Hancock Park is one of the more sophisticated enclaves of homes in the city. Developed in the 1920′s, it is known for its palatial & detailed revival period homes (Tudor, Mediterranean, American, English and Spanish Colonial – amongst others). Howard Hughes, Nat King Cole and Mae West were a few of the luminaries that have chosen to call the neighborhood home over the years. More recently, Manny Pacquiao, Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith, David Schimmwer, Sean Hayes, Milla Jovovich as well as the British Consuls-General have resided there.
Famous architects such as John Austin, Paul Williams, and Wallace Neff have contributed to the appearance of the neighborhood and because it’s a historically designated area (HPOZ – Historical Preservation Overlay Zone), it will insure that the splender of the neighborhood survives over the years to come. The homes are typically 2 story, all set back 50 feet from the street (per the mandate of developer Allen Hancock in the 1920′s) and have side driveways through porte cochere to rear garages. In Hancock Park the telephone lines are buried underground – which means there are no powerlines traipsing through back yards (a cherished rarity in Los Angeles). Driving through Hancock Park is one of the more meditative and calming experiences in the city. Homes in the area typically range from the 1.5-10 million, with the bulk of the substantial estates being in the 2-4 million dollar range.
Hancock Park Demographics
Being a truly exclusive and affluent neighborhood Hancock Park homeowners are highly educated and older-aged. The area has little more than 10,000 residents that occupy its 1.52 square miles of space. Predictably, the population density of the area is among the lowest in the city of Los Angeles, with roughly 6,500 residents per square mile. According to census statistics, the median household income for the area is a little better than $85,000, but the percentage of households that make north of six-figure salaries is also prevalent, and extremely high for the county.
The ethnicities in Hancock Park are not terribly diverse. About 70% of the regions inhabitants are White, with the next largest ethnic group being Asian residents, who make a little more than 10% of the total population. Blacks & Latinos round out the list, but combined they barely account for 10% of residents themselves, a rarity for a city as diverse as Los Angeles.
According to statistics from the LA Times Neighborhood Project, the median age in Hancock Park is 37 years of age, but the percentage of residents that are older than that is substantial, with many residents being 65 and older. These types of statistics are not surprising when you consider the costs associated with owning a home in this exclusive neighborhood.
Crime in Hancock Park
Hancock Park is well protected and a glance at crime reports reveals car burglaries as the greatest threat to drivers and denizens. A shortage of bars and late night restaurants directs most of the riff-raff North to Hollywood.
Schools in Hancock Park
According to the LA Times Hancock Park is one of the brainiest parts of town, with a relatively high concentration of Master’s and Bachelor’s degree holders. The Third Street Elementary School has for several consecutive years received a 10/10 rating on California’s Academic Performance Index, providing a great public path to becoming one of the neighborhood intellectuals. John Burroughs Middle School is the public destination for Third Street graduates and offers robust options, from STEM to sports. By way of private options is Marlborough High School, a highly respected all-girls preparatory school, in addition to a few private Jewish elementary schools.
Parks, Libraries, and Amenities
The Mid-Wilshire library is set within the smallish bounds of Hancock Park and features a beautiful stained glass World War 1 memorial. The Wilshire Country Club – constructed in the early 20th century – is great for some mid-city links, provided you are or know a member. Families can be regularly seen walking or cycling through the wide roads; various architectural styles makes for captivating local tours. Popular destinations for these tours include the La Brea Tar Pits – a national natural landmark and the former site of Alfred Hancock’s residence.
The museum engages visitors with interactive exhibits, including tar churning and an enormous replica tar pit. Around the corner you’ll find the Peterson Automotive Museum – one of the nation’s only auto museums. The Peterson also stores rarer, privately-owned cars which occasionally come up for display, making The Peterson’s one of the largest collections in the world. Hancock Park is also home to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), a world class museum with over 100,000 pieces and saviour of LA Calendar sections.
Restaurants
Hancock Park is home to the best sandwich in Los Angeles, served daily until 3pm on fresh baked bread at Larchmont Wine & Cheese. The storefront is right in the middle of Larchmont Village, a walkable quarter-mile long stretch of Larchmont Boulevard with boutique restaurants and stores. If you’d rather pick up than picnic you can head to Pizzeria Mozza on Highland, purveyors of traditional wood fired pizza. The formal counterpart to the Pizzeria is Osteria Mozza, LA resident Nancy Silverton’s Michelin-starred Italian eatery.
Ms. Silverton also founded the nearby La Brea Bakery, one of the oldest bakeries in the city. Following the neighborhood’s upscale trend the owners at Tinga on Melrose have a diverse and imaginative menu based on traditional Mexican stews.
