Carole Schiffer

Beverly Hills

As soon as you enter the magical city of Beverly Hills, you know you are enraptured in its rich history of Hollywood and the entertainment world. Perhaps no city in America is so replete with luxurious homes and estates that populate its broad, palm-tree-lined streets that meander up into the exclusive hills that give the City its name. Beverly Hills leaves little but much to the imagination. You can feel the glitz and glamour of world-famous shopping areas such as Rodeo Drive as you walk pass the world’s most exclusive shops or dine in the many equally famous restaurants.
One can’t help but feel the presence of movie icons that made Hollywood Hollywood — from the industry’s humble beginnings in the 1910s to today, where the legions of stars, writers, directors and producers live. We still see vendors on street corners offering Star Tours of where past and present movie stars live (unfortunately much of the information is wrong).
But what makes Beverly Hills so special are the meticulously maintained neighborhoods and homes that are the pride of the City. This is a City that insists on providing the best in shopping, dining, public services and most of all, public schools — noted as one of the top school systems in the nation. That’s one of the many reasons why many move here — the quality of public education. It’s all here.
Rodeo Drive is the centerpiece of this City’s premier shopping district — with every luxury brand represented within a 1block area. Competition amongst the major global brands for shoppers’ attention and their pocket books is best described as luxury-intense: Each of the major brands such as Gucci, Tiffany, Cartier, Versace, Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Burberry, Bulgari, Chanel, Giorgio Armani, and Harry Winston — all consider their Rodeo Drive store as their “signature’ statement on the world shopping stage.
Even “Pretty Woman” — the movie starring Richard Gere and Julia Roberts — re-enforced the prestige and appeal that Rodeo Drive has. These retail edifices are designed and built as part of the world showcase for these luxury brands.
But what truly attracts homebuyers to Beverly Hills are the immaculate residential areas and streets that stretch south from Olympic to the hills north of Sunset. .
Beverly Hills is unique. Period. There’s no other city like it the world today.