More than 100 years ago, where sprawling mansions and towering shade trees now stand between Wilshire Boulevard and Melrose Avenue, there was a massive field of oil derricks owned by the Hancock family, which also mined the famous tar pits to the west for asphalt to pave the streets of San Francisco.
Once the oil ran out, the scion of the family, G. Allan Hancock, made another killing on his family’s land by subdividing it and selling lots in what became a neighborhood of stately homes.
Architects including Wallace Neff and Lloyd Wright built in a variety of styles while preserving the essential character of the neighborhood — an upscale charm that survives to this day. Every popular style of the 1920s can be found in Hancock Park, which makes it one of those magical L.A. places where movies that are set around the world can be filmed, all without leaving the 30-mile zone.
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