Bel Air, Los Angeles

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**Bel Air** (or **Bel-Air**) is a residential neighborhood on the Westside of Los Angeles, California, in the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains. Founded in 1923, it is the home of The Hannah Carter Japanese Garden and the American Jewish University.

## History

 File:Entrance to Bel-Air, Los Angeles, 1923.jpg
The community was founded in 1923 by Alphonzo Bell. Bell owned farm property in Santa Fe Springs, California, where oil was discovered. He bought a large ranch with a home on what is now Bel Air Road. He subdivided and developed the property with large residential lots, with work on the master plan led by the landscape architect Mark Daniels. He also built the Bel-Air Bay Club in Pacific Palisades and the Bel-Air Country Club. His wife chose Italian names for the streets. She also founded the Bel-Air Garden Club in 1931.

Together with Beverly Hills and Holmby Hills, Bel Air forms the Platinum Triangle of Los Angeles neighborhoods.

### Fires

Further information: Bel Air Fire
Further information: Skirball Fire
On November 6, 1961, a fire ignited and devastated the community of Bel Air, destroying 484 homes in the area. On December 6, 2017, a fire started by a homeless encampment burned in the same area, destroying six homes.

## Geography

Bel Air is situated about **Script error: No such module "convert".** west of Downtown Los Angeles, set entirely within the Santa Monica Mountains. It lies across Sunset Boulevard from the northern edge of the main campus of the University of California, Los Angeles. At the heart of the community sits the Bel-Air Country Club and the Hotel Bel-Air.**Script error: No such module "Unsubst".**

Along with Beverly Hills and the Los Angeles community of Brentwood, Bel Air is part of a high-priced area on the Westside known as the "three Bs."

### Climate

This region experiences warm and dry summers. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Bel Air has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.

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## Demographics

The 2000 U.S. census counted 7,691 residents in the **Script error: No such module "convert".** Bel Air neighborhood; with **Script error: No such module "convert".** it has among the lowest population densities for the city and the county. In 2008, the city estimated that the population had increased to 8,253.

In 2000, the median age for residents was 46, which was high for city and county neighborhoods. The percentages of residents aged 50 and older was among the county's highest.

The median yearly household income in 2008 was $207,938, the highest figure for any neighborhood or city in Los Angeles County. Renters occupied 14.5% of the housing stock, and house- or apartment-owners held 85.5%. The average household size of 2.4 people was considered typical for Los Angeles.

The 4.1% of families headed by single parents was considered low for city and county neighborhoods. The percentages of married people in Bel Air were among the county's highest—66.0% for men and 65.7% for women. There were 808 veterans, or 12.9% of the population.

The neighborhood was considered "not especially diverse" ethnically within Los Angeles, with a relatively high percentage of white people. The breakdown was whites, 83.0%; Asians, 8.2%; Latinos, 4.6%; African Americans, 0.9%; and others, 3.2%. Iran (26.1%) and South Africa (8.2%) were the most common places of birth for the 24.1% of the residents who were born abroad—which was an average percentage for Los Angeles as a whole.

### Neighborhoods

Of several entrances, there are two main ones: (1) the East Gate at Beverly Glen and Sunset Boulevards and (2) the West Gate at Bellagio Way and Sunset Boulevard, opposite an entrance to UCLA. Bel Air is generally subdivided into three distinct neighborhoods: East Gate Old Bel Air, West Gate Bel Air, and Upper Bel Air.**Script error: No such module "Unsubst".**

Bel Air Estates, the original subdivision of the Bel Air community, is generally bounded by Nimes Road to the north, Sunset Boulevard to the south, Beverly Glen Boulevard to the east and both sides of Bel Air Road to the west.

## Attractions

The Hannah Carter Japanese Garden is located in Bel Air. It was inspired by the gardens of Kyoto. Many structures in the garden—the main gate, garden house, bridges, and shrine—were built in Japan and reassembled on site. Antique stone carvings, water basins and lanterns, as well as the five-tiered pagoda, and key symbolic rocks are also from Japan.

## Government and infrastructure

The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services SPA 5 West Area Health Office serves Bel Air.

It lies within the 5th city council district, represented by Paul Koretz. It is located in the 90077 (Bel Air Estates & Beverly Glen) ZIP code, which is part of the city of Los Angeles. Stone Canyon Reservoir lies in the northeastern part of Bel Air. Established in 1994, it serves around 500,000 people. The Bel Air Association has been operational since 1942, dedicated to preserving the aesthetic appearance of the residential community. The Bel Air Association is located at the entrance of the East Gate of Bel Air at 100 Bel Air Road.

