The Hillview

Historic building in Hollywood, California, U.S.

United States historic place


Hillview Apartments
U.S. Historic district Contributing property

34°06′07″N 118°19′55″W / 34.102°N 118.332°W / 34.102; -118.332
Built	1919
Architect	Tifal
Architectural style	Mediterranean
Part of	Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District (ID85000704)
Designated CP	April 4, 1985

The Hudson Apartments, formerly the Hillview Apartments or Historic Hillview Hollywood, also known as The Hillview, is a historical building located at 6533 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood Boulevard, on the corner of Hollywood Blvd and Wilcox Ave. Considered Hollywood's first artist's high-rise, it was founded in 1917 by movie moguls Jesse L. Lasky, co-founder of Paramount Pictures, and his brother-in-law Samuel Goldwyn, co-founder of MGM.

At the time of its opening, The Hillview was one of Hollywood's only apartment buildings willing to rent to aspiring actors, as they were considered a financial risk by most owners. In fact, this building catered specifically to actors, and quickly became a Hollywood hot spot. The basement housed a rehearsal space until Rudolph Valentino reputedly converted it to a speakeasy, Charlie Chaplin was once a proprietor of the building, Clara Bow found her first home at the Hillview in 1923, and additional big-screen residents included Mae Busch, Stan Laurel, and Viola Dana,^[1]

The Hillview eventually slipped into obscurity and went into ruin.^[2] The building was occupied by tenants until it suffered structural damage during the 1994 Northridge earthquake and later, the construction of the subway tunnel. A fire occurred in early 2002, and was refurbished. The building was restored and completely redone in 2005-2006 with new kitchens, marble counter tops, washer dryers in each unit and refurbished elevators.^[3]^[4]

In October 2009 the corporation that owns the Hollywood Hillview Apartments filed for bankruptcy, and the historic Hollywood Hillview was forced into foreclosure. The basement lounge club, the restaurant, and the gym have been closed since January 2009. The name was also changed to The Hudson Apartments.

In July 2010 Hollywood real estate investment group CIM purchased the building out of foreclosure for $13,000,000. ^{[citation needed]}

In October 2021, Adolfo Suaya sold The Hillview for $19.2 million, as a 53-unit dwelling, to True Urban USA and JCI Development.^[5]

References

^ Parsons, Louella. "Real life story of Clara Bow" (16 parts) The San Antonio Light, (May 15 – June 4, 1931)
^ "Dear Old Hollywood: Hollywood Hillview Apartments". 4 July 2011.
^ "Hillview Apartments Re-Opens at Last by John Clifford '". preservela.com.
^ "Have You Ever Wondered… Why There's a 1920s-Era Apartment Building Right in the Middle of a Business District? - the Hollywood Partnership".
^ "New Owners Plan to Take Hollywood Hillview Apartments Upmarket". 19 October 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-10-19.