(It is told of how Al Jolson, the Warner Brothers star of the first “talkie”, “The Jazz Singer”, built the palatial Langham and originally named it The Stars. At a cost of $1.7 million, it was the most expensive residential building built in Los Angeles to that time.)

Today, the best of these buildings are being lovingly restored to their original glory. People of all walks of life can bask in the architecture and history of the ‘20s. (As a side note, the signs atop some of these buildings, such as The Piccadilly, are actually of such historic value that they are maintained by the City of Los Angeles!)

No two buildings are the same, and even many of the apartments in these buildings are unique.

Residents will tell you they value their apartments for the architecture, the history, and having a landlord who values the same things they do. They also enjoy the same glorious light that attracted and delighted filmmakers since the early days of film.

In a way, the buildings of the ‘20s quietly speak to you . . . of Charlie Chaplin, who they say rehearsed in a small theater off the lobby of The Havenhurst, where he was said to have lived . . . of the legend of Al Capone, who they say spent the summers hiding out at Serrano Towers . . . of Tom Mix and so many others, who are said to have enjoyed hard-working days in the movies and long nights making the stars’ circuit of the “Pantages Theater — Ambassador Hotel/Coconut Grove — and home again.”
Today, these are the heart and soul of Los Angeles buildings owned and being restored and cared for by SWEL Group Properties. The legend lives on!

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