The Oaks vs. Franklin Hills: Comparing Two Los Feliz Hillside Neighborhoods

The Oaks is a hillside neighborhood directly below Griffith Park, built in two waves in the 1920s and again in the 1950s and 1960s. Franklin Hills sits on the eastern hills of Los Feliz, around the 1926 Shakespeare Bridge, with an eclectic mix of hillside homes and several City landmarks. The Oaks leans toward Period Revival and postwar Modern homes with city and canyon views. Franklin Hills leans toward individual architect-designed houses spread across its streets.

Both are part of Los Feliz, and both reward a buyer who tours them street by street. At Rooster Homes, this is the research we walk through with buyers comparing the two. Every fact below comes from City records and neighborhood sources, linked as we go.

The Oaks sits on the slope immediately below Griffith Park. The Oaks Neighborhood Association describes its edges this way:

• Fern Dell Drive on the east
• Foothill Drive to the south
• Both sides of Canyon Drive to the west
• Griffith Park to the north

The name comes from its streets. The City's SurveyLA report on Hollywood points to Valley Oak, Live Oak and Canyon Oak. Fern Dell, part of Griffith Park, sits at the eastern edge. The City lists the Fern Dell area of Griffith Park as Historic-Cultural Monument #112.

One practical detail for your home search: addresses in The Oaks carry the 90068 zip code. The Samuel-Novarro House on Valley Oak Drive is listed at 90068, for example. Set your search alerts with that in mind.

The Los Feliz Neighborhood Council places Franklin Hills in its District E. The council draws the edges this way:

• Franklin Avenue and Tracy Street to the north
• Commonwealth Avenue and Hoover Street to the west
• Fountain Avenue to the south
• Hyperion Avenue to the east

The same source notes that Hyperion Avenue marks the line between Los Feliz and Silver Lake. Franklin Hills addresses we checked on Russell Avenue and Lyric Avenue carry the 90027 zip code.

In short, The Oaks sits up against Griffith Park. Franklin Hills sits on the east side of Los Feliz, where it meets Silver Lake at Hyperion Avenue.

According to the City's survey, The Oaks was subdivided into several tracts between 1922 and 1924. Building began in the 1920s. A second wave followed in the 1950s and 1960s.

Those two waves shaped what you see today. The survey describes a mix of prewar Period Revival homes and postwar Modern homes. Homes occupy sloping sites with city and canyon views.

The upper part of the neighborhood has its own story. The survey identifies an Upper Oaks Period Revival Residential Historic District of 76 properties. Of those, 67 are contributors, and the period of significance runs from 1926 to 1948. Local architect Arthur W. Hawes developed house plans for the Canyon Drive Park tract there. This district is eligible according to the survey. It is not a formal designation.

The Shakespeare Bridge is the key to Franklin Hills. Also called the Franklin Avenue Bridge, it was completed in 1926. The Los Feliz Improvement Association credits J.C. Wright of the City's engineering office.

According to The Eastsider LA, the bridge spans a 35-foot-deep ravine where the Arroyo de la Sacatela once flowed. Its 262-foot span runs between Myra Avenue and St. George Street. The same report explains that the bridge made Franklin Avenue a main western outlet to an undeveloped tract on the eastern hill. In other words, the bridge helped open Franklin Hills to homebuilding.

The City adopted the bridge as Historic-Cultural Monument #126 on April 17, 1974, per the City Historic-Cultural Monument list. It reopened in 1998 after a seismic retrofit.

One landmark house in The Oaks is the Samuel-Novarro House at 5609 Valley Oak Drive. Lloyd Wright designed it in 1928 for Louis Samuel. It is a City Historic-Cultural Monument, according to the Los Angeles Conservancy.

The Upper Oaks group adds a concentration of Period Revival homes from 1926 to 1948. Below and around it, the postwar wave brought Modern homes to the same hillside.

The Oaks also holds one gated pocket. Briarcliff Manor, the McCray-Thorkildsen Estate at 5750 Valley Oak Drive, was built in 1911. The survey notes it now sits within a gated residential community. The rest of the neighborhood runs on public streets.

Franklin Hills is a neighborhood of individual landmarks. The City's SurveyLA Hollywood Individual Resources report names several:

• 1901 N. Myra Avenue: the Ph. J. Schlessinger House, 1953, by master architect R.M. Schindler
• 4004 W. Franklin Avenue: a 1936 home the survey calls an excellent example of Streamline Moderne residential design
• 2190 N. Talmadge Street: the Gogol House, 1939, by master architect Raphael Soriano. It sits on the west edge, and boundary sources differ on whether it falls inside.

