Neighborhoods

Hollywood Heights / Santa Monica Conservation District

The Hollywood Heights/ Santa Monica Conservation District is located in Old East Dallas on the western bluff of the White Rock Escarpment bounded by Grand St. to the east, Glasglow to the south, Santa Fe to the west, and the Santa Fe railroad to the north. Hollywood’s lush terrain comprised of pecan, crepe myrtle, oak and redbud trees sets the scene for the serene collection of 800 Tudor cottages. Amenities include its proximity to Samuel Grand Park, Tennison Memorial Golf Course, Lakewood Country Club, and White Rock Lake.

The area originally given to Robert Moore by the Republic of Texas in 1845 was purchased by J.B. Salmon (the famed developer of Kessler Park in Oak Cliff) in the 1920s who named it the Hollywood Addition. The Addition was later enlarged to accommodate the Santa Monica and Collier Additions. The area was envisioned as a middleclass complement to the affluent Lakewood neighborhood to the northwest. This however, did not distract from the craftsmanship involved in the construction of the charming and detail infused cottages.

The residences in this area are mostly two- and three-bedroom cottages constructed of either stone or brick. The predominant architectural style is the Tudor Cottage, but the neighborhood also boasts examples of French and Spanish Eclectic, Minimal Traditional, Pueblo Revival, Craftsman, and Monterrey. Many homes boast elaborate stonework and masonry, leaded glass, stained-glass windows, decoratively capped chimneys, and terraced lawns— details usually associated with more expensive homes.

Today Hollywood Heights/ Santa Monica is a City of Dallas Conservation District (1989) assuring the neighborhood’s wellbeing for years to come.

Author: Sarah Sibley
Editor: Michael Hazel
Photographs by: Sara Sibley