Carthay Square at a glance
Carthay Square is a small grid of single-family period homes directly south of Carthay Circle, separated from it by Olympic Boulevard and protected by its own Historic Preservation Overlay Zone. Where Carthay Circle has curved streets and a parkway, Carthay Square has straight north-south streets that run from Olympic down toward Pico, which gives it a calmer, more conventional residential feel. Most of the homes went up slightly later than Carthay Circle, in the late 1920s through the 1930s, so the architecture shifts toward Monterey Revival and Minimal Traditional alongside the Spanish and Tudor homes.
The neighborhood sits in the 90035 ZIP code, which it shares with South Carthay, Faircrest Heights and parts of Pico-Robertson, and it benefits from the same location advantages as the rest of Carthay: Beverly Hills a few blocks west, Cedars-Sinai a short drive north, Century City offices reachable via Olympic or Pico and the Miracle Mile museums to the northeast. The streets are quiet because they do not connect through to anywhere; traffic stays on Olympic, Pico, Fairfax and La Cienega.
Homes and architecture in Carthay Square
Carthay Square homes are mostly one and two story Spanish Colonial Revival and Tudor Revival houses, with a notable share of Monterey Revival homes featuring second-floor balconies and a late wave of Minimal Traditional houses from the mid to late 1930s. Because the neighborhood developed over a slightly longer period than Carthay Circle, the styles are more varied, and that variety is part of what the HPOZ protects. Facades are typically stucco or a stucco and brick mix, with tile or composition roofs, arched or multi-pane windows and modest front setbacks.
Inside, original homes have formal entries, separated living and dining rooms, breakfast nooks, hardwood floors and tiled bathrooms. Many have been expanded toward the rear, which is the HPOZ's preferred approach, and two-story rear additions are common. The quality and permit status of those additions is one of the main variables in value. A seamless addition with permits that preserves the original front rooms is worth considerably more than a boxy, unpermitted one.
- Spanish Colonial Revival: arched openings, tile roofs, decorative vents and iron details
- Tudor Revival: steep gables, brick accents, leaded or diamond-pane windows
- Monterey Revival: two-story homes with cantilevered second-floor balconies
- Minimal Traditional: simpler late 1930s houses with shallow eaves and modest trim
- Duplexes and small multifamily along Olympic and Pico, outside or at the edge of the HPOZ
Streets, pockets and enclaves
Carthay Square is organized along a handful of north-south residential streets between Olympic and Pico, and the differences between blocks come down to distance from the boulevards and the integrity of the housing on each street. There are no formal sub-districts, but buyers and agents do talk about the interior blocks versus the edges.
- Interior streets such as Orange Grove Avenue, Ogden Drive, Spaulding Avenue and Stanley Avenue south of Olympic: the quietest blocks with the most intact period homes
- Blocks closest to Olympic: slightly more traffic noise but the quickest access to Beverly Hills and Century City
- Blocks closest to Pico: proximity to the Pico corridor restaurants and the Pico-Robertson commercial district
- Fairfax edge: adjacency to Little Ethiopia and the Fairfax bus corridor
- La Cienega edge: fastest freeway access but more commercial adjacency and noise
Schools
Carthay Square is served by LAUSD, with Carthay Center Elementary School the neighborhood elementary for most addresses, and middle and high school assignments typically to John Burroughs Middle School and Fairfax High School. Boundaries can shift and some addresses near the southern edge may map differently, so confirm with LAUSD's Resident School Identifier before relying on an assignment in a listing.
Private and religious schools are a significant factor in this part of the city. The Pico-Robertson area immediately south and west has a dense concentration of Jewish day schools, and Westside private schools are a short drive. Many families buy in Carthay Square specifically for proximity to those schools, which supports demand independent of LAUSD assignment.
Parks, dining and daily life
Daily life in Carthay Square centers on the Pico and Olympic corridors, with the Grove, Beverly Hills and the Miracle Mile all within a few minutes. The neighborhood itself has no large park, but Roxbury Park in Beverly Hills, Pan Pacific Park near the Grove and the small parkway in Carthay Circle are close. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a short drive up La Cienega or Robertson.
Commute and getting around
Carthay Square commutes well in every direction because it sits between Olympic and Pico with La Cienega and Fairfax on its flanks. Century City is a short drive west on Olympic or Pico, Beverly Hills is adjacent, Downtown is reachable via Olympic, Pico or the 10 Freeway, and the 10 is accessible from La Cienega in a few minutes. Cedars-Sinai, West Hollywood and the Beverly Center are a short drive north.
