Gated Communities Along the Mulholland Corridor: Calabasas, Woodland Hills and Bel Air

Calabasas

Calabasas has more guard gated neighborhoods than any city in the West Valley. Woodland Hills has only a few, led by Westchester County Estates. Bel Air, despite its famous gates, has just two true guard gated communities. The three sit along the same ridgeline, yet "gated" means something different in each of them. In Calabasas it usually means a staffed guard gate and an HOA clubhouse. In Woodland Hills it means a small number of quiet enclaves south of Ventura Boulevard. In Bel Air, most of the famous gates are not gates at all. This guide sorts out which communities are truly gated, how the gates work, what ownership costs, and how to compare them on our interactive Mulholland Corridor Gated Communities Map.

Updated October 2026 by Nathaniel Pitchon-Getzels and Sarah G. Anderson, Getzels Group | Christie's International Real Estate Southern California.

Quick Answers for Buyers Comparing Gated Communities

Is Calabasas a gated community? No. Calabasas is an open city, but it has one of the highest concentrations of gated neighborhoods in Los Angeles County. The best known are The Oaks of Calabasas, The Estates at The Oaks, Calabasas Hills and Mountain View Estates. Hidden Hills, next door, is a separate city that is gated in its entirety.

Does Woodland Hills have gated communities? Yes, but only a handful. The leading guard gated enclave is Westchester County Estates, south of Ventura Boulevard. Natoma Estates is a smaller gated enclave nearby, and The Met in Warner Center is a guard gated condominium community. Mulholland Park sits on the Tarzana side of the border.

Is Bel Air gated? Not as a whole. The ornamental East Gate and West Gate mark entrances to public streets. The guard gated communities in Bel Air are Bel Air Crest and Moraga Estates, and the most famous guard gated estates along this stretch of Mulholland, Beverly Park and Mulholland Estates, carry Beverly Hills 90210 addresses.

What "Gated" Actually Means

Listing descriptions use "gated" loosely. Before comparing prices, compare the kind of gate. These are the six formats you will see along the corridor.

Gated city. An incorporated city whose entire street system sits behind staffed gates. Hidden Hills is the local example.

Guard gated community. A staffed gatehouse, usually 24 hours a day, controlling access to private streets maintained by an HOA. The Oaks, Westchester County Estates and Bel Air Crest work this way.

Gate within a gate. A second controlled entry inside a guard gated community, with its own association. The Estates at The Oaks is the clearest example.

Code or card gated community. An automated gate with no guard on duty. Common in Calabasas townhome and midsize single family communities.

Gated private street. A short lane or dead end street shared by a few homes, often without a formal clubhouse or amenities.

Individually gated estate. A private gate on one property along a public street. Much of Bel Air, Beverly Crest and the Hollywood Hills falls into this category.

The difference matters. A staffed gate changes how guests, deliveries, contractors and showings are handled. Private streets shift road and drainage costs to the association. Gate format also affects price per square foot, sometimes by more than the view does.

Which Calabasas Communities Are Gated?

Calabasas is where most West Valley buyers start, and for good reason. Its gated neighborhoods combine newer construction, strong HOA management, and the Las Virgenes Unified School District.

Hidden Hills

Hidden Hills was developed in 1950 and incorporated in 1961, making it a city in its own right with only houses and community spaces inside its boundaries, according to Architectural Digest. Its roughly 2,000 residents live behind three separate guarded gates, which Architectural Digest notes makes it far harder for photographers to anticipate who is coming and going. The community association, not the city, runs the gates, as historical Los Angeles Times reporting describes. The landscape architect A.E. Hanson, who also planned Rolling Hills and Palos Verdes Estates, envisioned the rustic, split rail character that still defines it, per The Real Deal.

Buy here for land, horses and the most complete privacy in the West Valley. Expect equestrian zoning, strict architectural review, and two sets of rules: the city's and the association's.

The Oaks of Calabasas and The Estates at The Oaks

The Oaks is the community most people picture when they hear "Calabasas." It holds roughly 550 single family homes built mainly in the early 2000s behind a 24 hour guard gate at the top of Parkway Calabasas, with a community park, clubhouse, pool, gym and courts. Inside it sits The Estates, a smaller gate within a gate of custom homes on larger lots, with its own association and its own dues.

