Where To Live In Los Angeles: The Most Exclusive Neighbourhoods

In Los Angeles, the most exclusive neighborhoods can be found along the shores of the Pacific Ocean and the ridges of the Santa Monica Mountains. They are located east-west along the Pacific Ocean and Los Angeles Basin and are parallel to the Hollywood Hills. The bustling metropolis of Los Angeles disappears as one drives up into the foothills and deeper into the verdant canyons. 

Located in hillside communities like Beverly Hills, Brentwood, and Bel Air, many homes in these areas benefit from a lot of sunshine and unparalleled views of the canyon and city. The night sky is filled with stars and flickering lights as residents look out to the city below.

Malibu is the most exclusive enclave among Santa Monica, Venice, and Malibu’s coastal areas. Especially in the Malibu Hills, Malibu is more rural and expansive, making it an excellent place for horse properties. Despite the appeal of oceanfront living, Malibu’s beachfront communities are more expensive and properties are harder to find.

Although Los Angeles is a massive metropolitan area, there are some of California’s most expensive cities in the area. Luxury properties in this area offer spacious parcels, privacy, and lush surroundings. Luxury homes and mansions in Los Angeles are often landscaped in a well-maintained (and sometimes lavish) manner.

Let’s dig deeper to find the most exclusive Los Angeles subdivisions and enclaves. On this list, each neighborhood is labeled along with its median home price, i.e., Neighborhood – Median Price.

Top 10 Most Exclusive Los Angeles Neighborhoods 

Beverly Park – $32.5M

Located in Beverly Crest, Beverly Park is a gated community that sports a 90210 zip code. Beverly Park is divided into two enclaves: South Beverly Park and North Beverly Park.

Comparatively speaking, Beverly Park is a relatively new community in Los Angeles. Developers originally planned for the neighborhood to be a golf course and country club but decided to make it estates instead, which were completed in 1990. Both tracts are subject to HOA rules, which require homes built here to be at least 5,000 square feet. The largest houses here are around 40,000 square feet.

Among Beverly Park’s most famous residents, not only do the area’s homes boast some of Los Angeles’ most expensive prices. Barry Bonds, Sylvester Stallone, Eddie Murphy, and Mark Wahlberg are (or have been) residents of this community. Newspapers and tabloids frequently cover real estate listings and sales here.

Paradise Cove Bluffs – $82.6M

There are 21 oceanfront communities in Malibu, but Paradise Cove Bluffs is the most expensive. All of the homes in the neighborhood have private beach access.

The lot here is narrow, as is the case in most beachfront enclaves, and extends along Pacific Coast Highway to the water’s edge. There is, however, plenty of space for guest houses, tennis courts, and swimming pools. Custom landscape designs grace the sprawling and manicured yards here.

Residents enjoy lots of sunlight, as well as panoramic views of the ocean, coastline, and Catalina Island from the north. The average home size is 5,000 square feet. With the smallest being 2,024 square feet, and the largest being 13,693 sq. ft.

Encinal Bluffs – $29.5M

In Western Malibu, Encinal Bluffs is a beachfront neighborhood near the Ventura County line. A peaceful enclave, it is situated in one of Malibu’s most private, secluded areas. As a result, its homes are some of the most expensive in the region.

In this area, each estate is perched on a hill with a panoramic view of the coastline, Catalina Island, and San Nicolas Island. Almost every lot has access to the beach, and the lots are large.

The Encinal Bluffs resort has long been a favorite of celebrities and business people. In 1983, Frank Gehry completed in Encinal Bluffs a pared-down, more affordable version of his Gunther House design called the Michael B. Hendrix House.

Bel Air Estates – $18.5M

There is a neighborhood called Bel Air Estates just north of the UCLA campus named after the original Bel Air neighborhood. Sunset Boulevard intersects with Bel Air Road at the main entrance. A heavy security presence patrols day and night, but the entrance gates are not secure. Each residence enjoys privacy with large hedges, walls, and foliage.

Bel Air Estates Residential Planning District was developed by Alphonzo E. Bell as a 128-home subdivision. Los Angeles County parcels here are fairly large when compared to those elsewhere. Every parcel has a lawn, a backyard pool, terraced gardens, and a tennis court, depending on its available space.

Holmby Hills – $27.2M

A few blocks east of UCLA, Holmby Hills borders the Los Angeles Country Club. Located in the Platinum Triangle (along with Beverly Hills and Bel Air), the area is one of three. Amid its urban environment, Holmby Hills offers luxury mansions with living areas of over 10,000 square feet. Numerous directors, actors, and industrialists have lived in Holmby Hills over the years, too many to mention here.

Its residents, however, are not the only reason why Holmby Hills is known. In casual conversation among jetsetters, names like Spelling Manor, Carolwood Estate, and Playboy Mansion (once owned by Walt Disney) wouldn’t be out of place. Mapleton Drive, for example, is known worldwide, especially to architecture and art lovers.

Serra Retreat – $23.3M

There is a gated community by the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH-1) named Sierra Retreat near Malibu Creek. Several trees and flora provide a lush environment in one of Malibu’s more bucolic neighborhoods.

There are many homes nestled within a wooded glen in the lower portion of Malibu Canyon. On undulating hillsides, the elevated parts of the community offer houses with panoramic views of the ocean.

Franciscan Friars run the Serra Retreat retreat center, which bears the community’s name. Their compound is located atop the highest hill within the boundaries of their neighborhood.

Beverly Hills Gateway – $17.5M

The Beverly Hills Gateway neighborhood is the northernmost neighborhood within the city’s boundaries. Homes in this area are located between The Flats and Beverly Crest on a slope between the Santa Monica mountains and the Pacific Ocean.

This community offers a layout that defies urban planning standards; the streets in this area are curving and wide with numerous trees. Homeowners in this area dwell on oversized lots that offer large — and well-kept — front lawns. Pools are more often than not found in backyards. It’s also common to find tennis courts on each lot.

The Beverly Hills Gateway area is well known to film and entertainment buffs, if not by name, then by its iconic Beverly Hills Hotel. A neighborhood spa and Polo Lounge are popular with tourists and locals alike.

Honorable Mentions

• Hidden Hills – $10.5M
• Malibu Road – $13.4M
• Beverly Hills Flats – $9.5M
• Malibu Colony – $15M
• Trousdale Estates – $12.9M
• Malibu Cove Colony / $10.5M
• Brentwood Park – $13.9M
• Brentwood Circle – $12.5M
• Doheny Estates – $13.6M
• Escondido Beach – $11.9M
• Winding Way – $9.9M
• Mulholland Estates – $10M
• Riviera – $9.9M