Бел-Эйр: Роскошный район Лос-Анджелеса

Neighborhood of Los Angeles, California

Bel Air (or Bel Air) is a residential neighborhood on the Los Angeles Westside, in the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains in the U. S. state of California. Founded in 1923, it is the home of the Hannah Carter Japanese Garden and the American Jewish University. Together with Beverly Hills and Holmby Hills, Bel Air forms the Platinum Triangle of Los Angeles neighborhoods. Along with Beverly Hills and the Los Angeles community of Brentwood, Bel Air is also part of a high priced area on the Westside known as the "three Bs."

The community was founded in 1923 by Alphonzo Bell. Bell owned farm property in Santa Fe Springs, California, where oil was discovered. He bought a large ranch with a home on what is now Bel Air Road. He subdivided and developed the property with large residential lots, with work on the master plan led by the landscape architect Mark Daniels. He also built the Bel Air Bay Club in Pacific Palisades and the Bel Air Country Club. His wife chose Italian names for the streets. She also founded the Bel Air Garden Club in 1931.

On November 6, 1961, a fire ignited and devastated the community of Bel Air, destroying 484 homes in the area. On December 6, 2017, a fire started by a homeless encampment burned in the same area, destroying six homes.

Bel Air is situated about 12 mile (19 km) west of Downtown Los Angeles, set entirely within the Santa Monica Mountains. It lies across Sunset Boulevard from the northern edge of the main campus of the University of California, Los Angeles. At the heart of the community sits the Bel Air Country Club and the Hotel Bel Air.

This region experiences warm and dry summers. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Bel Air has a warm summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.

The 2000 U. S. census counted 7,691 residents in the 6.37 square miles (16 km2) Bel Air neighborhood; with it has among the lowest population densities for the city and the county. In 2008, the city estimated that the population had increased to 8,253. In 2000, the median age for residents was 46, which was high for city and county neighborhoods. The percentages of residents aged 50 and older was among the county's highest. The median yearly household income in 2008 was $207,938, the highest figure for any neighborhood or city in Los Angeles County. Renters occupied 14.5% of the housing stock, and house or apartment owners held 85.5%. The average household size of 2.4 people was considered typical for Los Angeles. The neighborhood was considered "not especially diverse" ethnically within Los Angeles, with a relatively high percentage of white people. The breakdown was whites, 83.0%; Asians, 8.2%; Latinos, 4.6%; African Americans, 0.9%; and others, 3.2%. Iran (26.1%) and South Africa (8.2%) were the most common places of birth for the 24.1% of the residents who were born abroad—which was an average percentage for Los Angeles as a whole.

The Hannah Carter Japanese Garden is located in Bel Air. It was inspired by the gardens of Kyoto. Many structures in the garden—the main gate, garden house, bridges, and shrine—were built in Japan and reassembled on site. Antique stone carvings, water basins and lanterns, as well as the five tiered pagoda, and key symbolic rocks are also from Japan.

The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services SPA 5 West Area Health Office serves Bel Air. It lies within the 5th city council district, represented by Katy Young Yaroslavsky. It is located in the 90077 (Bel Air Estates & Beverly Glen) ZIP code, which is part of the city of Los Angeles. Stone Canyon Reservoir lies in the northeastern part of Bel Air. Established in 1994, it serves around 500,000 people. The Bel Air Association has been operational since 1942, dedicated to preserving the aesthetic appearance of the residential community. The Bel Air Association is located at the entrance of the East Gate of Bel Air at 100 Bel Air Road.

Los Angeles Fire Department Station 71 is in the area.

The Los Angeles Police Department operates the West Los Angeles Community Police Station at 1663 Butler Avenue, 90025, serving the neighborhood.

Almost two thirds (66.1%) of Bel Air residents aged 25 and older had earned a four year degree by 2000, a high percentage for the city and the county. The percentages of residents in that age range with a bachelor's degree or greater were high for the county. As of 2009, Steve Zimmer represented the district.

Bel Air is home to the American Jewish University. Additionally, Bel Air borders the University of California, Los Angeles on the south.

Television shows and films have been filmed in Bel Air, or are said to take place in the community. Exterior shots for the Beverly Hillbillies were shot in and around 750 Bel Air Road, built by Lynn Atkinson (and later sold to hotelier Arnold Kirkeby after Atkinson's wife refused to move into a house she thought too ostentatious). Several scenes in the film "Get Hard" (2015) were set in Bel Air. Exterior scenes from films such as Get Shorty (1995) have also been filmed in the area. Several episodes of the television show The Rockford Files were filmed in Bel Air. The television sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, starring actor and rapper Will Smith, was set in the neighborhood, although the exterior shots used were filmed in nearby Brentwood. The Bel Air house featured in the film Strangers When We Meet (1960) was built and completed during filming, and still stands today as a private residence. The Bel Air Film Festival, first held in 2008, is an annual international film festival held in Bel Air and the Los Angeles area. Bel Air is also represented in music, such as in the song "Bel Air" by Lana Del Rey. The Chevrolet Bel Air was a full size car produced by Chevrolet for the 1950–1975 model years.