Beverly Hills, CA

Beverly Hills is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 34,098 at the 2010 census. Beverly Hills was founded in 1909 by Dr. A. W. Ross and is known for its luxury real estate and affluent residents. The city has been home to many Hollywood celebrities and business moguls, including Ronald Reagan, Howard Hughes, Walt Disney, Jerry Lewis and Michael Jackson. Beverly Hills was ranked as the most expensive city in the United States by Forbes in 2013 and 2017.

The first land to be purchased in Beverly Hills was on March 12th of 1909 from Dr. A.W Ross for $40,000 ($ today). The area that would become Beverly Hills consisted of 6 small parcels of land totaling .

In 1910, Dr Ross hired an architect by the name of Clarence Loomis to design the original layout for what would become known as "The Row". This row consisted of six properties: 3 lots on Wilshire Boulevard between Rodeo Drive and Santa Monica Boulevard; 2 lots on Rodeo Drive between Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue; and 1 lot on North Crescent Drive (now La Cienega Boulevard).

On October 18th 1912, the City of Beverly Hills was incorporated with a population of just over 500 people (the current population is over 34 thousand!). The first mayor of Beverly Hills was Frank Epperson who served until 1914 when he became Governor-General of Mexico City (he later returned to serve as Mayor from 1925-1929).

In 1916, developer Harry Chandler put up his famous sign proclaiming "Beverly HIlls - The Most Beautiful Place On Earth." This proclamation helped drive tourism into what would eventually become one of the most prestigious neighborhoods in Los Angeles County - Beverly Hills!

In 1923 development began on what is now called "The Plaza" which consisted of 7 properties: 4 lots on Wilshire Boulevard between Rodeo Drive and Santa Monica Boulevard; 2 lots on Rodeo Drive between Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue; 1 lot at North Crescent Drive (now La Cienega Boulevard) ;and 1 lot at South Crescent Road & Highland Avenue (now San Vicente Blvd.).

It wasn't until 1925 that all development along "The Row" had been completed with only a few exceptions such as Mr Harry Chandler's own property at 902 S Santa Monica Blvd which remained undeveloped until 1952! In 1927 construction began on what is now called "The Bel Air Hotel" which would eventually be renamed "The Bel Air Estate" after it became home to entertainers such as Judy Garland, Clark Gable & Marilyn Monroe among others! In 1931 construction began on what is now called " Rancho Mirage" which would eventually be owned by Howard Hughes & serve as his primary residence until his death in 1976!

As you can see - there has been a tremendous amount of growth & change over the past 99 years since Beverly Hills first came into existence!