Hollywood

Harvey Wilcox, from Kansas, planned Hollywood as a real estate subdivision in 1887. The "Father of Hollywood," real estate tycoon H.J. Whitley went on to make Hollywood a posh and well-liked neighborhood. Whitley was in charge of installing telephone, electric, and gas lines in the brand-new suburb around the start of the 20th century. Hollywood citizens decided to merge with Los Angeles in 1910.

The Hollywood Walk of Fame honors numerous entertainment industry celebrities. The Hollywood sign, which stands watch over the neighborhood, is the district's most recognizable icon. Originally constructed in 1923 (a new sign was put up in 1978), the sign said "Hollywoodland" (to advertise new homes being developed in the neighborhood), but the "land" section was omitted in the 1940s when the sign was renovated.

It was mandated that the houses constructed in Hollywoodland be constructed in "French Normandy, Tudor English, Mediterranean, and Spanish styles." Since there were no constraints on the authenticity of these designs, many of them started to stray toward the realm of the storybook style. 

The original mansions of the area are Hollywoodland's main draw. They range from vine-laiden cottages resembling to Normandy palaces. They are both beautiful and part fantasy. These houses weren't built like modern tract homes; instead, they were planned by smart, artistic individuals who, it seems, sought to create a beautiful atmosphere.