3018 Paulcrest Drive

3018 Paulcrest Drive: Holding court above scenic Mulholland Drive

Tucked away on a secluded bluff with unencumbered views of the San Fernando Valley, this private mid-century 4 bedroom, 3 bath home sits just above Mulholland Drive—one of the most famous highways in the country.

3018 Paulcrest Drive, built in 1961, is 3,730 sq. ft. home situated on a flag lot almost an acre in size and accessible only by a long hidden driveway. Sheltered by old trees and lush foliage, the home offers unparalleled privacy—something valued by the celebs in the neighborhood of which there are many. (Shhh. Rumor has it Ann-Margret lived in this very house in the heyday of the 60s.)

Lying in the Mulholland Corridor, 3018 Paulcrest is also a part of local L.A. history.

Constructed in 1924, the twenty-four mile Mulholland Drive is the eastern section of the longer fifty-five mile Mulholland Scenic Parkway, the winding road that starts in Hollywood’s Cahuenga Pass and reaches all the way to the Pacific Ocean.

Mulholland Drive between Cahuenga Pass and Sepulveda Pass

Winding along the top of the mountains the road divides Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley and offers spectacular views of both.

 

Mulholland Drive view of Hollywood

Mulholland Drive view of Burbank in the San Fernando Valley

The brainchild of William D. Mulholland, L.A. water chief, the highway was created to link the city with rural areas and provide a more accessible route for conveying water. It would also allow access to land along the San Fernando Valley, Hollywood, and Beverly Hills slopes and aid in the development of the hills.

Mulholland Highway in Dec. 18, 1924 Courtesy Los Angeles Times

 

                                          

Courtesy L.A. City Planning Commission

                

Designed by construction engineer, DeWitt Raeburn, the glorious winding road with hairpin turns and dead man curves soon became a favorite spot of racing enthusiasts.

Carl’s Curve Mulholland Drive Courtesy Rick Corrales / Los Angeles Times

 

John Carradine and Gary Cooper were among the first Hollywood movie stars to race their Duesenbergs up there and by the 1950s, Mulholland was hopping. Anyone with a sports car met up there for rallies. Tickets were even sold. James Dean honed his driving chops and Steve McQueen, in his Jaguar XKSS, tore up that road.

Gary Cooper in his 1930 Duesenberg

James Dean racing on Mulholland Drive

Actor Steve McQueen in mid-flight

And for those who didn’t like to drive fast, the secluded highway offered other forms of recreation. It still does today.

3018 Paulcrest Drive holds court over Mulholland Drive; the glittering lights of the San Fernando Valley, and the nearby Briar Summit Open Space Preserve with its wildlife and gentle hiking trails.

A tropical paradise leads you into the home.

High ceilings and post and beam construction give the living room a lofty feel. And skylights and marble floors bounce light throughout the room.

Outside large picture windows the Valley stretches out.

Step up into the dining room and enjoy a meal with a view of the Zen garden outside.

The post and beam ceiling in the kitchen also has large skylights. Silk umbrellas not unlike those used to diffuse light on Hollywood movie sets create soft light.

The spacious, light filled master bedroom has hardwood floors. Outside a wall of windows, the Valley reaches the horizon.

Mirrored walls in the master bath make the room seem larger. Natural light flows in through the awning windows. A marble step up and you’re in a sunken bath.

A second light-filled bedroom has blond wood floors and custom-designed furniture.

And the bedroom off the pool has morphed into an office space with walls of glass.

Mature palm trees and a tropical garden surrounds the large swimming pool. Water cascades down a blue stone fountain and into the tile-rimmed pool.

 

 

 

Around the side of the home, a rock garden with mature trees and shade plants creates a peaceful enclave.

Stepping-stones lead to a curved den with windowed walls, wood floors, stone fireplace and the requisite views of hills and sky.

3018 Paulcrest is an enclave within an enclave and one of the best keep secrets of the Mulholland Corridor. The neighbors would appreciate it if we kept it to ourselves.