Los Angeles, California
Destination Guides Luxury Real Estate

Local Luxury: Your Guide to Living in Los Angeles, California

Discover what makes L.A. a desirable destination for homebuyers and tour a collection of luxury properties available in its booming real estate market

Perhaps because it is a young city, Los Angeles is equated with youthful enthusiasm and an urge to reinvent oneself, and many come here to do just that. It is the home of Hollywood and motion pictures, a hub of industry and technology, and a diverse magnet for all nationalities and cultures.

Discover our guide to living in Los Angeles and explore our exclusive listings in the city’s high-end luxury real estate market.

What Is The History of Los Angeles?

Los Angeles neighborhood

It may be surprising to some to realize that Los Angeles, California—the City of Angels—only dates back to 1781, when it was founded as a dusty pueblo, far removed from civilization. Back then it was called El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles del Río de Porciúncula. Today, it’s often simply “L.A.,” and the angels have most certainly smiled upon Los Angeles in myriad ways.

What Is the Geography in Los Angeles?

Beach in California

Blessed with mostly sunny days and a climate to be envied by all, the Los Angeles metropolitan area of some 18 million souls touches the Pacific on its southern edge and the blue-denim San Gabriel Mountains to the north, making it possible to go surfing in the morning and skiing in the afternoon at certain times of the year.

What Is the Architecture in Los Angeles?

Architectural styles abound, taking their cue from the many motion picture sets that once transformed Los Angeles into a virtual replica of everything from medieval England to classical Rome and feudal Spain. Adobe haciendas can be found next door to Moorish castles, Italianate villas and modernist mid-century glass-and-concrete masterpieces.

Neighborhoods

Beverly Hills sign in California

Beverly Hills, Holmby Hills, Bel-Air, Hancock Park, Malibu, Pasadena, San Marino—these are neighborhoods and cities whose names are almost trademarks. Aerial views of these districts are distinguished by rows of turquoise swimming pools, green rectangles of tennis courts, and geometrically patterned lush gardens.

How to Get Around in Los Angeles?

Los Angeles is an hour’s drive from virtually anything and everything, which has also made it a hub of car culture, where the automobile is king and almost indispensable. An hour or so in the car can take you to the best restaurants, the finest beaches, grand theatres and auditoriums, museums and libraries, aquariums and zoos, sporting arenas and parks, pine-scented forests, and the hot Mojave Desert.

What to Do and See in Los Angeles?

Hollywood sign in Los Angeles, California

Hollywood is just one aspect of L.A.’s claim to be the entertainment capital of the world. The region is the birthplace of the theme park (think Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm, and Magic Mountain), and is the address of countless recreational landmarks, golf courses, horse racing venues, and bridle trails. It is a place for the fitness buff, the yoga practitioner, and the mountain biker. It is, indeed, a gathering place of astounding diversity.

Professional Sports

L.A. has been home to many celebrated sports teams—the Dodgers, the Angels, the Lakers, the Clippers, the Rams, and the Kings to name just a few, and it has famously hosted the Olympics twice.

Shopping

Rodeo Drive in California

Los Angeles is also a haven of luxury. Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills is synonymous with high-end commerce, and the magnificent neighborhoods of Los Angeles bear witness to a luxury lifestyle that is second to none—and quintessentially Californian.

Notable Listings

Who knows the L.A. real estate market better than Aaron Kirman? The multi-billion-dollar real estate broker, who built the #1 selling team in Los Angeles and one of the top-producing teams in the nation, recently launched his own brokerage firm, AKG | Christie’s International Real Estate.

With over $14 billion in career sales and more than $1.5 billion in sales in 2022, including the $141 million sale of The One in Bel-Air, Kirman has represented a veritable Who’s Who of movie stars, musicians, star athletes, titans of industry, and even royalty.

Read on to explore exclusive luxury listings from AKG | Christie’s International Real Estate on the market now.

Mansion estate in Beverly Hills, California

Poised high atop a promontory, this palatial European Estate boasts jaw-dropping 360 degree views of all of Los Angeles.

Rich in privacy behind gates and up the long tree-lined driveway, this fortress of unparalleled magnitude is revealed. Situated in a world of its own overlooking the stunning gardens and city, this home is the epitome of royal living in the most sought-after city in the country.

This tranquil oasis is quintessential to the highest class of luxury living, built for those who hold history, design, and beauty in the highest regard.

Luxury home in California

Thoughtfully conceived and executed over the past several years, this just-completed Eran Gispan-design brilliantly takes advantage of its site.

Located just above Franklin, it’s close to the Hollywood Bowl, but far enough to feel like you are in a private paradise.

“Open Concept” and “Indoor/Outdoor Living” have become platitudes, but this house represents these design idioms at their best.

Home in Los Angeles, California

510 Arkell was designed by Miguel Angel and Rafael Aragones. The home is located on a corner lot surrounded by trees, hillsides, and blue skies.

The home integrates the light, breeze, and temperature from the surrounding natural environment.

Meticulous attention to detail and proportions generate a soothing space where one can be physically relaxed and serene. Natural light illuminates wall to wall forming a sequence of spaces coexisting at every angle of the home.

Modern home in Los Angeles, California

In the world’s most prestigious location, situated on a promontory behind gates, lies this once-in-a-generation offering.

With 360-degree views, this private compound is an architectural triumph that redefines luxury living. The newly constructed open-concept floor plan offers every amenity with an array of richly appointed features and materials.

This home is the pinnacle of luxury, tucked away in the hills, yet conveniently located moments from the city’s most sought-after dining, entertainment, and leisure.

Garcia House in Los Angeles, California

The Garcia House is an iconic masterpiece designed by world-renowned architect, John Lautner. Built in 1962, the home underwent a historic restoration by Marmol Radziner, with a focus on preserving original details and functionality.

The property boasts several timeless features including a lava rock entryway, original terrazzo flooring, signature parabolic roof, a 55-foot wall of windows, and 60-foot caissons elevating the structure above the canyon, showcasing breathtaking panoramic views of Los Angeles.

A descent down the hillside steps brings you through the verdant garden, designed by landscape architect John Sharp, to the pool which was built in 2008 using Lautner’s original design. Capture your place in history and experience a home that truly transcends time.

Ready to Make Your Move?

Los Angeles offers something for everyone—whether you’re looking for a laidback beach lifestyle or a property tucked away in the exclusive Hollywood Hills, let AKG | Christie’s International Real Estate serve as your guide to living in Los Angeles. Discover more luxury listings in the L.A. market now.