Tiny Bell Canyon Turns Into Celebrity Real Estate Hot Spot – The Hollywood Reporter

It’s hard to find, cell phone coverage is patchy, the risk of fire is high, and it is over the Ventura County Line. But Bell Canyon – the exclusive 1,700 hectare residential complex north of Calabasas (with one gate; one entry and exit) – is a magnet for celebrities, including Niecy Nash, Jhené Aiko, Alyssa Milano, Trey Songz, Holly Marie . belonged to Combs and Shaquille O’Neal.

That year, This Is Us star Chrissy Metz spent $ 3.5 million on a Bell Canyon mansion and emo rapper Lil Uzi Vert donated $ 4.4 million on a modern home (both residences were at Rodeo Realty listed). After moving to Texas, Joe Rogan sold one of two residences he owned there. Rogan’s modern five-bedroom Mediterranean home, listed on Compass, traded for $ 3.45 million at a premium last March: $ 250,000 above the asking price.

“It’s always been a celebrity destination for its safety, privacy, and serenity,” says Kevin Godley, real estate agent of Pinnacle Estate Properties. Last January, O’Neal sold his five-bedroom home on a cul-de-sac in Bell Canyon for $ 1.85 million.

Prices range from around $ 1.5 million to $ 6 million. Many are large and a relative bargain when compared to nearby condominiums like Hidden Hills. Call it an upscale, heavily patrolled Mayberry. The self-contained community with around 800 places of residence has everything the residents need: two schools, a five-hectare public park, an equestrian center, tennis courts and more than 110 kilometers of hiking trails as well as a close-knit, rural ambience.

“It’s a hidden treasure that allows you to leave the hustle and bustle and exposition behind,” says Marla Thomas, realtor at 8 Avenue, “a community that allows you to transform the chaos of Hollywood against the calm of breathtaking Exchange views and incomparable relaxation. This is a community that enables your anonymity and promotes your individuality, which is expressed in an individual home that shows your personal taste. “

This five-bedroom Mediterranean-style home on three acres in Bell Canyon is listed with Marla Thomas of Avenue 8 for $ 4.18 million.
Courtesy John D Russell / Courtesy 8 ave

Celebrities have long wanted a home on the range. During Hollywood’s Golden Age, legends like Barbara Stanwyck, Carole Lombard and Clark Gable built sprawling, secluded ranches in the dusty San Fernando Valley. With its hiking trails and panoramic views of the tan Santa Monica Mountains Park Reserve, Bell Canyon has the same feel – and the history that supports it.

Until 1967 it was the Ward Ranch, a cattle ranch that was once a Chumash community. That year developers bought the land and soon renamed it Bell Canyon after area pioneer Charles A. Bell. The 19th century lawyer and newspaper editor is said to have lost his arm in a shooting. Additionally, they paid homage to the canyon’s wild west past with the names of the new development roads such as Wild Stallion Road and Saddlebow Road.

Joe Rogan’s former Bell Canyon home was listed on the Erica Fields of Compass.
Dusan Simonovic, Estate Photos LA

Mid-century modernist architect Cliff May, an innovator of the now ubiquitous California Ranch House, designed the buildings and equestrian center of Bell Canyon. He encouraged the builders to lay out the land in such a way that the rural ranch environment was preserved in its most natural state. “They’ve kept the natural contours of the canyons and ridges and have stacked home sites,” says Godley. “In addition, they do not allow any steep walls, so that all the houses are separated from one another by sophisticated landscaping and hedges.”

Godley adds, “Because of the open architectural guidelines within the community, there is a great variety of homes, from the California modern ranch to stately English Tudors.”

This story first appeared in the December 1 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.