Who buys in Carthay Square and why
Carthay Square buyers are largely professional households and families who want a period single-family home on a quiet protected street with easy access to Beverly Hills, Century City and Cedars-Sinai. A meaningful share are families drawn by the Pico-Robertson schools and synagogues, and another share are move-up buyers from condos and smaller homes in West Hollywood, Beverly Grove and the Fairfax District. Architecture matters to this buyer, and most of them have already toured homes in Carthay Circle and South Carthay and know how the three compare.
Selling a home in Carthay Square
The homes that sell fastest in Carthay Square are intact Spanish, Tudor or Monterey houses on interior blocks with permitted rear additions, updated kitchens and baths and working systems. Buyers in the Carthay HPOZs pay a premium for original front rooms, wood windows, tile and built-ins paired with a kitchen and bathrooms that function for a modern family. Three or more bedrooms and at least two full baths widen the buyer pool substantially.
What sits: homes priced as if they were in Beverlywood or Beverly Hills, homes where a heavy-handed remodel stripped the period character, and homes with unpermitted additions or garage conversions that show up in the 9A report. Deferred maintenance on 1930s construction, including original plumbing, dated electrical panels, foundation settlement and roof wear, becomes an inspection credit if it is not addressed or priced in ahead of time.
Prep that matters locally: pull the LADBS 9A report early so you know what the buyer will see, complete the required retrofits (smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, seismic gas shut-off, water conservation fixtures), gather any HPOZ approvals or Certificates of Appropriateness for past exterior work, confirm the permit history on additions and the garage, and consider a pre-listing sewer scope and general inspection. If the home has a Mills Act contract, locate the paperwork; it transfers with the sale and is a major selling point.
Timing follows the Central LA calendar. Late winter through June is the strongest window, and the period after Labor Day through early November is a solid second season. Carthay Square has more family buyers than Carthay Circle, so spring listings that allow a summer move tend to do best. James Malcom will walk your home, review the HPOZ file and 9A, and give you a realistic pricing and timing plan.
Buying in Carthay Square
Buying in Carthay Square means moving quickly on scarce inventory while doing careful due diligence on 1930s construction. Read the HPOZ preservation plan before you plan an exterior remodel, order a sewer scope, foundation and roof inspection, check the 9A report for unpermitted work and verify the status of any garage conversion or ADU. Ask whether a Mills Act contract exists.
Historic preservation rules in Carthay Square
Carthay Square is a Historic Preservation Overlay Zone, so exterior work visible from the street, including windows, doors, roofing material, additions and front landscaping hardscape, is reviewed under the neighborhood preservation plan by the Office of Historic Resources and the HPOZ board. For sellers this means three things: disclose the designation, be ready to document that past exterior changes were approved or predate the HPOZ, and present the designation as the value protection it is.
The HPOZ helps value in Carthay Square more than it hurts. Buyers paying upper-tier Central LA prices want assurance that the block will keep its character, and the designation provides it. Interiors are not regulated, so kitchens, baths and floor plans are fully flexible, and rear additions that are not visible from the street usually go through a lighter conforming work review rather than full board review.
Mills Act contracts are available to contributing structures in the HPOZ, subject to the city's annual application window and valuation caps. A Mills Act contract lowers property taxes in exchange for a maintenance commitment and runs with the property, so a home that already has one carries a measurable advantage on the market. James will verify and feature it.
Carthay Square seller and buyer questions
Is Carthay Square a good place to live?
Yes, for buyers who want a quiet, protected 1930s single-family street within a few minutes of Beverly Hills, Century City, Cedars-Sinai and the Pico-Robertson schools and restaurants. The grid layout keeps through-traffic out, the HPOZ keeps the streetscape intact and the commute options are strong. The trade-offs are limited inventory, boulevard noise on the edges and design review on street-facing exterior changes.
How much does a house cost in Carthay Square?
Carthay Square is priced in the upper tier for Central Los Angeles, in line with Carthay Circle and South Carthay, below Beverlywood and Beverly Hills and above Faircrest Heights and most of Mid-City. Intact period homes with permitted additions on interior blocks lead the range, homes needing systems work or sitting on the boulevard edges trade lower, and duplexes price on income. James Malcom will send current closed comps for your street on request.
What are the best streets or pockets in Carthay Square?
