out in Brentwood where they often snap photos of celebrities at everyday hubs like the local Brentwood Country Mart.
Brentwood’s northern portions largely consist of single-family homes. The southern area, south of Sunset, is made up of a mix of single-family homes and apartments. The area south of San Vicente Boulevard consists mostly of apartments.
Smaller Areas Within the Brentwood Neighborhood
- Brentwood Circle
- Brentwood Country Estates
- The Brentwood Flats
- Brentwood Glen
- Brentwood Heights
- Brentwood Highlands
- Brentwood Hills
- Brentwood Park
- Brentwood Sunset
- Brentwood Terrace
- Bundy Canyon
- Crestwood Hills
- Kenter Canyon
- Mandeville Canyon
- Mountaingate
- Museum Heights
- South Brentwood
- Sullivan Canyon
- Westgate
- Westridge Hills
- Upper Mandeville Canyon
Brentwood Restaurants and Bars
- A Votre Sante
- Barney’s Gourmet Hamburgers
- The Daily Grill
- Gaucho Grill
- Getty Center restaurant
- Katsuya Brentwood
- Q’s Billiard Club
- Toscana
- West Restaurant and Lounge at the Hotel Angeleno
Famous Brentwood Residents - Past and Present
- Jim Carrey
- Gary Cooper
- Cindy Crawford
- Joan Crawford
- Bette Davis
- Harrison Ford
- Kelly LeBrock
- John Lithgow
- Peter Lorre
- Steve McQueen
- Gwyneth Paltrow
- Denise Richards
- Arnold Schwarzenegger
- Anne Shirley
- O.J. Simpson
- Shirley Temple
Community Businesses and Organizations
- Brentwood Country Club
- Brentwood Country Mart
- Brentwood Homeowners Association
- Brentwood Pet Clinic
- Brentwood Presbyterian Church
- Brentwood Village Market
- The Getty Center
- Keller Williams Brentwood Realty
- Maha Yoga
- Los Angeles Public Library, Donald Bruce Kaufman Brentwood Branch
- UCLA Medical Group Brentwood
- Vicente Foods
Schools in the Brentwood Area and District
- Archer School for Girls
- Brentwood School
- Brentwood Science Magnet Elementary School
- Brockton Elementary School
- Emerson Middle School
- Kenter Canyon Elementary School
- Mount St. Mary’s College
- Paul Revere Middle School
- St. Martin of Tours Catholic School
- University High School
Local Brentwood Traditions
- The annual raising of the Maypole on the lawn of the Archer School for Girls (previously known as the Eastern Star Home)
- Decorating San Vicente Boulevard’s coral trees with holiday lights each year
- A local Memorial Day parade (not annual, but occasional)
Real Estate Facts
- Population: 234,701
- Overall school district performance: 824 (above the statewide target of 800)
- 94% of LA area houses are less expensive
- House prices: $556 per square foot
- Condo prices: $462 per square foot
- 92% of LA area condos are less expensive
- Crime index (measures violent crime reported - lower number is better): 10, approximately 44% lower than the LA County average
Facts pulled from: LA Life: Brentwood