Buy here for newer construction, a polished amenity campus and a strong resale audience. Read both sets of HOA documents if you are looking inside The Estates.

Calabasas Hills

Calabasas Hills is a guard gated community of roughly 490 homes in the oak foothills, with a clubhouse and recreation facilities. It is one of the most practical ways to combine a staffed gate with Las Virgenes schools at a price below The Oaks.

Mountain View Estates and the Other Gated Neighborhoods

Mountain View Estates, across Parkway Calabasas from The Oaks, offers guard gated living on generally flatter lots. Beyond it, Calabasas has a long list of smaller gated neighborhoods with very different gate formats, including The Ridge, Westridge, Vista Pointe, Mont Calabasas, Bellagio, Mountain Park Estates, Mureau Estates, Oak Creek Estates and Calabasas Country Estates. Some are staffed around the clock; others use code or card gates. Gate hours change over time, so confirm current staffing with the association before you write an offer. Our interactive map lets you filter Calabasas by gate type, price band and lifestyle.

Does Woodland Hills Have Gated Communities?

Woodland Hills is a large, mostly open community, which is exactly why its few gated enclaves are so sought after. The serious options are concentrated south of Ventura Boulevard, where the valley floor climbs into the Santa Monica Mountains.

Westchester County Estates

Westchester County Estates is the guard gated address in Woodland Hills. Its roughly 100 custom estates sit behind a 24 hour staffed gate off Wells Drive, between Natoma and Serrania avenues, next to Serrania Park. Most homes were built in the mid 1980s on lots that commonly run from about 18,000 to 36,000 square feet, and a wave of rebuilds and new construction has pushed recent asking prices for the newest estates past $10 million. Monthly association dues in recent listing records have run about $650 to $675.

Buy here for flat, usable land, a staffed gate, quick access to Ventura Boulevard and the 101, and a far lower price per square foot than comparable guard gated living in Bel Air or Beverly Hills. Sell here knowing that well renovated homes compete with new construction on the same streets, so presentation and pricing strategy carry more weight than usual.

Natoma Estates

Natoma Estates is a small gated enclave on a private street off Natoma Avenue, south of Ventura Boulevard and west of Winnetka Avenue. With few homes and mountain views, it offers one of the most private settings in Woodland Hills. Because inventory is so thin, most opportunities surface through agent networks before they reach the open market.

The Met in Warner Center

For buyers who want a staffed gate without estate pricing, The Met is a guard gated condominium community of 1,279 homes in 17 buildings, built in 1987 in Warner Center. Its recreation package includes several pools, lighted tennis courts and indoor courts. It works well as a lock and leave base or a first step into gated living.

Mulholland Park, Just Across the Line

Many Woodland Hills searches end at Mulholland Park, a guard gated community of roughly 170 homes at the top of Reseda Boulevard beside Braemar Country Club and the Marvin Braude Mulholland Gateway Park entrance. Its addresses are in Tarzana, and recent listing records show association dues near $850 a month. If you are shopping Westchester County Estates, it belongs on the same short list.

Is Bel Air a Gated Community?

Bel Air is one of the most private neighborhoods in Los Angeles, but most of that privacy comes from topography, long driveways and individual estate gates, not from community gates. The Bel Air Association supports neighborhood security, and the landmark East Gate and West Gate mark the way into public streets. Buyers who want a staffed community gate in Bel Air have two main choices.

Bel Air Crest

Bel Air Crest is Bel Air's classic guard gated community: a master planned enclave on the ridge just east of the 405, across from MountainGate Country Club, with about 286 homes under its master association. It is divided between the Canyon Homes, typically 2,500 to 4,500 square feet, and the Custom Homes, which reach 15,000 square feet and more on view lots. Residents share a clubhouse, fitness center, pool, tennis and basketball courts, putting greens and a playground. Combined monthly association dues in recent listing records have generally run from about $1,000 to $1,600.

Buy here for Bel Air and Westside access with full amenities and a staffed gate, at an entry price well below Beverly Park or Moraga Estates.

Moraga Estates

Moraga Estates is the most intimate guard gated enclave in Bel Air: fewer than 40 homes at the end of Moraga Drive, behind a single guarded entrance in the western hills of Bel Air. Lots are large by Westside standards, several exceed an acre, and recent listing records show association dues near $1,450 a month. Homes trade rarely, and many sales happen quietly.

