Sharp House, Sweet 'Hood - Page 2

Cheviot Hills, looming over the nearby Fox and Sony studio lots, has long been a low-key favorite for show biz types who eschew the more glamorous Hollywood Hills or Beverly Hills. It's also a popular shooting location for the studios, including the exterior of the Dunphy home in this century's most celebrated sitcom, 'Modern Family.'

Many of the area's homes from the mid-century, and dating back to the community's 1920s birth, have fallen victim to the years, reinforcing the realtor's protectiveness of this house.

"A lot of homes here, like Northern California, get torn down," he said reproachfully. Noting the enormous value of land near the employment center that is Century City, Bonk added, "That's why these homes don't make it."

Bonk conceded that his partner, Posin, being a second-generation Cheviot Hills native, also feeds their pride in the region where they most often work.

"It's just a sweet, little neighborhood," the realtor said sentimentally. Labeling its vibe a vanishing breed, he added, "This is actually one of the few 'neighborhoods' left."

"Nobody put fences in front of their house," he observed of the neighborhood culture in Cheviot Hills, as opposed to its ritzier westside neighbor. "We're near Beverly Hills, where everybody lives behind gates and nobody knows their neighbors!"

The community also has a decent MCM housing legacy with local constructions by Raphael Soriano, A. Quincy Jones, Craig Ellwood, Wallace Neff, and others. Other neighborhood assets include several parks; a recreation and community center; and the Rancho Park Golf Course, the former Professional Golf Association tour site where Jack Nicklaus earned his first paycheck.

Furthermore, some streets in Cheviot Hills have been known to host block parties, and the neighborhood has been ranked on occasion as one of the city's best for trick-or-treating. It's an old-fashioned neighborhood, plain and simple, and as Bonk says of this listing, "We're still trying to maintain that."

For more information about 3363 Barbydell Drive, click here.