You’ve probably heard of Rodeo Drive or maybe the Bird Streets, but if you’re actually looking for where the "old-old" money hides in Los Angeles, you head to Holmby Hills. Specifically, you go to South Mapleton Drive. This isn't just a street. It’s a gated-without-gates stretch of asphalt that basically dictates the ceiling of the entire U.S. residential real estate market.
South Mapleton Drive Los Angeles is where the architecture is so massive it looks like a museum, and the hedges are so high you’d think the residents were hiding state secrets. They kind of are. For decades, this single winding road has been the backdrop for the most aggressive real estate plays in history. It’s the street of the Playboy Mansion, the Spelling Manor, and houses that sell for $100 million like they’re starter homes.
The Geography of Pure Wealth
What makes South Mapleton Drive different from, say, a high-end street in Bel Air? It’s the lots. Most "luxury" streets in LA are carved into hillsides. You get a view, sure, but you also get a vertical backyard where your dog might fall off a cliff.
Mapleton is flat.
That matters more than you think. When you have five acres of flat land in the middle of the Platinum Triangle—the area comprising Beverly Hills, Bel Air, and Holmby Hills—you have the rarest commodity in Southern California. We are talking about parcels that allow for championship-sized tennis courts, Olympic pools, and guest houses that are larger than most suburban mansions. It’s why names like Google’s Eric Schmidt and various international royalty keep buying here. They aren't just buying a house; they’re buying a private park.
The Manor at 594 South Mapleton
You can't talk about this street without talking about "The Manor." Originally built by TV producer Aaron Spelling in the late 1980s, it’s a 56,500-square-foot French chateau-style monstrosity. At one point, it was the largest house in Los Angeles County.
People used to mock it. They called it "Candyland" after Candy Spelling. It had a room specifically for wrapping gifts. It had a doll museum. It had a bowling alley. But here’s the thing: the Spellings understood the value of the dirt. When British heiress Petra Ecclestone bought it in 2011 for $85 million in cash, the world gasped. Then she sold it in 2019 for roughly $120 million.
Suddenly, the joke wasn't funny anymore. It was a blueprint.
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Why the Playboy Mansion is Actually at 10236 Charing Cross (But it's Mapleton’s Neighbor)
There is a common misconception that the Playboy Mansion is the crown jewel of Mapleton. Technically, it sits on the corner where Charing Cross Road meets Mapleton. But the vibe of that estate defines the northern end of the street.
When Daren Metropoulos bought the Playboy Mansion for $100 million in 2016, he didn't do it because he wanted to live in a house that smelled like the 1970s. He did it because he already owned the house next door on Mapleton. By connecting the two, he essentially created one of the most significant private compounds in the Western world.
That’s the "Mapleton Move." You don't just buy a house. You wait a decade for your neighbor to die or go bankrupt, you buy their house, and you create a sovereign nation with a 90024 zip code.
The Architecture: From Neoclassical to Brutalist Modern
If you drive down the street today—which you can, it’s a public road, though the security SUVs will follow you with their eyes—you’ll see a jarring mix of styles.
- The Classics: You have the Georgian and Regency-style builds from the 1930s. These were designed by guys like Paul Williams, the legendary architect who built for Frank Sinatra and Lucille Ball. These homes have "soul." They have mahogany libraries and servant staircases.
- The White Boxes: Over the last ten years, "spec developers" have moved in. They tear down a $30 million classic to build a $150 million glass box.
- The Il Palazzotto: Look at 10671 Charing Cross (just off Mapleton). It’s a Mediterranean fortress.
The shift is controversial. Most long-time residents hate the "modern museum" look. They think it’s tacky. But when these houses sell for $3,000 to $5,000 per square foot, money usually wins the argument.
The "Quiet" Side of the Street
While the Spelling Manor gets all the headlines, the southern end of the street near Wilshire Boulevard is actually where some of the most interesting stuff happens. This is where you find the more "modest" $20 million estates.
Honestly, calling a $20 million home "modest" feels gross, but in the context of South Mapleton Drive Los Angeles, it’s the truth. This area is more heavily wooded. It feels like a forest. You’ll see joggers who look like they own a mid-sized tech company, wearing $400 sweatpants and looking stressed.
