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“Ask anyone in Laurel Canyon where the craziest people live and they’ll say Lookout Mountain. So I bought a house on Lookout Mountain.” — Joni Mitchell
The Laurel Canyon neighborhood in Los Angeles has been a high-end hideaway and a rockers’ mecca since the ’60s, according to an oral history in Vanity Fair.
The storied community is in the spotlight once more, because actress Alexia Landeau put her Lookout Mountain Avenue home on the market after owning it for just a year, according to Variety. It is listed for $ 2.9 million.
Landeau adds her name to the list of celebs who have lived in and loved this artist’s retreat.
“It’s a special house,” listing agent Mark Kitching says.
Built in 1923, the 3,600-square-foot bungalow nestled among the woods got its start as a hunter’s cabin.
In the 1960s, British actor David Niven made Laurel Canyon his home and playfully dubbed this place the “Rogue’s Retreat” after his short-lived TV show, “The Rogues.” (You may remember Niven as the jewel thief in the original “Pink Panther” movies.)
Described in the listing as a “magical Shangri-La,” the home might have been the inspiration for Jim Morrison‘s song “Love Street.” It also drew legendary performers, including Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, and Linda Ronstadt.
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And there are plenty of ways to find artistic inspiration in the Craftsman-style property. The renovations to the compound include the addition of a timber-frame writer’s shack and redwood deck, perched out back with glorious million-dollar views. “It’s so Laurel Canyon,” Kitching says.
The whole place is totally Laurel Canyon. The charming compound includes a separate guesthouse, a huge yard with room for a pool, and a patio with a wisteria trellis.
Inside, there’s a great room with a wood beam ceiling, wide-plank wood floors, and a brand-new kitchen with Carrara marble countertops.
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The master suite offers an original marble fireplace—and bragging rights. Actress Christina Applegate slept here. Well, probably. She owned the house in the 1990s. She also apparently rented it out to Counting Crows frontman Adam Duritz, who got creative in the bungalow. According to Kitching, the singer called it “my cool retreat,” where he composed songs.
The property is popular with stars, because it’s private. “You’re right on Lookout, but once you’re inside the gates, you’re very private. You don’t have any neighbors overlooking you,” Kitching says.
It’s quiet, but it’s not remote. The home is just five minutes from the Sunset Strip, according to the listing, and the Canyon Country Store is right down the street—a spot where Morrison reportedly liked to hang out.
“You’ve got your nature in the heart of Hollywood. It’s a place where you can find serenity and tranquility and a creative atmosphere amongst the trees and animals,” Kitching says.