Beach Community Boasts Scenic Beauty and Glamorous Past : Hollywood Riviera: Spectacular coastal and city views plus Mediterranean atmosphere make it attractive.

Hollywood Riviera. The name alone conjures up images of glamour and scenic beauty. And, in fact, the South Bay community of Hollywood Riviera does have a glamorous past and spectacular coastline and city views.

Nestled in the sloping foothills between Redondo Beach and the Palos Verdes Peninsula and extending from the coast inland for a mile, Hollywood Riviera is a community of about 10,000 residents and 3,500 homes.

Hollywood Riviera is part of the city of Torrance, but like many of Torrance’s communities, the Riviera (as most residents call it) has a distinct feel that sets it apart from neighboring communities.

Much of the architecture in the community is Mediterranean in style, especially the original homes, which were built in the late 1920s and early 1930s. As you wind your way through streets that have Spanish names such as Calle Miramar, Via Los Miradores and Via Monte d’Oro, you are struck by the quiet beauty, the lush greenery and the Mediterranean atmosphere.

Ask nearly any resident why they were attracted to Hollywood Riviera, and the answer will usually be immediate and emphatic--”the view.”

That was certainly the appeal for Dan Valentino, who bought his 2,400-square-foot home last May. With nearly floor-to-ceiling windows facing the ocean to the west and the city lights of Los Angeles to the north, the view is breathtaking.

“When I first saw the house, I didn’t see the possibilities it had,” said Valentino, who works for the Resolution Trust Corp. in Newport Beach. “I was very happy where I was. I lived in a . . . townhouse on the Esplanade in Redondo Beach, and I had no real intention of moving.”

His real estate agent persuaded him to take a second look at the house after its price dropped.

Valentino bought the three-bedroom, two-bath tri-level home for $530,000; he estimates that he has probably put another $60,000 into refurbishing the house. He did much of the work himself, but the biggest job, which involved switching the kitchen and dining room to take better advantage of the view, required outside help.

“The house needed a lot of work,” he said. “I had to re-landscape, paint, put in new carpet and make many other cosmetic changes.” He shows before and after pictures in a scrapbook, and the transformation from run-down ranch-style home to the stunning black and white Art Deco decor he chose is very dramatic.

Valentino loves living in the Riviera. “You are at the beach, in a quiet, country atmosphere,” he said. “But you still have easy access to wherever you need to go in L.A.”

The price of Valentino’s home is not out of line with others in the area. Hollywood Riviera is the priciest of Torrance’s neighborhoods, and recent sales figures indicate an average sales price of $410,813. A recent listings book shows homes ranging from $319,000 for a three-bedroom, two-bath home of about 1,000 square feet, to $1,100,000 for a four-bedroom, four-bath home of about 4,400 square feet, with a panoramic view.

Realtor Howard Kosters agrees that most people are attracted to the community by the view, but he also cites the quiet atmosphere and the Torrance school system.

“It’s like country living in the city,” he said. “We don’t have sidewalks or street lights.” An abundance of lush trees and natural foliage contributes to the natural beauty.

Mary-Gene Slaven, a partner in an investment management firm in Los Angeles, bought her Riviera home on Feb. 1 of this year. She had lived in the tree section of Manhattan Beach for 19 years. “I was ready for a change,” she said. “And with real estate prices being low, it made good economic sense to buy.”

She purchased her 2,320-square-foot home for $454,000. “One year ago it was listed for over $600,000, so I feel I got a good value,” Slaven said. The home has a panoramic view, which attracted her to the home and the area. “There is also less congestion in the Riviera than in Manhattan Beach, which is important to me.”

One of the Riviera’s most senior citizens, in both senses of the word, is Florence Miller, age 89, who has lived since 1934 in one of the original 1929 Spanish-style homes. A vivacious woman with a keen memory, Miller recalls clearly the early days of the Riviera.

“The city of Torrance was a manufacturing town and a major commercial center,” she said. “Everyone thought that the city of Redondo Beach would annex our development (Hollywood Riviera), but Torrance saw the commercial possibilities of having access to the ocean, and moved quickly to annex us.”

Miller and her husband, Henry, raised their children in the two-story Spanish home with panoramic city and ocean views from most rooms. Henry, who died eight years ago, was an engineer for the Southern California Gas Co. for 47 years, and Florence was active in the community and from 1953-1965 worked as the executive director of the Los Angeles Girl Scout Council.

On the lower floor of her home is a large living room, which has the original crossbeams and coat-of-arms frescoes on the ceiling. The large dining room has an elliptical ceiling molding and original hardwood floors. Other features unique to the late 1920s are arched doorways and an orchid-colored bathtub, sink, toilet and tile in the master bath.

The name “Hollywood Riviera” was chosen by developer Clifford Reid, who in 1927 began building homes on the land tucked into the coastline just north of Palos Verdes. The area’s scenic beauty reminded him of the European Riviera, but he felt that some Hollywood glamour was needed. Reid envisioned that his fledgling community would become a movie star playground.

However, no major thoroughfare linked Hollywood with the beach and the film industry did not flock to Hollywood Riviera. Nevertheless, early visitors to Reid’s home--the first built in the Riviera and still magnificent--included Clark Gable, Gary Cooper, Clara Bow, Marion Davies, and John and Ethel Barrymore.

The Great Depression of the early 1930s halted most building in the community.

A major part of the community’s history is the Hollywood Riviera Beach Club, which opened in 1931, and sat on the cliff just south of Redondo Beach. Homeowners were automatically members, and could swim and host events there.

Florence Miller recalls that the beach club was built so that it straddled the two cities of Torrance and Redondo Beach. “Because the two cities had different licensing laws on alcohol consumption, after-hours patrons of the clubhouse moved from one side of the room to the other to continue drinking legally,” she said. The clubhouse burned to the ground in 1958, and the site is now a county park.

Many residents will tell you they would never live anywhere else. “Even if I won the lottery tomorrow . . . I would choose to stay in Hollywood Riviera,” said Maggie Love, who has lived there for 12 years with her husband, Russell, and their two children.

It’s easy to see why. From even the kitchen window you see ocean and sky forever, and the coastline and city view as well.

The Loves moved from Westchester. Russell Love, a periodontist with offices in San Pedro, wanted an easy commute to work; Maggie works part time for the State of California, and commutes to downtown Los Angeles. Both wanted to be near the beach.

They bought a 1950s house in 1980 for $166,000, and estimate that they have spent $100,000 on remodeling. Their house now has three bedrooms, three baths in 2,100 square feet. They also have a nice back yard, a big selling point.

“There are very few places in Los Angeles where you can have a regular, suburban-type house with a yard, and be at the beach,” remarks Russell Love. “At night it is very quiet here. You can hear the ocean, and we have heard owls before. We have seen peacocks, opossums and skunks.”

Added Maggie Love: “Living here is a great way to be near the beach, and be able to enjoy the beach without all the problems associated with being right at the beach.”

At a Glance Population

1991 estimate: 11,254

1980-91 change: +2.8%

Median age: 40.5 years

Annual income

Per capita: 26,636

Median household: 56,220

Household distribution

Less than $25,000: 18.1%

$25,000 - $50,000: 25.6%

$50,000 - $75,000: 25.6%

$75,000 - $150,000: 26.8%

$150,000 + 3.9%