## Emergency services

### Fire services

Los Angeles Fire Department Station 71 is in the area.

### Police services

The Los Angeles Police Department operates the West Los Angeles Community Police Station at 1663 Butler Avenue, 90025, serving the neighborhood.

## Education

 File:American Jewish University, Bel Air, California.JPG
Almost two-thirds (66.1%) of Bel Air residents aged 25 and older had earned a four-year degree by 2000, a high percentage for the city and the county. The percentages of residents in that age range with a bachelor's degree or greater were high for the county. The community is within the Los Angeles Unified School District. The area is within Board District 4. As of 2009, Steve Zimmer represented the district.

### Schools

The schools within Bel Air are as follows:

#### Public

* Roscomare Road Elementary School, 2425 Roscomare Road
* Community Magnet Charter Elementary School, 11301 Bellagio Road. As of 2010[update]**Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".**, because the school's points-based admissions system does not favor area residents, children living in Bel Air generally do not attend the school. It is located in the former Bellagio Road School campus.

Roscomare Road and Warner Avenue Elementary School in Westwood are the zoned elementary schools serving Bel Air. Bel Air is within the attendance boundaries of Emerson Middle School in Westwood and University High School, West Los Angeles.

In April 1983, an advisory committee of the LAUSD recommended closing eight LAUSD schools, including Bellagio Road School. The committee did not target Fairburn Avenue School in Westwood, as a way of allowing it to preserve its ethnic balance, and so it can take children from Bellagio Road in case it closed. In August 1983, the board publicly considered closing Bellagio, which had 240 students at the time. The school's enrollment had been decreasing. In May 1983 the board voted to keep the school open. In February 1984, after the composition of the board had changed, the board voted to close the Bellagio Road School.

Bel Air previously housed the Bellagio Road Newcomer School, a 3rd–8th grade school for newly arrived immigrants. In 2002, it had 390 students from Armenia, China, El Salvador, Guatemala, Korea, Russia, and other countries. This program was housed in the former Bellagio Road school.

#### Private

* Marymount High School, 10643 Sunset Boulevard
* Stephen S. Wise Temple Elementary School/Milken Community Schools, K–12, 15500 Stephen S. Wise Drive
* John Thomas Dye School, K–6, 11414 Chalon Road
* The Mirman School
* Westland School, 16200 Mulholland Drive, was founded in 1949. It moved to its current location in 1965, becoming the first school to locate in what has now developed into a major 'institutional corridor' in the area of the Sepulveda Pass.

#### University

Bel Air is home to the American Jewish University. Additionally, Bel Air borders the University of California, Los Angeles on the south.

## In popular culture

Television shows and films have been filmed in Bel Air, or are said to take place in the community. Exterior shots for the *Beverly Hillbillies* were shot in and around 750 Bel Air Road, built by Lynn Atkinson (and later sold to hotelier Arnold Kirkeby after Atkinson's wife refused to move into a house she thought too ostentatious).
Several scenes in the film "Get Hard" (2015) were set in Bel Air.
Exterior scenes from films such as *Get Shorty* (1995) have also been filmed in the area.**Script error: No such module "Unsubst".** Several episodes of the television show *The Rockford Files* were filmed in Bel Air.

The television sitcom *The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air*, starring actor and rapper Will Smith, was set in the neighborhood, although the exterior shots used were filmed in nearby Brentwood.

The Bel Air house featured in the film *Strangers When We Meet* (1960) was built and completed during filming, and still stands today as a private residence.

The Bel Air Film Festival, first held in 2008, is an annual international film festival held in Bel Air and the Los Angeles area.

Bel Air is also represented in music, such as in the song "Bel Air" by Lana Del Rey.

The Chevrolet Bel Air was a full-size car produced by Chevrolet for the 1950–1975 model years.

