Cheviot Hills
Cheviot Hills is a residential development taken right out from a scene in a movie, it is located among rolling green hills, its streets are lined with trees, and it is only one mile away from Beverly Hills.
Presently, Cheviot Hills is a culmination of five tracts that were each developed by different developers; thus, each tract has its own idiosyncrasies. Its construction began in the early 1920s, one can find styles such as Aiken-style cottages to grandiose estates within the area. The community houses 1,450 households, all of which are represented by the Cheviot Hills Homeowners Association. Other design styles include Spanish haciendas to California bungalows.
The area is only 1.5 square miles but is full of choices for entertainment. Elmer Griffin, Merv Griffin's uncle, established the Beverly Hills Country Club, located on Motor Avenue in 1926. On the north side of Motor Avenue, the Cheviot Hills Recreation Center features amenities such as tennis courts, an indoor gym, basketball courts, a children's playground, swimming pool, and weekend sports league activities. There is also the Rancho Park Golf Course which features many recreational choices other than golf.
The high prices of Cheviot Hills homes have weeded out many young families and first-time buyers; however, long-established residents will rest easy when they decide to sell their homes. Due to the rapid growth of Los Angeles, traffic has increased in Cheviot Hills, but the addition of speed bumps and more stop signs have slowed the inconvenience. Traffic noise has increased as well; the construction of a sound wall is still pending at this time. One reason for the increasing traffic is the airplane traffic from Santa Monica Airport, officials are figuring out plans on ways to lessen the traffic and noise. Other than traffic being a problem, graffiti often shows its unsightly decor under the 405 freeway. For the past 15 years, the graffiti has been painted over by a dedicated resident, Tom Mitchell.
The schools within Cheviot Hills are part of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Based on the highest possible score of 1,000, the two elementary schools scored 739 and 810 on the 2002 Academic Performance Index. The Palms Middle School scored a 732 and the high school, Hamilton High, scored 616 for 2002.
Historical values for single family residences:
| Historical values | |
| Year | Median Price |
| 1990 | $575,000 |
| 1995 | $430,000 |
| 2000 | $639,000 |
| 2002 | $750,000 |
| 2003 | $851,000 |
Resources & Links:
- Cheviot Hills' Home Page
- Map of Cheviot Hills
- Local School Links
- Crime Statistics
- Southern California Home Sale Activity
Los Angeles home sales data, organized by ZIP code. Updated monthly. - LA County Online
- The Los Angeles Times
Online version of the local periodical. - KCRW
National Public Radio station, based at Santa Monica College. - MovieLink/777-FILM
Local movie listings and show times. - ArtScene
Guide to California's museums.
- National Park Search
Great National Parks link. - California State Parks
Highly recommended.
- Yahoo! Neighborhood Profiles
For neighborhood demographics, cost of living and quality of life.