Los Feliz Manor opened its doors in 1929 as “a home of beauty and refinement.” The four-story Art Deco apartment building offered 31 units, a mix of distinctive singles and doubles, with amenities such as daily maid service, panoramic rooftop views, and a subterranean garage.
According to newspaper ads in the 1930s, it was all located at “an address one appreciates”: 4643 Los Feliz Boulevard, just east of Vermont Avenue. At the time, the furnished apartments could be rented for as low as $60 for a studio and $80 for a one-bedroom (approximately $1400 and $1900 in 2024, with inflation).
The Mayan-influenced exterior, designed by architect John A. Grundfor (Glendale Civic Auditorium), is distinct: terracotta blocks, stepped parapet, tile accents, ornate wrought iron at the windows and balconies. Originally, a coat of arms-shaped sign glowed “4643 Los Feliz” over the recessed entry.
Inside, the cozy lobby beckons with its stenciled beamed ceiling, corbel arches, plush seating, and floral arrangements—all illuminated by sconces and candelabras. The same style carries into the units, featuring 10-foot ceilings, hand-carved mahogany doors, and tile work.
The teal terracotta blocks along the Manor’s roof is unmistakable in the Beastie Boys’ 1994 video for “Sabotage,” directed by Spike Jonze. The clip opens with the trio, parodying 1970s TV cops, parking on Los Feliz Boulevard and rolling up on the building, heading straight to the Art Deco roof for a birds-eye view of their target. Coincidentally, two decades earlier the Manor’s exterior was featured in a 1975 episode of the Rockford Files.
Over the years there have been few alterations: In 2000, two fourth-floor units were combined to create a deluxe apartment; a wireless telecommunications facility was added to the rooftop, disguised behind a panel with terracotta blocks to blend in with the architecture, in 2012.
Vacancies are so rare, I had to dig deep into the annals of the Internet to find any interior photos. From what I can glean by squinting at thumbnail-size images from 2012, the Manor’s owner—the same family for six decades—has upheld the 1929 promise of “a home of beauty and refinement.”
