Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Rich and powerful


Just a few blocks up Doheny Road off the famed Sunset Strip sits Greystone Mansion, the seat of power for decades in Los Angeles and the site of a 30s murder-suicide linked to the Teapot Dome scandal. It was built by an LA oil baron who was among the wealthiest and most powerful Americans of his day.
We got into the mood for some LA noir last night watching the durable "Sunset Boulevard," which mentions many of the addresses in the Los Feliz neighborhood where we're spending this week with an old friend.
Today we drove past some of those places, then down Sunset Boulevard to see this fabulous garden and mansion now owned by the city of Beverly Hills.
Commanding a sweeping view across the entire city and on to the ocean, the real estate overlooks Hollywood Boulevard where tourists scrum in search of glamor and the essence of this town. Few seem to make it this far; it's a pity.
Looking south toward downtown LA skyline. To see entire album of photos we took today, click here.