## Notable people

* Jennifer Aniston, actress
* Warner Baxter, actor
* Arie and Rebecka Belldegrun, doctors
* Jack Benny, comedian
* Beyoncé, singer-songwriter, actress
* Wilt Chamberlain, Basketball Hall of Fame inductee
* Glenn Cowan (1952–2004), table tennis player
* Clint Eastwood, actor, film director
* Eric Eisner, Hollywood lawyer and executive, former president of The Geffen Film Company
* John Gilbert, actor
* George Herbert Harries, US Army major general
* Alfred Hitchcock, film director
* Jay-Z, rapper
* Mary Livingstone, actress and comedian
* Sondra Locke, actress, film director
* Joni Mitchell, singer-songwriter
* Steven Mnuchin, 77th United States secretary of the treasury
* Leonard Nimoy, actor, film director, poet, singer and photographer
* Chris Paul, basketball athlete
* President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan
* Naty Saidoff, diamond dealer, real estate investor, founding member of the Israeli-American Council
* Darren Star, show and movie producer, writer
* Elizabeth Taylor, actress at 700 Nimes Road from 1982 until 2011
* Walter and Shirley Wang, Chinese-American philanthropists, son and daughter-in-law of Taiwanese business magnate Wang Yung-ching
* The Weeknd, Singer-Songwriter, actor

## See also

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* List of districts and neighborhoods in Los Angeles
* List of largest houses in the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area

## Footnotes

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1. ↑ West Los Angeles Realty and the *Los Angeles Times* use *Bel-Air* while the *Thomas Guide* for Los Angeles in 2002 used *Bel Air Estates*.
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## References

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1. ↑ Homes for Sale – Bel Air, CA.
2. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
3. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
4. ↑ Thompson, Daniella (April 18, 2007). Mark Daniels excelled in developing and marketing scenic beauty.
5. ↑ History of Bel-Air. *Bel-Air Association*.
6. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
8. ↑ Driving Directions from Los Angeles, CA to Bel Air, CA.
9. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
10. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
11. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
12. ↑ Climate Summary for Bel Air, California.
13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 Bel-Air. Los Angeles Times.
14. ↑ Veterans Ranking. Los Angeles Times.
15. ↑ Diversity. Los Angeles Times. “The diversity index measures the probability that any two residents, chosen at random, would be of different ethnicities. If all residents are of the same ethnic group it's zero. If half are from one group and half from another it's .50."”
16. ↑ SurveyLA: Bel Air - Beverly Crest Report Historic Districts, Planning Districts and Multi-Property Resources – 12/05/13
17. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
18. ↑ About Us.
19. ↑ About us.
20. ↑ Fire Station 71.
21. ↑ West LA Community Police Station.
22. ↑ Board District 4 Map.
23. ↑ Board Members.
24. ↑ Bel-Air Schools. Los Angeles Times.
25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
26. ↑ Guzman, Stephanie (August 15, 2010). A Look Into L.A. Unified: Community Magnet. University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.
27. ↑ Community School Proposed Relocation to Bellagio Road School Community Meeting (July 8, 2002).
28. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
29. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
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31. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
32. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
33. ↑ The John Thomas Dye School.
34. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
35. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
36. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
37. ↑ Real Estate: TV Show Buildings At A Glance.
38. ↑ Display of estate used in several episodes.
39. ↑ Fresh Prince House – For Real This Time! (May 22, 2008).
40. ↑ The Wood Prince of Bel Air: Building the 'Strangers When We Meet' House.
41. ↑ **Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".**
42. ↑ Jennifer Aniston buys big digs in Bel Air.
43. ↑ Siler, Bob. Homes of the Western Stars (A-B).
44. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
45. ↑ 45.0 45.1 **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
46. ↑ Former home of Wilt Chamberlain is up for sale (March 9, 2007).
47. ↑ Broken Promise - Los Angeles Magazine.
48. ↑ 'Are you building a Taj Mahal?' :Clint Eastwood goes badass on construction workers near Bel Air home (April 26, 2014).
49. ↑ 846 Stradella Rd, Los Angeles, CA - 7 beds/5 baths.
50. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
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53. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
54. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
55. ↑ Local Inspiration for Movie Classics: Hitchcock had Link to Santa Cruz.
56. ↑ Actress Sondra Locke, Embittered Ex of Clint Eastwood, Dies at 74.
57. ↑ **Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".**
58. ↑ Manure-filled package sent to Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin sends bomb squad to Bel Air. ABC 7 (2017).
59. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
60. ↑ Goldman, Leah (January 20, 2012). Chris Paul Just Bought Avril Lavigne's $8.5 Million Mansion In Bel Air.
61. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
62. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
63. ↑ **Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".**
64. ↑ **Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".**
65. ↑ Brenoff, Ann (May 20, 2011). Liz Taylor's Bel-Air Home Hits Market at $8.6 Million.
66. ↑ A grant for China education.
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## External links

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