The Hillview
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The Hillview is a historical building, located on Hollywood Boulevard, that is considered Hollywood's first "artist's" high-rise. It was founded in 1917 by movie moguls, Jesse L. Lasky, co-founder of Paramount Pictures and his brother-in-law Samuel Goldwyn, co-founder of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, better known as MGM. It was one of Hollywood's only apartment buildings at the time willing to rent to aspiring actors, as they were considered a financial risk by most apartment building owners. In fact, it catered specifically to actors. It quickly became a Hollywood hot spot. The vast basement housed a rehearsal space until Rudolph Valentino reputedly converted it to a speakeasy. Former big-screen residents include, Mae Busch, Stan Laurel and Viola Dana. Charlie Chaplin was once a proprietor of the Hillview. The Hillview eventually slipped into obscurity and went into ruin, suffering structural damage during the 1994 Northridge earthquake.
However, The Hillview has since been restored and completely redone. It is now home to luxury apartments with a long list of amenities, including an on-site fitness center (equipped with a gym and a dance studio), an in-house 24-hour gourmet bistro, a restaurant, a lounge and a jazz bar (located in the once-famous basement).
