The Beautiful People have always loved it here, and Brentwood is actually a hot spot for stargazing – just be chill about it. LeBron James, former President Richard Nixon, Robert Taylor, Steve McQueen, Cindy Crawford, Harrison Ford, Tom Brady and Giselle Bundchen, Marilyn Monroe, Bob Saget, Diane Keaton, Jennifer Gardner and Reese Witherspoon have all called Brentwood home.

Brentwood is bordered by Sepulveda Boulevard to the east, San Remo Road to the west, Mulholland on the north, and 26th Street and Wilshire Boulevard to the southwest. Pacific Palisades rises in the west along the coast, while Bel Air is located just east of Brentwood. Three gated communities – Brentwood Circle, Brentwood Country Estates and Mountaingate – establish the community’s foundation as a discreet departure from Los Angeles at large. Kenter, Sullivan and Mandeville Canyons, equestrian properties and the Brentwood Park area create a rustic framework for this genteel and sophisticated community of approximately 65,000 affluent residents. Kenter Canyon in particular is a favorite among architecture aficionados, now recognized by the State of California for its unique concentration of classic mid-century modern homes.

Brentwood’s classic, yet breezy attitude is epitomized in the homes designed and built by self-taught Cliff May, who’s often called “the Father of the Ranch House.” Inspired by the hacienda esthetic of his native San Diego, May’s post-war, Ranch style dream houses became synonymous with carefree California living. While inward-facing courtyards referenced traditional Iberian structures, May’s spirit was deeply rooted in the Southern California equation of ground-level construction, cross-ventilation, and windows made to welcome eternal sunshine. May’s Sullivan Canyon Ranches community, built in 1946 across several parcels off Old Ranch Road, incorporated communal stables, bridle trails and horse barns, and is now included in the California Register of Historical Resources.

Other architectural gems dot the Brentwood landscape, including The George Sturges House, a Frank Lloyd Wright “Usonian” design from 1939 which has been designated as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument. The house is a robust expression of what Wright called “organic architecture,” meaning that the structure was conceived, planned, and built to be fully integrated into the surrounding natural environment. Not to be outdone, the nearby Nesbitt House exemplifies the genius of Richard Neutra with its 1947 design.

Brentwood’s topography is divided into two main sections divided by Sunset Boulevard. The area north of Sunset is defined by the ridges and canyons of the Santa Monica Mountains, while the area south of Sunset flattens to a level grade. South of San Vicente is “the Gully,” an underground spring which bubbles up into a small creek beside the Brentwood Country Club. At Brentwood’s northernmost border, the Westridge Canyonback Wilderness Park offers nearly 40 miles of hiking trails with staggering views. The park is part of the larger “Big Wild,” a 20,000-acre urban open space stretching across the Santa Monica Mountains. For less rugged outdoor activity, tennis and golf are daily pastimes at the exclusive Brentwood Country Club.

Prestigious private schools signal Brentwood’s family-focus on education: St. Martin of Tours School (K-8th grade), Brentwood School (K-12th grade), and the especially charming Archer School for Girls, the latter housed in a cinematic 1931 Spanish Colonial Revival Building which was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1989. In addition, Brentwood students also have access to five public schools nearby. The UCLA campus is basically ten minutes from anywhere in Brentwood, while USC is further to the east.

Culture forms the heart of this community, where A-listers are often snapped by the paps as they navigate the Brentwood Country Mart in their designer sweats, in search of the daily ice cream offering from Chef Shiho at Sweet Rose Creamery, or just a cup of noteworthy java from Café Luxxe. The Mart, designed with a friendly barnyard vibe by renowned architect Rowland Crawford, first opened its doors in 1948. While libraries and most booksellers are in decline, not in Brentwood: Diesel, a Bookstore, founded in 1989, continues to prosper, as a central gathering place for reading events as well as the source for an exhaustive catalog of printed matter.

At the center of Brentwood’s cultural heart are two institutions known worldwide for their erudition: the 110-acre Getty Center campus, and The Skirball Cultural Center. Not to be confused with the stately Getty Villa located further west on Pacific Coast Highway, The Getty Center serves as a nucleus for art in various forms, media, and research, housed in a world-class setting: the campus buildings were designed by Pritzker Architecture Prize winner, Richard Meier, who also designed the Museum of Television and Radio in Beverly Hills. The J. Paul Getty Museum houses world-class art treasures in a three-floor base building with five two-story towers. The Getty Research Institute (GRI) offers visitors access to the GRI’s massive research library which includes more than one million books, periodicals, and catalogs in addition to more than 2 million photographs featuring art and architecture. The Getty Conservation Institute supports an array of research and educational projects surrounding the conservation of art and architecture. The headiness of the Getty collections is offset by the exterior campus which beckons with the 134,000 square foot Central Garden planted with more than 500 different botanical species. Picnicking is permitted. For a more indigenous experience, the Cactus Garden in the East and West Pavilions is home to a wide array of native grasses, succulents, cacti and other drought-resistant desert vegetation. Two sculpture gardens, the Lower Terrace Sculpture Garden, and the Fran and Ray Stark Sculpture Garden, use the Getty’s elevated hillside perch as the backdrop for spectacular city views framed by pieces of world-class outdoor sculpture.

The Skirball Cultural Center was predated by the Skirball Museum, a collection of more than 30,000 objects illuminating the Jewish experience, culture, and heritage for the past four millennia. Many exhibits, installations and collections are also dedicated to the non-sectarian exploration of democratic and political movements. The Skirball offers a year-round calendar of family-friendly activities, including literacy programs, classes, public tours, art-making workshops, curator spotlight talks, outdoor movies, live amphitheater performances and sunset concerts.

Brentwood’s climate is shaped in large part by proximity to the Pacific Ocean. Residents often awaken to morning mist in the form of a cooling marine layer which burns off to dazzling sunshine by brunch-time. Residents enjoy an average of 300 sunny days a year.