The City has also named individual houses as Historic-Cultural Monuments. The John and Myra Van Pelt Estate at 2141-49 Lyric Avenue is a Storybook-style property. It became HCM #1249 in 2022, according to the City report on the estate. The Paul Lauritz House at 3955 Clayton Avenue became HCM #784 in 2004.

Just south of the bridge stands Midtown School at 4155 Russell Avenue. John Lautner designed it in 1961. The Los Angeles Conservancy lists it as HCM #553 and places it in Los Feliz.

One difference matters here. We found no HPOZ, National Register listing or SurveyLA historic district for Franklin Hills. Its landmarks stand as individual buildings. The Oaks has the Upper Oaks group identified as an eligible district.

In The Oaks, the park is the defining feature. The neighborhood sits right below Griffith Park, with Fern Dell at its eastern edge. The survey describes sloping sites with city and canyon views.

In Franklin Hills, the bridge is the defining feature. Eclectic hillside homes surround the storybook Shakespeare Bridge, and many have city views. Speranza and Hyperion Public restaurants are nearby.

Both neighborhoods are hillside settings. The Oaks feels tied to the park above it. Franklin Hills feels tied to the ravine and the bridge that crosses it.

Look first at The Oaks if Griffith Park at your doorstep matters most. It also fits a search for Period Revival homes from the 1920s through the 1940s, or postwar Modern homes on sloping sites with canyon views. Start with buying a home in The Oaks, then read the full The Oaks neighborhood guide.

Look first at Franklin Hills if you want a one-of-a-kind house by a named architect. Schindler, Soriano and Streamline Moderne all appear in the City's records here. It also fits a search centered on the Shakespeare Bridge and the eastern edge of Los Feliz. Start with buying a home in Franklin Hills, then read the Franklin Hills neighborhood guide.

Still deciding between The Oaks and its gated neighbor? Our comparison of The Oaks vs. Laughlin Park covers that choice. Rooster Homes is a Los Feliz, Los Angeles real estate team led by Brandon and Sarah Arlington (DRE #02051216). We help buyers compare these hillside neighborhoods on the ground.

1. Write down the style you want. Period Revival and postwar Modern point toward The Oaks. Architect-designed Modern and Storybook homes point toward Franklin Hills.
2. Map the edges. Use the neighborhood association's lines for The Oaks and the Neighborhood Council's lines for Franklin Hills.
3. Set alerts by street, not only by zip. The Oaks uses 90068. The Franklin Hills addresses we checked use 90027, which Laughlin Park uses as well.
4. Check the City's records on any house you love. Look up whether it is a Historic-Cultural Monument or part of an eligible district.
5. Tour both on the same afternoon. Start below Griffith Park, then cross the Shakespeare Bridge. Seeing both in one afternoon makes the difference in setting easy to feel.
6. Bring your plan together. Our buying process walks through each step from preparation to closing.

This article explains how the process works. It is not legal advice. For questions about a landmark property, talk with your attorney as well.

• Search by boundary lines. A zip code alone will pull in homes outside the neighborhood you want. Use the street edges above.
• Read the source for the boundary. Different groups draw lines differently. The Gogol House on Talmadge Street is one example where sources differ.
• Know what a survey finding means. The Upper Oaks district is eligible according to the survey. Treat it as eligible, and confirm any status with the City.
• Look at the lot as closely as the house. Both neighborhoods sit on slopes. Walk the site and ask how it sits on the hill.
• Tour in person when you can. Views, slope and street feel come through best on the ground.

The examples below are hypothetical, meant to show how the choice plays out.

A buyer who wants a 1920s Period Revival home near the park. This search points to The Oaks, and especially the Upper Oaks streets. The Period Revival homes there date from 1926 to 1948. We would tour the upper streets first, then compare one postwar Modern home for contrast.

A buyer searching for a mid-century house by a known architect. This search points to Franklin Hills. The City's records name a Schindler house on Myra Avenue and a Soriano house on Talmadge Street. We would check the landmark status of anything that comes up, then tour the streets around the bridge.

A buyer relocating from out of state who is touring remotely. Start with the maps and the edges above to narrow the search. Then plan one visit that covers both neighborhoods in a single afternoon.

Rooster Homes is a Los Feliz, Los Angeles real estate team led by Brandon and Sarah Arlington (DRE #02051216). We walk buyers through both neighborhoods and explain the history behind each street. Our guide to buying a luxury home in Los Feliz covers how we prepare, and our buying process shows each step. We keep the pace education-first and adjust it for relocation timelines.

When you are ready to tour, contact Rooster Homes and let us know what works best for you. We will coordinate our schedule around yours.