Los Feliz

It's a murder mystery that has puzzled a Los Feliz neighborhood since 1959. The criminal-case part was solved quickly enough. Homicide investigators found that Dr. Harold Perelson bludgeoned his wife to death with a ball-peen hammer, savagely beat their 18-year-old daughter and then fatally poisoned himself by gulping a glass of acid.

Actors Ryan Reynolds and Scarlett Johansson have sold the Los Feliz house they bought together in 2010. The 1969 Buff & Hensman-designed Wong House sold for $3.5 million. The restored post-and-beam house features walls of glass, a library, video security and solar and high-tech upgrades. There are two bedrooms, three bathrooms and 2,835 square feet of living space. The nearly half-acre site features a saltwater swimming pool. Reynolds, 35, and Johansson, 27, were divorced last year after three years of marriage.

Update: The Los Feliz home once owned by Clifford E. Clinton, the founder of the L.A. institution Clifton's Cafeteria, has sold for $1,285,000. It came on the market in March at $1,799,000 and was in escrow within the month. Built in 1928, the Spanish-style two-story home retained such original features as tile mosaics, stained glass, Art Deco light fixtures and Catalina tile. The Clinton family owned the house from 1936 until 1949. The 5,866-square-feet house has three fireplaces, a two-story entry, a step-down living room with coffered ceilings, a cocktail lounge, a billiard room, six bedrooms and five bathrooms.

First published on March 20, 2011. Revised and expanded in January 2012. It's not easy being the lungs of Los Angeles. But Griffith Park, the foremost green space in a city notorious for meager parkland and abundant smog, endures bravely, maybe even heroically. Venture into the park, or nearby Elysian Park, or one of the creative neighborhoods in between, and you'll find not only beloved landmarks such as Griffith Observatory and Dodger Stadium, but also happy surprises, such as the time-travel supply shop, or the cafe where cops dine daily to the sound of echoing gunfire, or the Korean greetings that echo at dawn every day atop Mt. Hollywood.

A.F. Leicht designed quirky Spanish Revival houses in Los Angeles as well as evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson's landmark Angelus Temple. His interiors often had irregular-shaped or curved walls, rooms or hallways. This Los Feliz villa, with rounded rooms, fancifully shaped living room French doors and elliptical master bathroom, captures his signature style. Location: 2226 N. New Hampshire Ave., Los Angeles 90027 Asking price: $3.267 million Previously sold: In 2005 for $2.6 million Year built: 1923 Architect: A.F. Leicht House size: Four bedrooms, five bathrooms, 4,883 square feet Lot size: 10,500 square feet Features: Gated, original bar, three fireplaces, wine cellar, magnesite flooring and bath tiles, swimming pool with spa, turntable garage.

Tudor with medieval touches Location: 336 S. Hudson Ave., Los Angeles 90020 Size: Seven bedrooms and 51/2 bathrooms in 8,160 square feet Published on: Dec. 13, 2009 Listed then for: $8.95 million Sold for: $6,075,000 this month A hillside hideaway in Los Feliz Location: 2510 Chislehurst Place, Los Angeles 90027 Size: Four bedrooms and 31/2 bathrooms in 3,284 square feet ...

The iPad on Lisa Borgnes Giramonti's kitchen counter is propped up by an intricately carved wooden bookstand near an Old World-flavored Aga stove. Call it a study in contrasts. Better yet, consider the scene to be the embodiment of the artist's primary obsession: weaving British gentility and the elegance of a bygone era into our tech-obsessed present. "I'm a huge Anglophile," Borgnes Giramonti says. "I've always wanted to go back to England, but it's not going to happen, so this is how I'm re-creating that."

Umami Burger LOCATION 4655 Hollywood Blvd., Los Feliz; (323) 669-3922; www.umamiburger.com. Also at 850 S. La Brea Ave., L.A.; (323) 931-3000 and at Umami Urban at Space15 Twenty, 1520 N. Cahuenga Blvd., L.A.; (323)469-3100. PRICE Burgers, $9 to $11; desserts, $3 to $4. Corkage, $10. DETAILS Open noon to 11 p.m. Full bar. Valet parking, $4, from 6. p.m. Rating is based on food, service and ambience, with price taken into account in relation to quality.

Pop star Natasha Bedingfield, who launched her own British invasion of the U.S. airwaves with such often-played hits as "Unwritten," has purchased a home in the Los Feliz area for $2.3 million. The London-born singer-songwriter bought a 4,792-square-foot contemporary with four bedrooms, 5 1/2 bathrooms, a media room, gym and office in three stories. The recently renovated house, built in 1953, has city light and mountain views. There is a swimming pool and a detached three-car garage with a guesthouse above.

