L.A. apartment dwellers, buyers looking for luxury.

Lifestyle changes, including an increasingly hi-coastal community of entertainment employees and the economic recovery, are fueling a boom in the local luxury apartment market.

High-end apartment buildings that charge rents ranging from $1,000 to $1,300 per month, and more for two-bedroom

Perceptions about home ownership "have changed in the last five years," said Paul Jennings, co-chairman and chief executive of Public Communications Services, a Los Angeles-based developer. "A lot of people got burned on real estate during the downturn, and demographics are such that people are much more mobile. They don't want to get tied down, and if they work in the entertainment industry, they may be bouncing back and forth to New York."

PCS's just-opened apartment complex, the Premiere at Sherman Oaks. illustrates the trend. The 372-unit residence has its own movie theater for watching dailies on film shoots, a concierge service, valet parking and volleyball courts, among other amenities.

With a majority of its units comprised of studios and one-bedrooms, the Premiere is expected to draw about half of its tenants from corporate clients and studios seeking temporary lodging. But the complex also includes 65 two-bedroom apartments geared to individuals who need long-term housing those units were fully rented in the first weekend of leasing.

"It's sort of a status building, and if you can afford these luxuries, why not?" said Myron Montgomery, corporate housing and leasing director.

To be considered a luxury apartment, buildings must be in prime real estate locations and have a range of amenities that may include tennis courts, health clubs, spas, dry-cleaning pickup and delivery services and washers and dryers and wood-burning fireplaces in the units.

Malik Corp. in Sherman Oaks has built eight such apartment buildings in the Valley since 1994 and currently has another five under construction. The company's developments, in Sherman Oaks, Studio City and Toluca Lake, range from eight to 30 units, and no swimming pools, but they feature such architectural details as drop ceilings in the kitchen, French doors leading out to patios, recessed lighting and ceramic tiles in the kitchen and bath.