Hollywood Heights is one of those hidden gem neighborhoods in Dallas. Tucked between the Lakewood Country Club golf course and Samuel Grand Park, it’s off the beaten path by design.
In 1920, J.B. Salmon bought what was then a former dairy farm and created the Hollywood Company. Salmon was also the developer of Kessler Highlands in Oak Cliff and known for his thoughtful planning. Other builders were allowed into the development, but Salmon also created deed restrictions, which kept the neighborhood cohesive.
Salmon was evidently happy with the way the neighborhood was turning out as he chose to live here. We think he’d be equally happy with the way his development has been protected because deed restrictions can run out.
However, you won’t see any brick painted black here, nor will you see a McMansion butted up next to a Tudor. Instead, you will find one of the largest collections of intact, stone-embellished Tudor homes in America, as well as Craftsman cottages, a few gorgeous Pueblo Revival homes, and a smattering of minimal traditionals.
This is because neighbors spotted the beginning of bad trends back in the late 1980s and sought protection for the entire neighborhood by becoming a conservation district. Hollywood Heights is now one of the most sought-after neighborhoods in Dallas because of that status.
Hollywood Heights is a Time Warp in The Best Possible Way
It’s also so welcoming you may think you’ve gone through a time warp and are back in 1950s America, where everyone knows your name, your kids’ names, and your dog’s name. And it’s a ‘hood that likes to have fun. There is an annual holiday block party and Easter Parade, a Halloween cake walk and chili cook-off, monthly happy hours, and Liz Simmons’ legendary holiday decor makes the news every year.
It’s tough to find a home for sale in Hollywood Heights. People seldom leave. Sometimes, they have job or school situations that necessitate a move, but I can tell you, from having lived here myself for 33 years, they move back here as soon as they can. I fully expect my neighbors, Beka and Nathan Lyons, to be back in a few years. Meanwhile, you have a shot at their terrifically hip Hollywood Heights Tudor.
The Lyons family had been living in Prestonwood in a farmhouse-style home and were not feeling it. They had been looking for a while, and their number one criterion was to find a home with as much character as possible and one with defined spaces.
History Creates Character
They’d seen an interior shot of the kitchen of this 1939 Hollywood Heights Tudor and went to check it out.
“When we pulled up and I saw the beautiful tile numbers of the house, I thought, where am I?” Beka said. “I can’t remember what the furniture looked like, but everything was white and neutral. What I did remember from that initial visit were the original sconces that turn on individually, the original telephone nook in the hall, and the vintage brass door stop in what would become my son’s room. I remembered the character because there was so much of it.”
Even the kids were sold. As I said, homes don’t come up for sale often here, and when they do, there are generally multiple interested parties.
Nathan wrote a letter to the owners and mentioned their 4-year-old daughter had walked up the stairs and said, “This is IT,” to her parents. When your kiddos give their stamp of approval, you know you’ve found the right home.
Beka loves interior design and wanted to enhance the character of the home when they moved in with some bold wallpaper and color selections.
“When we moved to the neighborhood, we would frequent local antique shops such as Curiosities, and garage sales as a family and pick up items we felt reflected the time period and brought out the character of the house,” she said.
Although there are obvious elements the Lyons brought into the home, it’s often those that go undetected that are the most critical. The couple had Historic Restoration Experts’ Peter Ross and his sons JP and Ben restore all of the home’s windows.
Having been through this myself last year, I can attest that this is one of the most important things you can do to a historic home. It’s also not for the faint of heart or pocketbook. To know this has already been done lends incredible value to the home. Beka even made sure the kitchen window had the lever to wind it out. Remember how grandma cooled pies on the windowsill? You can do that!
Everything in this Hollywood Heights Tudor has been updated, from the furnace and water heater to the light fixtures.
“We made it safe and functional for family living,” Beka said. “We put our soul into the house, and we love it.”
It’s always hard to leave Hollywood Heights. But I feel certain the Lyons will find their way back once the kids are out of school. Meanwhile, if you buy this hip, historic Hollywood Heights Tudor, mosey down the street and knock on the door of the red brick house with the bay window. I’ll give you the inside skinny on everything!
Compass Real Estate listing agent Lily Goldstucker has this Hollywood Heights Tudor at 714 Valencia St. listed for $939,000. Open House: 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 12.