Bel Air Glen and Bel Air Ridge

At the top of Beverly Glen, Bel Air Glen and Bel Air Ridge are planned developments with HOA governance, shared tennis courts and pools. Their access controls differ from a staffed guard gate, so treat them as association communities rather than guard gated enclaves, and confirm current access arrangements before you buy.

The Beverly Hills Enclaves on Mulholland

Two of the most recognized guard gated communities on this stretch of Mulholland Drive sit between Bel Air and Beverly Hills. Beverly Park is split into North Beverly Park, with 64 homes, and South Beverly Park, with 16, and its covenants require homes of at least 5,000 square feet, according to Wikipedia. Mulholland Estates, roughly 90 homes north of Mulholland near Beverly Glen Boulevard, carries a 90210 address while sitting in the Sherman Oaks area of Los Angeles. Both appear on our Mulholland Corridor map alongside The Summit, Beverly Ridge Estates and Hidden Valley Estates.

Which Gated Community Is Right for You?

You want newer construction and a full amenity campus. Start with The Oaks of Calabasas, then compare Calabasas Hills and Mountain View Estates for a lower entry point behind a staffed gate.

You want land, horses or complete privacy. Hidden Hills is the only fully gated city on the corridor. Moraga Estates offers the closest Bel Air equivalent at a much smaller scale.

You want a staffed gate without Bel Air or Calabasas pricing. Westchester County Estates in Woodland Hills offers flat lots of roughly half an acre or more, a 24 hour gate, and quick access to Ventura Boulevard and the 101. Mulholland Park, just across the Tarzana line, is the natural comparison.

You want Westside access with amenities. Bel Air Crest has the clubhouse, pool, courts and gate, five minutes from the 405.

You want a lock and leave base. The Met in Warner Center is the only guard gated condominium community on this list.

You are not sure yet. The Match Me tool on our map asks four questions and returns a short list in under a minute.

Gated Communities Compared: Calabasas, Woodland Hills and Bel Air

School district shown is the general district; always confirm assignment by address. Private school access is a major factor for many corridor buyers.

Questions to Ask Before You Buy Behind a Gate

Who staffs the gate, and when? Ask whether the gate is staffed 24 hours, how guests are cleared, and how the association handles contractors, deliveries and open houses.

Who owns the streets? Private streets mean the association pays for paving, drainage, lighting and sometimes slope repair. Review the reserve study to see whether those costs are funded.

What do the dues really include? Compare dues line by line: guard service, patrol, landscaping, amenities, insurance. Communities with a gate within a gate may charge two sets of dues.

What do the CC&Rs allow? Architectural review, minimum home sizes, rental restrictions, ADUs, solar, fencing and even exterior paint can be governed by the association.

How does the community handle fire risk and insurance? Much of the corridor is in high fire hazard areas. Ask about brush clearance, evacuation routes, how the gate operates in an emergency, and get insurance quotes early in escrow.

How do homes sell here? In small enclaves, a meaningful share of sales happen privately. A local agent with relationships inside the gates will see opportunities the public portals never show.

Selling a Home in a Gated Community

Gated communities reward sellers who understand their buyers. Showings need to be coordinated with the gate. Privacy minded owners often prefer a quiet launch before full public marketing. And because buyers compare enclave to enclave, a home in Westchester County Estates is priced against Mulholland Park and The Oaks as much as against its own street.

If you own in a gated community along the corridor, start with a private valuation built from sales inside your gates, not a citywide average. A Westchester County Estates owner, for example, should be priced against the rebuilt estates on the same streets and against Mulholland Park, not against the Woodland Hills median. Request your private home valuation and we will prepare a confidential analysis for your community.

Explore Every Gated Community on One Map

Our Mulholland Corridor Gated Communities Map brings the corridor together, from Malibu and Calabasas through Woodland Hills, Tarzana, Encino, Bel Air and Beverly Hills. Filter by gate type, area, price band, lifestyle and school district, compare communities side by side, or take the Match Me quiz for a personalized short list.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most exclusive gated community near Calabasas? Hidden Hills, a fully gated city, and The Estates at The Oaks, a gate within a gate inside The Oaks of Calabasas, are the two most exclusive options in and around Calabasas.

Are there guard gated communities in Woodland Hills? Yes. Westchester County Estates is the main guard gated single family community in Woodland Hills, and The