Marina Habe and her mother lived at 8962 Cynthia Street, West Hollywood. Their home was located in the Norma Triangle, just a one-minute drive from Sunset Boulevard and the Strip, the Whisky a Go Go, and a similar distance from Santa Monica Boulevard, where the Troubadour stands—the club where she and John Hornburg spent the evening.
Marina’s stepbrother described their West Hollywood home as a small bungalow, typical of the Norma Triangle neighborhood, known for its charming single-story homes and quaint, tree-lined streets. According to one of Marina’s high school friends, the house also had a pool in the backyard.
The home is also mentioned in John Huston’s biography, The Hustons: The Life and Times of a Hollywood Dynasty. Marina’s mother hosted a party to mend the friendship between Huston, with whom she was close, and her neighbor, screenwriter Anthony Veiller, after the two had a falling out. Huston met his fifth and final wife at Marina’s home during a party.
Just a minute from the Whisky a Go Go, Marina lived at the edge of the Sunset Strip’s electrifying music scene. The club pulsed with energy. In 1966, The Doors, led by the charismatic Jim Morrison, held down the house band spot, Otis Redding brought soul, and around 1967, icons like Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix lit the stage—right as Marina walked the streets nearby.
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Map of Marina Habe’s home in the Norma Triangle—since demolished—located within walking distance of Sunset Strip landmarks tied to the counterculture of the late 1960s.
8962 Cynthia Street — Not Avenue
Marina Habe’s address was erroneously reported as “8962 Cynthia Avenue, West Hollywood” in several contemporary newspaper articles. The correct address is 8962 Cynthia Street, West Hollywood. While Cynthia Street is located in West Hollywood, Cynthia Avenue is in Northeast Los Angeles.
The street numbers on Cynthia Avenue only go up to the three-digit range, meaning 8962 Cynthia Avenue does not exist. However, 8962 Cynthia Street was a valid address in West Hollywood and is confirmed to have been Marina Habe’s address, though the house has since been demolished.
Cynthia Street should not be confused with the neighboring Cinthia Street, also in West Hollywood. The two are separated by Doheny Drive. Cynthia was originally named Sherman and was one of the first streets in the town.
Marilyn Monroe Lived Around the Corner
Marilyn Monroe lived in an apartment at the corner of Cynthia Street and Doheny Drive during two separate periods.
She first resided in Unit 3 from 1953 to January 1954, before marrying Joe DiMaggio. She returned to the same unit from April 1961 to March 1962, following her divorce from Arthur Miller and return from New York.
The building, located at 882 North Doheny Drive, was just a four-minute walk from Marina’s home. Marina and her mother, Eloise Hardt, lived there during the same period that Monroe did—and in 1962, Eloise worked alongside Monroe on Something’s Got to Give, Monroe’s final film.
Tex Watson Lived in the Neighborhood
Tex Watson, who later became a key member of the Manson Family, lived around the corner from Marina Habe in early 1968, before joining the group. He stayed on Larrabee Street, just a one-minute drive from Marina’s home. A year later, Watson took part in the brutal Tate–LaBianca murders. He was sentenced to death, but his sentence was later commuted to life in prison, which he is still serving today.
Charles Manson also frequented the neighborhood and was known to visit the Whisky a Go Go in the summer of 1968, as detailed in Jeff Guinn’s Manson: The Life and Times of Charles Manson. He reportedly cleared the dance floor with his wild, gyrating dance moves.
Demolition and Redevelopment
Marina and her mother’s home at 8962 Cynthia Street has since been demolished. The site where it once stood is now occupied by the Beverly Regent condominium complex, which was built in 1974. Marina’s original home was demolished to make way for its construction. Her mother later moved to a neighboring condo complex called Doheny Plaza, apartment 706, located at 818 N. Doheny Drive in West Hollywood.
What Marina Habe’s Home May Have Looked Like
For those interested in what Marina’s home may have looked like, we can look at the bungalow across the street, located at 8963 Cynthia Street, which would have been directly across from Marina’s house.
The home at 8963 Cynthia Street would have been similar in size and style to the bungalow Marina shared with her mother. In neighborhoods like West Hollywood, homes built on the same street, especially directly across from each other, were often constructed around the same time and shared similar architectural designs.
If you’re interested in exploring the architectural style and layout of the Cynthia Street bungalows in more detail, this PDF includes historical information, approximate construction dates, and photographs. (Tip: use Ctrl+F to search for “Cynthia.”)