Landmark homes, luxe shopping, fine dining and worldly arts—all punctuated by the landmarked coral trees of San Vicente Boulevard that bloom in blazing color every spring—are all part of the snapshot of one of Los Angeles’s prettiest and most affluent neighborhoods. Here’s how to enjoy its unique and rarefied charms.
Your Guide to Everything Great in Brentwood
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Published Jan 13, 2020
Winston Pies
1. Savor the Intense Flavors at Winston Pies
The smell alone when you walk into this simple, sunny pie shop will stun you...and then you get the actual pies. It’s hard to choose which flavor to try first—fruity dark cherry? chocolate or caramel chess? hand-cut apple?—and there’s a size to suit your appetite, from whole pies to individual hand pies.
11678 San Vicente Blvd.; 310-207-5743 or winstonpies.com
2. Hit a Reading at Diesel Books
This independent bookseller has impeccable taste, which means it not only has that hard-to-find cult novel you’ve been meaning to pick up but also visits from some of today’s best authors reading their work. (Next up: Rachel Kushner discusses her Man Booker Prize shortlistednovel The Mars Room.) Brentwood Country Mart, 225 26th St., Santa Monica; 310-576-9960 or dieselbookstore.com
MHA Site Office
3. Tour a World-Class Mid-Century Home in Crestwood Hills
An enclave of single-family homes developed by an association of WWII veterans (who were also musicians) turned out to include iconic architecture by masters such as A. Quincy Jones and Richard Neutra. Many of the homes are now landmarked, and you can tour the first one built, with its unique concrete masonry and cantilevered steel beams jutting over a wooded canyon. 990 Hanley Ave.; 310-472-3373 or mhasiteoffice.org
4. Shop the Perfect Party Frock at Milk
Need something to wear on your romantic desert getaway? There’s a flowy dress from LoveShackFancy here for that. Need a sophisticated going-out top to wear to a downtown arts event? Pick up a silky top by IRO. What about a cozy sweater for lounging at home? You’ll love a cashmere-blend hoodie from Nanushka. All your SoCal style needs are at this well-edited West Side boutique. 11708 Barrington Ct.; 323-951-0330 or shopatmilk.com
Facebook/Getty Museum
5. Enjoy the Getty’s Inspiring Views
This museum’s Richard Meier–designed travertine buildings are a work of art themselves, perfectly situated on a hill over the 405, where on a clear day you can see all the way to the Pacific. Don’t miss the large, elaborate garden, which includes a maze of azaleas set into the center of a fountain. The actual paintings aren’t shabby, either: The permanent collection includes Van Gogh’s Irises and an extensive photography collection. 1200 Getty Center Dr.; 310-440-7300 or getty.edu
6. Have a Beauty Moment at Space NK
This luxe little cosmetics and skincare boutique is like a really fancy British apothecary: well-edited, pretty and waaaay calmer and more fun to visit than a huge mass-market retailer. Pick up hard-to-find cult products like By Terry Rose de Baume (the lips-to-cuticles smoothing secret) and one of those sophisticated gender-neutral scents from Byredo (a fragrance called Mojave Ghost is inspired by a Cali desert bloom). Brentwood Country Mart, 225 26th St., Santa Monica; 310-451-7284 or spacenk.com
Dana Dickey
7. Brighten Up Your Decor at Grace Home Furnishings
The second location of this furniture store is in Palm Springs, and the Hollywood Regency–inflected vibe of that popular getaway is all over this bright and colorful store that sells vintage and new upholstered pieces. Don’t overthink it—if that Sputnik chandelier is calling your name, it deserves to go home with you. 11632 Barrington Ct.; 310-476-7176 or gracehomefurnishings.com
8. Toast to Red Sauce Italian Food at Jon & Vinny’s
This hipster pizza joint by acclaimed local chefs is the hit of Hollywood in its Fairfax location; here in Brentwood, the satellite location is similarly popular with its little in-house selections from Helen’s Wines and bruschetta, ricotta ravioli and pizzas topped with everything from chorizo to salad. 11938 San Vicente Blvd.; 310-442-2733 or jonandvinnys.com
