‘City on Fire’ Creator Dials Up Grand Old Spanish Dame

Welcome back to Los Feliz! Veteran screenwriter and TV producer Josh Schwartz (“The O.C.,” “Gossip Girl,” “Chuck,” and coming up, Apple TV+’s “City on Fire”) has officially returned to the hillside enclave of Los Angeles, having picked up a century-old Spanish Revival estate resting just below the foothills of Griffith Park.

Originally listed for almost $12 million in spring 2022, the asking price was subsequently reduced before ultimately going to Schwartz at a substantial $4 million discount. The seller was former watch magnate and current Beverly Hills-based real estate developer Michael Wunderman, who doled out exactly $6 million for the place almost five years ago, back in 2018.

This is not the first Los Feliz home Schwartz has owned. Over a decade ago, he paid $4.6 million for a smaller Mediterranean villa in the neighborhood before flipping it to Oscar-nominated filmmaker Ava DuVernay in 2019 for nearly $10 million —  at the time, one of the biggest transactions ever recorded in the historic L.A. community.

Hidden away behind gates and high hedges, on a parcel spanning almost an acre, the creamy-hued stucco and terracotta-roof structure was designed by architect George A. Sullivan and built in the late 1920s. Having recently undergone an extensive restoration, Schwartz’s newly acquired house features six bedrooms and a matching number of baths spread across 7,400 square feet of living space boasting elaborate ironwork, stained-glass details, ceiling murals, and arched windows and doorways throughout.

Among the highlights: a dramatic double-height foyer displaying a curving staircase lined with mosaic tile and topped by a candelabra-style chandelier, plus a step-down living room sporting a custom fireplace and French doors spilling out to a brick courtyard. A colorfully tiled kitchen is outfitted with wood cabinetry, an eat-in island and top-tier Wolf appliances, while a large formal dining room rests beneath a coved ceiling.

Standing out upstairs are three ensuite bedrooms, including a fireside master retreat that comes complete with a walk-in closet and vintage bath. An additional ensuite guest bedroom can be found on the main level; and elsewhere are an office space, a family room warmed by a kiva fireplace, plush movie theater and mirrored gym.

Outdoors, the grassy grounds host a pool and spa nestled alongside an ornate open-air poolhouse, as well as a fire-pit, built-in barbecue and bar, tennis court, and fountain-clad garden overlooking views of the Griffith Observatory. There’s also a yoga studio, solar panels and three-car garage flanked by a spacious motorcourt.