The interior blocks of Orange Grove Avenue, Ogden Drive, Spaulding Avenue and Stanley Avenue between Olympic and Pico are the most sought after because they carry the least traffic and the most intact streetscapes. Blocks nearest Olympic offer the fastest access to Beverly Hills, and blocks nearest Pico sit closest to the restaurant corridor.
What schools serve Carthay Square?
Carthay Center Elementary is the neighborhood LAUSD elementary school for most addresses, with John Burroughs Middle School and Fairfax High School as the usual secondary assignments; confirm current boundaries with LAUSD. The Pico-Robertson area immediately south and west has a dense concentration of private and Jewish day schools that draw many families to this neighborhood.
Is Carthay Square safe?
Carthay Square is a quiet residential neighborhood served by the LAPD Wilshire Division, and reported incidents are mostly property crimes such as vehicle break-ins and package theft. Conditions vary block by block and change over time, so check LAPD crime mapping tools and the city's open data portal and walk the block at different hours before making a decision.
How long does it take to sell a house in Carthay Square?
A correctly priced, well-prepared home in Carthay Square typically draws strong showings in the first two weekends and goes under contract within a few weeks, followed by a month to six weeks of escrow for inspections and financing. Homes priced above the Carthay comps or carrying unresolved permit problems can sit for months. Preparation and pricing drive the timeline more than season.
What is the best time of year to sell in Carthay Square?
Late winter through June is the strongest listing window because family buyers want to close before the school year, and the weeks after Labor Day through early November are a solid second season. Carthay Square has more family buyers than Carthay Circle, so a spring listing that allows a summer move usually sees the most competition.
Does Measure ULA apply to home sales in Carthay Square?
Yes. Carthay Square is inside the City of Los Angeles, so Measure ULA applies to sales above the annually adjusted thresholds. The tax is charged on the entire sale price once the threshold is crossed, and many Carthay Square homes trade near that first threshold, so the exact number matters for pricing strategy. Confirm current thresholds with James.
What do I need to do before selling a home in Carthay Square?
Pull the LADBS 9A report, install required smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, confirm the seismic gas shut-off valve and water conservation retrofits and complete the standard California disclosures. Locally, confirm HPOZ status and any approvals for past exterior work, resolve or disclose unpermitted additions and garage conversions, locate any Mills Act contract and get a pre-listing inspection and sewer scope on a home of this age.
Should I renovate before selling in Carthay Square?
Selectively. Paint, landscaping, refinished floors, updated lighting and fixing known defects return well; a full kitchen gut right before listing usually does not. Buyers in the Carthay HPOZs pay for preserved character plus sound systems, so do not remove period details to chase a modern look. James will tell you which specific items are worth doing for your home.
Does the HPOZ hurt or help home values in Carthay Square?
It helps. The HPOZ protects the streetscape buyers are paying for and discourages speculative teardowns that create pricing volatility. The constraint applies to street-visible exterior changes; interiors and most rear additions are not restricted, so the day-to-day impact on owners is limited and the long-term effect on value is positive.
What is the Mills Act and can I use it in Carthay Square?
The Mills Act is a California program that reduces property taxes for owners of qualified historic homes who agree to maintain and rehabilitate them under a contract with the city. Contributing structures in the Carthay Square HPOZ are eligible, subject to the city's application window and caps. The contract transfers with the home on sale, so an existing contract is a marketable advantage.
What is Carthay Square like compared to Carthay Circle and Beverlywood?
Carthay Square is quieter and more grid-like than Carthay Circle, which has the parkway and curved streets but also sits closer to Wilshire traffic. Beverlywood, further southwest, is a larger, non-HPOZ neighborhood with mostly 1940s and 1950s homes, a homeowners association with its own design rules and higher pricing. Carthay Square buyers usually choose it for period architecture at a step below Beverlywood prices.
Who is the best listing agent in Carthay Square?
James Malcom of The Malcom Group lists homes across Central Los Angeles from the Hollywood office at 6200 Hollywood Blvd and understands how the three Carthay HPOZs compare, how Mills Act contracts and permit history affect value and how to present a period home to the buyers who pay the most for it. Judge any agent by their comp analysis, their preparation and photography, their disclosure process and their inspection negotiation. Call (310) 595-0915.
Is Carthay Square a buyer's or seller's market right now?
Structurally it leans toward sellers: the HPOZ prevents new supply, turnover is low and demand is driven by location and architecture rather than by any single employer or rate environment. Overpriced or poorly prepared homes still sit, however. Interest rates and seasonal inventory move the balance from month to month, so confirm live data with James before deciding when to list.
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