 Hardcover edition | |
| Author | Michael Gross |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Subject | History |
| Genre | Non-fiction |
| Set in | California |
| Publisher | Broadway Books |
Publication date | November 1, 2011 |
| Media type | Print, e-book |
| Pages | 560 |
| ISBN | 978-0767932653 (hardcover edition) |
| OCLC | 773579731 |
| Website | mgross |
Unreal Estate: Money, Ambition, and the Lust for Land in Los Angeles is a non-fiction book by American writer Michael Gross. [1] The book was initially published on November 1, 2011 by Broadway Books.
In this book, Gross explores a cultural history of the Los Angeles-based wealthy who developed so-called "Platinum Triangle" of Bel Air, Holmby Hills, and Beverly Hills, and other opulent neighborhoods, centering on the houses they built. [2] Among other well-known properties are mentioned: Playboy Mansion, the former home of Hugh Hefner; Greenacres, the former home of movie star Harold Lloyd now owned by billionaire Ron Burkle; Owlwood Estate previously owned by actors Tony Curtis and Cher; and The Knoll, formerly owned by Dino De Laurentiis, Kenny Rogers, and the former 20th Century Fox owner Marvin Davis.
A reviewer of Publishers Weekly stated "Gross writes with an aficionado’s zeal yet chooses facts selectively for their service to the story. It may take a chapter or two to adjust to a book in which the characters, however memorable, come and go, but the landscape remains the same. However, that’s the point: these houses, totems of wealth and status, inhabited for a season when their inhabitants were flush, are the real characters and mainstays of La La Land." [3] Liana Diamond of The Hollywood Reporter mentioned "Gross explores the history of sixteen estates in Los Angeles’ most exclusive neighborhoods. The book (...) not only delves into the history of some of the most coveted homes in Los Angeles but also takes a gossip- and scandal-filled look at their famous owners." [4]
Janet Maslin of the New York Times commented "Michael Gross took a bus tour of stars’ homes while researching “Unreal Estate,” his latest exercise in class-conscious voyeurism. That would be funny if it weren’t so sad. Sure, Mr. Gross has interviewed people who live large in the gilded ghetto made up of Bel Air, Beverly Hills and Holmby Hills, a region that he actually refers to as “La-La Land.” But his reportorial position is that of a gawker-stalker whose curiosity and cupidity far outweigh his reportorial talents. What’s more, he has made a career out of this." [5]
Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. A notable and historic suburb of Los Angeles, it is located immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately 12.2 miles (19.6 km) northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Beverly Hills' land area totals to 5.71 square miles (14.8 km2), and is entirely surrounded by the city of Los Angeles. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population of 32,701; marking a decrease of 1,408 from the 2010 census count of 34,109.
Sunset Boulevard is a boulevard in the central and western part of Los Angeles, California, United States, that stretches from the Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades east to Figueroa Street in Downtown Los Angeles. It is a major thoroughfare in the cities of Beverly Hills and West Hollywood, as well as several districts in Los Angeles.
Westwood is a commercial and residential neighborhood in the northern central portion of the Westside region of Los Angeles, California. It is the home of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Bordering the campus on the south is Westwood Village, a major regional district for shopping, dining, movie theaters, and other entertainment.
Bel Air is a residential neighborhood on the Los Angeles Westside, in the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains in the U.S. state of California. Founded in 1923, it is the home of the Hannah Carter Japanese Garden and the American Jewish University.
Richard Howard Hilton is an American businessman. He is the chairman and co-founder of Hilton & Hyland, a real estate brokerage firm based in Beverly Hills, California, that specializes in homes and estates in Beverly Hills, Holmby Hills, Bel-Air, Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Hollywood Hills, as well as estates from Santa Barbara to San Diego.
Beverly Hills Post Office (BHPO) is the name given to a section of Los Angeles, California, that lies within the 90210 ZIP code, assigned to the Beverly Hills Post Office. Los Angeles mailing addresses with the ZIP code 90210 may be written as "Beverly Hills, CA 90210", though the properties themselves lie outside of the Beverly Hills city limits.
Arthur Rolland Kelly (1878–1959) was an American architect, primarily in the Los Angeles, California area. Arthur designed approximately five hundred homes and other buildings.
Beverly Park, divided into North Beverly Park and South Beverly Park, is a gated community in Los Angeles, California primarily known for its large houses and famous residents. It is between Mulholland Drive and Sunset Boulevard and Coldwater Canyon Drive and Beverly Glen Boulevard, east of the Beverly Glen neighborhood.
Beverly Crest is a neighborhood in the Santa Monica Mountains, in the Westside area of the city of Los Angeles, California.
The Platinum Triangle is an informal name for three adjacent neighborhoods in the Los Angeles Westside area. It includes Beverly Hills, which is its own city within Los Angeles County, along with two Los Angeles city neighborhoods, Bel Air and Holmby Hills. The "Platinum Triangle" designation refers to the affluence of the neighborhood and its large, multi-million-dollar homes. Beverly Hills in particular contains the largest homes in the Los Angeles area. The area is consistently ranked as one of the most expensive housing markets in the country.
Holmby Hills is a neighborhood on the Westside of Los Angeles, California, United States.
Jeffrey Jonathon Hyland was an American real estate businessman, president of Hilton and Hyland, a real estate firm in Beverly Hills, California, and author. He had personally handled several billion dollars in real estate sales.
Burton Edmond Green was an American oilman and real estate developer. He was critical in the development of Beverly Hills, California, and he is credited with naming it Beverly Hills after Beverly Farms in Massachusetts.
James Dolena (1888-1978) was a Russian Empire-born American architect who designed many houses in Los Angeles, California.
Holmby Park is a public park in Holmby Hills, Los Angeles, California.
Owlwood Estate is a historic mansion in Holmby Hills, Los Angeles, California. It was built in 1936 and designed by architect Robert D. Farquhar. Previous owners include actors Tony Curtis and Cher.
Unreal Estate may refer to:
Bruce Makowsky is an American real estate developer and entrepreneur. In 2017, he set the record for the most expensive home listed in the United States by listing a home he developed in Bel Air on the market for $250 million, which ultimately sold for $94 million in October 2019.
Joyce Rey is a Beverly Hills-based luxury real estate agent who heads the Global Luxury division for Coldwell Banker. She is considered one of the most successful real estate agents in the United States and has represented clients for homes that include Pickfair, the Owlwood Estate, Le Belvedere and Greenacres.