| Westwood | Brentwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house sale | $3.4M | $3.9M |
| Median condo sale | $1.13M | $1.3M |
| Median price per sq ft | $762 | $1,049 |
| Home styles | 1920s and 1930s Traditional, Spanish Colonial Revival, Tudor and Monterey Colonial homes; garden-style, mid-rise and Wilshire Corridor high-rise condos | Traditional estates, Colonial, Cape Cod, Spanish and Mediterranean homes and new builds; canyon ranch homes and horse properties; condos south of Sunset |
| Typical lots and terrain | Gently rolling, tree-lined streets, with some hillside lots and canyon or city views | Large, flat lots in Brentwood Park; long, winding canyons like Mandeville and Kenter above Sunset |
| City | City of Los Angeles | City of Los Angeles |
| Signature streets and anchors | Westwood Village and its historic theaters, the UCLA campus gardens, the Hammer Museum | The San Vicente coral tree median, Brentwood Country Mart, Brentwood Village, the Getty Center |
| Getting around | The 405 on its west side, Wilshire and Sunset east and west; two Metro D Line stations under construction | Next to the 405; Sunset east and west, San Vicente straight to Santa Monica |
| Drive times (rough, off-peak) | Beverly Hills about 10 minutes, Santa Monica often 15, LAX 20 to 30 | Santa Monica often 10 to 15 minutes via San Vicente |
| Weather | Mild Westside weather, cooled by the ocean | Mild Westside weather, a little warmer in the canyons |
| Eat drink shop highlights | Diddy Riese, Attari Sandwich Shop, Saffron & Rose, Violet Bistro | Osteria Vera, Farmshop, Clark Street, Pizzana |
Median prices: Redfin Data Center, zip codes 90024 and 90049, March to May 2026. Zip codes don't match neighborhood borders exactly.
The homes
Westwood was planned in the 1920s around the new UCLA campus. East of the Village, the area known as Holmby-Westwood has 1920s and 1930s Traditional, Spanish Colonial Revival, Tudor and Monterey Colonial homes on gently rolling, tree-lined streets, with some hillside lots that catch canyon or city views. Closer to the Village and Wilshire, the housing turns to condos: 1950s and 1960s garden-style buildings, newer mid-rises and the high-rise towers of the Wilshire Corridor.
Brentwood has three distinct parts. North of San Vicente, Brentwood Park has wide, curving streets and large lots with traditional estates, Colonial, Cape Cod, Spanish and Mediterranean homes and newer builds. Above Sunset, Mandeville and Kenter canyons hold ranch-style homes, estates and horse properties. South of Sunset, low and mid-rise condo buildings line the streets around Barrington and toward Wilshire.
Prices
The price figures on this page use 90024 for Westwood and 90049 for Brentwood. Condos make up most sales in 90024, which also takes in the Wilshire Corridor and the edge of Holmby Hills, so Westwood's single-family streets trade at a very different level than the overall number. The 90049 figures blend Brentwood Park, the canyons and the condo blocks south of Sunset. In both, compare houses to houses and condos to condos.
The feel
Westwood Village, opened in 1929, has Spanish Revival storefronts on angled streets and two historic movie palaces, the 1931 Village Theatre with its white tower and the 1937 Bruin. The free Hammer Museum sits on Wilshire, and the UCLA campus works like a big public garden, with Royce Hall, the Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden and the Murphy Sculpture Garden.
Brentwood's main street is San Vicente Boulevard, with its grassy coral tree median, a favorite route for runners and cyclists. The red barn-style Brentwood Country Mart and the restaurants and boutiques of Brentwood Village are the everyday hubs, and the Getty Center looks down from the hilltop by the 405.
Getting around
The 405 is the dividing line, and both sit right next to it, which makes the Valley and LAX reachable from either, though the Sepulveda Pass is one of the busiest stretches of freeway in the city. Westwood has Beverly Hills about 10 minutes away off-peak and LAX 20 to 30, and the Metro D Line extension is building two Westwood stations, tentatively set to open in fall 2027. From Brentwood, San Vicente leads to Santa Monica, often 10 to 15 minutes, and Sunset runs west to the Palisades. Canyon roads like Mandeville have one main way in and out.
City and rules
Both are in the City of Los Angeles, with City of LA permits and transfer taxes on higher-priced sales. Westwood Village has its own specific plan with design rules, and some Westwood residential areas have specific plans or design guidelines that affect additions. Brentwood's hillside homes fall under the city's hillside regulations, and its canyons generally sit in very high fire hazard severity zones, so check the address on CAL FIRE maps and talk to an insurance broker early. For condos in either, review HOA budgets, reserves and rental rules.
Weather
Both get mild Westside weather, a few miles from the ocean, with cool mornings and comfortable afternoons most of the year. Brentwood's canyons can run a few degrees warmer on summer afternoons than the flatter streets closer to Wilshire.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between Westwood and Brentwood?
Westwood is a planned 1920s district built around UCLA and Westwood Village, with traditional and Spanish homes in Holmby-Westwood and many condos toward Wilshire. Brentwood, west of the 405, has Brentwood Park's large lots, long canyons above Sunset and a condo area south of Sunset.
Are Westwood and Brentwood in the City of Los Angeles?
Yes. Both are Westside neighborhoods within the City of Los Angeles. Westwood Village has its own specific plan with design rules, and Brentwood's hillside and canyon homes fall under the city's hillside regulations, so check any address with LA City Planning before planning work.
Which is closer to Santa Monica, Westwood or Brentwood?
Brentwood. San Vicente Boulevard leads straight to Santa Monica, often 10 to 15 minutes outside rush hour. From Westwood, Santa Monica is often about 15 minutes, with Wilshire and Sunset as the main routes west.
