66 DIGS.NET
| 4.16.2021
S W E E T D I G S | 1 2 4 V I A M O N T E D O R O
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lifford Reid was a real estate developer who, like many
during the 1920s, had come out West to capitalize on the
rush of development happening in Southern California during
this dizzying decade. His visit to what is now the Hollywood
Riviera in Redondo Beach—then wholly undeveloped, but with
a comely mingle of blue sky and Pacific Ocean beachfront set
against green palms and sloping hillsides—sparked an enter-
prising dream.
A subsequent trip by Reid to the French Riviera, coupled
with his interest in the motion picture industry, added texture
to his vision. "It created this thought in him," says real estate
agent Ed Kaminsky: "Why doesn't he duplicate the homes that
are so beautiful in the French Riviera, these Spanish-style
homes that overlook the ocean there, and put them here. Then
tell people in Hollywood they could come down the coast to
the South Bay, where they too could get a home overlooking
the ocean with that same look." And the same experience of
getting away from it all in the midst of a Mediterranean-like
coastal splendor
A true believer and the person who coined the area's name-
sake—the Hollywood Riviera—Reid built a showcase of his
concept. It was to be the first home in the area and his personal
residence, located less than a mile from the sand and surf. This
no-expense-spared venture was completed in the late 1920s,
consisting of a two-story residence, approximately 7,000 square
feet in size, and situated on half of an acre. During its construc-
tion, Reid brought in artisans from Europe to shape its details
big and small, like al fresco painted ceilings that took nearly
three years to complete. The result is a grandness wrought
from authenticity; every corner has been attentively crafted to
a perfectionist's standard, often using materials that one would
be hard-pressed to find nearly 100 years later. "Every time you
turn in this house you see something of the Old World," notes
Kaminsky. "It's like going to Europe and walking through a
castle."
Fortunately, the six-bedroom and seven-bath property has
seldom changed hands since Reid's day, and there's been no
significant changes made to its floorplan, or swapping out of
its fine materials. In late 2016, Danny Gerardi, whose personal
connection to the home spans decades, purchased the home
from the previous owners, who had lived there for about 50
years. "He transformed it back to its original glory," explains
Kaminsky, "and restored anything that needed to be restored."
C
"Every time you turn in this house you see something of the Old World," notes Kaminsky.
"It's like going to Europe and walking through a castle."
