By now, most of the Pico-Robertson/Beverlywood Jewish community is familiar with the idea that the community is expanding east to the neighborhoods of Faircrest Heights, south of Pico, and Carthay Circle, north of Olympic. But fewer people know how Carthay Circle got its name in the first place. After all, the neighborhood is not circular. It turns out that it was actually named for the Carthay Circle Theatre, opened in 1926, which did in fact have a circular auditorium, and was one of the most famous movie palaces of Hollywood’s Golden Age, hosting red carpet premiers and such legendary films as Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and Gone with the Wind. The theater was eventually demolished in 1969, but a replica lives on at Disney California Adventure, which also boasts the Carthay Circle Restaurant. So to eat in a restaurant named after their neighborhood, residents would need to head to Anaheim!
Named for an anglicized version of “McCarthy,” after developer J. Harvey McCarthy, Carthay Circle is a highly desirable neighborhood because of its convenient location adjacent to Beverly Hills and Beverlywood. Over the last few years, more Jewish families have moved to the neighborhood as synagogues such as Chabad SOLA (on La Cienega and Pickford) and The Beis Knesses at Faircrest Heights (at Crescent Heights and Pico), and smaller minyanim such as Bnai David Judea East Minyan have moved in to serve these pioneering Jewish families. But the original appeal of the neighborhood still remains – its thoughtful design. Each home had to be individually designed by an architect, leading to a wonderful variety of styles including Spanish, Colonial, English and Cape Cod. All utilities are underground, adding to the upscale appeal of the neighborhood. Carthay Circle’s southern boundary is Olympic Boulevard, but the adjacent neigborhoods of South Carthay and Carthay Square hold much of the same appeal for homebuyers. In fact, there is a new construction 5 bedroom, 6 bath home listed for $2,295,000 in Carthay Square, and several smaller homes have recently sold, both north and south of Olympic, for over $1.9M.
I have represented many buyers and sellers in Carthay over the last few years, and would be happy to talk to you about what your home is worth in today’s hot market or finding your dream home in this ideal neighborhood. Interest rates are low and so is inventory, making it a good time for both buyers and sellers to make a move. Please give me a call at 2130-280-9120 to discuss how I can help you achieve your real estate goals. I’m here to help!
By Naomi Selick
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