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The Reality of Living Here (It's Not All Parties)
Living on Mapleton isn't like an episode of Selling Sunset. It’s actually pretty quiet. Boring, even.
Because the lots are so deep, you don't hear your neighbors. You don't see them. You interact with their security guards or their estate managers. If you run out of milk, you aren't walking to a 7-Eleven. You’re sending a staff member to the Gelson’s on Century Park East.
There is also the "Hedge War" factor. The city of Los Angeles has strict rules about how high your front hedges can be. On Mapleton, everyone ignores them. They pay the fines. They’d rather pay the city a few thousand bucks a month than let a tourist on a "Starline Tours" bus see their front door.
The Economics of a $100 Million Listing
How do you even price a house on South Mapleton? You can’t use "comps" (comparable sales) the way a normal Realtor does. If a house on the next street over sells for $40 million, it doesn't mean a Mapleton house is worth $40 million.
It’s about the "Prestige Tax."
- History: Did someone famous live there? (Interscope’s Jimmy Iovine, for example, has a massive presence here).
- Privacy: Can a drone see into the master bedroom? If the answer is yes, the price drops by $10 million instantly.
- The "Turnkey" Factor: Today’s ultra-wealthy buyers don't want to renovate. They don't have the time. They want to bring a toothbrush and a suitcase of cash.
This is why we see "pocket listings." Many of the homes on South Mapleton Drive Los Angeles are never on Zillow. They are sold in dark rooms between lawyers and business managers. By the time you hear a house was sold, the new owner has already been living there for six months.
Misconceptions About the Area
A lot of people think Mapleton is in Beverly Hills. It’s not. It’s Holmby Hills, which is part of the City of Los Angeles.
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Why does that matter? Taxes and services. Beverly Hills has its own police force that arrives in three minutes. Holmby Hills relies on LAPD. To compensate, the residents on Mapleton pay for high-end private security patrols (like ACS or Bel Air Internet/Security). You’ll see their cars every 500 feet. They aren't cops, but they have a lot of authority.
Another myth: It’s all celebrities.
Actually, it’s mostly "boring" wealth. It’s private equity titans, heirs to industrial fortunes, and foreign investors looking to "park" their money in US real estate. Celebrities usually can't afford Mapleton anymore. Even an A-list movie star making $20 million a movie would struggle to maintain the $100,000+ monthly carrying costs of these estates.
The Future of Mapleton Drive
Is the bubble going to burst? Probably not.
In a world where inflation eats cash, "trophy real estate" is seen as a safe haven. There are only so many streets in the world with this specific pedigree. You can build a new mansion in Vegas or Florida, but you can’t build another Holmby Hills. The land is finite.
We are seeing a trend toward "wellness" builds. The newer homes being planned for the street include medical-grade air filtration, red-light therapy rooms, and massive underground bunkers. It’s a bit paranoid, sure. But if you’re spending $150 million on a house, you’re probably a little paranoid too.
What You Should Do If You're Exploring
If you’re a real estate nerd or just a curious local, Mapleton is a great Sunday drive. Just don't be weird.
- Don't park and walk around. Security will ask what you’re doing within five minutes.
- Do look at the gates. Some of the ironwork is genuinely historic.
- Check out the Holmby Park nearby. It’s right at the end of the Mapleton area. It’s where the locals actually go to walk their dogs (the ones who don't have private dog runs). It’s one of the few places where the "Mapleton vibe" meets the real world.
Ultimately, South Mapleton Drive is a monument to American ambition—or excess, depending on how you look at it. It’s a place where the houses are legends and the owners are ghosts.
Actionable Insights for Real Estate Enthusiasts
- Study the "Lot-to-Building" Ratio: If you’re looking at luxury real estate, notice how Mapleton properties prioritize land over house size. That is where the long-term value lies.
- Follow Zoning Laws: If you’re an investor, keep an eye on Holmby Hills' "Hillsides" ordinances. LA is getting stricter about "mansionization," which makes existing massive estates on Mapleton even more valuable because they are "grandfathered" in.
- Watch the "Shadow Inventory": If you want to know the real health of the LA luxury market, don't look at the MLS. Look at the news reports of off-market transfers in the 90024 and 90210 zip codes. Mapleton is the lead indicator for the rest of the country.