Montecito Apartments, Art Deco skyscraper in Hollywood, Los Angeles, United States.
The Montecito Apartments is a 1935 Art Deco apartment building at 6650-6668 West Franklin Avenue and 1855 North Cherokee in Hollywood, designed by Marcus P. Miller with Mayan-influenced detailing and windows set in vertical bands. It stands on a hill above the city and originally held 95 units, later reworked into 180, with a swimming pool, two subterranean garages and a parking lot.
Marcus P. Miller designed the Montecito, built in 1935 for $1 million. It sold for $600,000 in 1946 and changed hands again in 1954, when Isadore and Libby Teacher sold it to Howard Fox and Harry Wyatt. After a 1984 rehabilitation it became 180 apartments for low-income seniors, a project the Los Angeles Conservancy recognized in 1988. Bank of America foreclosed in 1995.
The building's name and Mayan-influenced Art Deco detailing date from its 1935 opening as a 95-unit residence for film workers; residents included James Cagney, Montgomery Clift and, from June 1937 to late 1938, Ronald Reagan, reportedly sharing with Mickey Rooney. A 1984 rehabilitation turned it into 180 apartments for low-income seniors, a project the Los Angeles Conservancy recognized in 1988.
The Montecito stands at 6650-6668 West Franklin Avenue, at the corner of North Cherokee Avenue, on a hill above Hollywood. Visitors arrive by car or on foot; the property itself holds a parking lot and two subterranean garages, but these serve residents of the 180 low-income senior units, so the building is seen from the street rather than toured inside.
The Montecito was the subject of a two-part TV Guide profile by Richard Gehman, who wrote about its many resident character actors. Ronald Reagan lived there from June 1937 to late 1938 and was reportedly roommates with Mickey Rooney.
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