On a visit to Brentwood stroll through its leafy avenues to appreciate why this affluent neighborhood is a favorite hangout of the rich and famous. Dine at swanky restaurants, shop at a historic plaza and browse art by Monet and Rembrandt. Brentwood achieved worldwide fame in 1994 for the O.J. Simpson murder investigation. Today Arnold Schwarzenegger and Gwyneth Paltrow are among its notable residents.
Tree-lined San Vincente Boulevard is the heart of the neighborhood’s retail and dining scene. Find high-end supermarkets alongside independent businesses such as fashion outlets, florists and health food stores. Culinary options range from Asian fast food to gourmet burger bars and refined Italian restaurants.
Stop outside the small Brentwood Presbyterian Church, where actor James Stewart married model Gloria Hatrick McLean in 1949.
Spot celebrities at the Brentwood Country Mart. Opened in 1948, this marketplace features several wooden barn-like buildings set around a courtyard. Peruse a bookstore, chocolatier, fashion outlets and jewelers and dine at the open-air patio.
Stroll through residential areas and admire the eclectic architectural styles. The George Sturges House is a Los Angeles cultural monument and a prime example of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Usonian style. Paul R. Williams designed the Hunt Residence, which was once owned by Michelle Pfeiffer and David E. Kelley.
White marble buildings perched on a hillside are part of the Getty Center. Marvel at Monet’s Wheatstacks, Van Gogh’s Irises and other 20th-century masterpieces in the five exhibition pavilions. Delight in the pruned hedges and water features of the Robert Irwin’s Central Garden. Enjoy magnificent city and ocean views and attend summertime sunset concerts at the center.
Get active hiking along trails that lead into the Santa Monica Mountains from the neighborhood’s northern border. Mandeville Canyon Park and Sullivan Canyon Park are popular with dog walkers, hikers and mountain bikers.
Brentwood sits within the Westside urban region of Los Angeles. Travel here by car in 10 minutes from Santa Monica or 30 minutes from Hollywood Boulevard.
