Like the Hollywood Hills West, this area is an eclectic mix of modest adobes and luxury mansions all perched along the green of the canyons.
Beachwood Canyon sits directly below the famous Hollywood sign, which was originally spelled out H-O-L-L-Y-W-O-O-D-L-A-N-D as a way to promote the area with 4,000 lightbulbs that could be seen from miles away. The last four letters were removed during a repair job in the late 40s, and the once wood letters were replaced with steel. The residential area is divided by a lower section of mostly apartment buildings and an upper section with single family homes. Beachwood Drive is the main throughway of the area, cutting through the canyon with a convoluted maze of side streets branching off of it. Its seclusion among nature makes it a preferred residence for more creative types like writers, artists, and musicians. Lower Beachwood Canyon is a bit more urban with Franklin Village offering busy restaurants, shops, and the live comedy of the Upright Citizens Brigade. There is also the 101 Coffee Shop, notably featured in Swingers and Entourage, and the Monastery of Angels, a cloister of monastic nuns who make some incredible pumpkin bread (seriously). Upper Beachwood Canyon is mostly homes, but there are some small businesses like Beachwood Market for when you don’t want to drive down to the chain grocery store Gelson’s, and Beachwood Cafe, a local farm-to-table restaurant.