Waiting for restaurants to open can be akin to watching water boil. In the midst of the summer doldrums, every bar or restaurant that manages to open feels like a gift: somewhere new to try on that odd night off. When I popped into Covell Wine Bar last week, it had been open exactly 18 days, so new that the paint still smelled fresh and the exterior had a decidedly raw look. A couple of tables out front were occupied by guests hovering over glasses stained with red wine, friends lazily talking and watching the scene on Hollywood Boulevard just west of Hillhurst.

Actor Ryan Reynolds has listed for sale the Los Feliz hills house he bought with his then-wife, actress Scarlett Johansson, in 2010. Priced at $3.65 million, the 1969 Buff & Hensman-designed Wong House has walls of glass that capture views of downtown Los Angeles and the ocean. The turn-key house has been restored, and Reynolds added solar upgrades and high-tech bells and whistles. The master suite opens to a walled garden. There are two bedrooms, three bathrooms and 2,835 square feet of living space.

A.F. Leicht designed quirky Spanish Revival houses in Los Angeles as well as evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson's landmark Angelus Temple. His interiors often had irregular-shaped or curved walls, rooms or hallways. This Los Feliz villa, with rounded rooms, fancifully shaped living room French doors and elliptical master bathroom, captures his signature style. Location: 2226 N. New Hampshire Ave., Los Angeles 90027 Asking price: $3.267 million Previously sold: In 2005 for $2.6 million Year built: 1923 Architect: A.F. Leicht House size: Four bedrooms, five bathrooms, 4,883 square feet Lot size: 10,500 square feet Features: Gated, original bar, three fireplaces, wine cellar, magnesite flooring and bath tiles, swimming pool with spa, turntable garage.

Dr. Robert Huizenga, or Dr. H as he is known on "The Biggest Loser," has put his Los Feliz home on the market at $5.399 million. Called Casa Domingo, the 1927 Spanish-style house opens to a two-story cathedral foyer with a loggia and an original mural on the ceiling. Restored over five years, the nearly 5,400-square-foot house features an oversized living room, ornate ceilings, arched windows, a circular office, an eat-in kitchen and a sunroof. The more three-quarters of an acre site includes a tennis court, a swimming pool, a guesthouse and a gated motor court.

Actress Kiele Sanchez and her ex-husband, writer-director Zach Helm, have put their Los Feliz area house up for sale at $1.849 million. The restored Mediterranean retains its 1920s vibe with stenciled beam ceilings and original tile work. About 4,000 square feet of living space includes a living room with a fireplace, a formal dining room, four bedrooms and three bathrooms. Sanchez, 35, has starred on "The Glades" since 2010. She was on "Lost" in 2006 and 2007. Helm, 35, wrote and directed "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" (2007)

Two popular Los Angeles charter schools have allowed some families to bypass a lottery for admission in exchange for providing special services or a substantial volunteer commitment. The practices of Larchmont Charter School and Los Feliz Charter School for the Arts have raised concerns that such preference policies, if allowed, could open the door to well-connected friends or wealthier families who promise to contribute. In effect, critics say, charters could end up functioning more like private schools than campuses almost entirely supported with tax dollars.

Television personality Brooke Mueller has sold the gated Los Feliz home she once shared with her ex-husband, Charlie Sheen , for an undisclosed amount. The buyer is actor Simon Helberg of "The Big Bang Theory. " The restored 4,179-square-foot villa has four bedrooms and 41/2 bathrooms. A fountain stands in the tiled front courtyard of the Mediterranean-style home, built in 1927. Inside, the dramatic two-story entry has wood floors and a vaulted ceiling. The step-down living room features a fireplace and wood-beamed ceiling.

The number of farmers markets in Los Angeles County has more than doubled over the last decade, from 53 to 129, and many of the venues are new, small and operated by neophytes. Such is the case with the Los Feliz farmers market, which was started five months ago by Helen Lee, a filmmaker who grew up in the area and got into the world of markets when she operated a crepe stand. She has started three markets since April; this one, sponsored by a nonprofit organization called Eco-Op, began near the well-known Dresden restaurant, but a month ago moved two blocks north to its current, more visible location in a post office parking lot. In this modest space Lee has managed to fit 25 stands, of which seven are certified produce vendors and 18 offer prepared foods and miscellaneous merchandise.

The films of John Hughes can teach us a thing or two about how to survive the holidays: Unwelcome kin are best left to their RV, burglars can be thwarted with homemade booby traps, and you should always travel with John Candy. "For the Record: John Hughes (Holiday Road)," a musical production playing at Show at Barre Nov. 17-Dec. 30, is a mash-up of the soundtracks and quotable moments from Hughes' holiday classics — including "Home Alone," "Christmas Vacation" and "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" — with a dose of his '80s teen flicks.