Beverly Hills is just 5.69 square miles, but it is one of the country's most famous neighborhoods. Home to many famous movie stars, the community includes the infamous Sunset Boulevard, and many other famous streets. Rubbernecking tourists can drive by the homes of current residents as well as the sites where tabloid-reported murders took place, proving that tragedy also stalks the rich and famous.

What makes Beverly Hills such a desirable enclave is its ideal location between the beaches to the west and the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains to the north. Bordering the northwestern edge of Los Angeles and West Hollywood to the east, Beverly Hills is convenient to downtown Los Angeles, the L.A. Convention Center, Los Angeles International Airport, Century City, and is within an hour's drive of UCLA, Hollywood, Disneyland, Universal Studios Hollywood, and other attractions.

Boasting some of the most exclusive real estate in the nation, Beverly Hills has become the poster city for exclusive lifestyles and has been lampooned in numerous movies including Beverly Hills Cop, Down And Out In Beverly Hills, and Steve Martin's L.A. Story. But residents aren't afraid to flaunt their good fortune - a home in Beverly Hills is still one of the greatest ways to say you've arrived.

"Celebrated throughout the world as a destination offering the very best in hotels, shopping, dining, and service," says Realtor Laura Zajdman, "Beverly Hills remains the foremost address for luxury and exceptional living. Although its wide, tree-lined boulevards and legendary mansions have been popular backdrops in movies and on television, the real charm of Beverly Hills is subtler and more alluring. Beverly Hills exudes a welcoming style and easy attitude that transports residents and visitors alike. We invite you to discover it for yourself. Beverly Hills continues to be an unabashedly premium destination, a place for people who enjoy and appreciate not excess, but excellence."

According to Zajdman, Beverly Hills home sales in June were as follows:

• Average Price: $1,570,240
• Median Price: $1,020,000
• Average Days on Market: 77
• Number of Houses Sold: 22

Explains Realtor Vida Ash, "Despite the city's reputation for exclusive shopping, dining, approximately 90 percent of its zoning is for residential use. Sixty-two percent is for apartments and condominiums and 37 percent is for single-family homes."

Adds Realtor Sima Ash, "Home prices are rapidly appreciating and there are no signs of slowing down."

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Published: July 11, 2002

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