With Beverly Hills on the east, Brentwood on the West and Holmby Hills on the south, Bel Air is a wealthy residential community in the hills of Westside of the city of Los Angeles. Together with Beverly Hills and Holmby Hills it forms the Platinum Triangle of Los Angeles prominent neighborhoods. Homes and estates in the Platinum Triangle are among the most expensive in the United States and the world.
Founded by Alphonzo E. Bell, Sr in 1923, approximately 15 miles west of downtown Los Angeles and includes some of the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains and borders the north side of UCLA along Sunset Boulevard. At the heart of the community sits the exclusive Hotel Bel Air and  the Bel Air Country Club.

Residences in Bel Air tend to be private and hidden from the winding roads of the community. Most homes are not visible from the street, as they are hidden by well-manicured landscaping and gates. Residences range from modest ranch style houses, to grand mansions. While some houses in Bel Air seem quite modest from the outside, often lying only six feet from the street, they have large grounds. In general, the higher up the mountain, the smaller the building lot and more modest the homes. Some roads such as Stradella Rd have magnificent views all the way to Catalina Island. The most desirable houses are right off the main entrances of Bel Air and the country club entrance for these houses have both the views of the Bel-Air Country Club and the Los Angeles basin. Lower Bel Air houses can sell from few million to over 40 million. Many families prefer lower Bel Air because of its proximity to Sunset Boulevard and easy access Beverly Hills, Century City, Westwood and to freeways.