Pacific Palisades Real Estate
Pacific Palisades is a west-side neighborhood inside Los Angeles, California. It is bordered by Brentwood, Malibu, Topanga, and Santa Monica and is home to 27,000 residents. Known for its beautiful landscape, outdoor activities, and city-within-a-city feel, The Pacific Palisades is a mixture of large private homes, smaller historical bungalows, condos and apartments. Pacific Palisades was once the home of the early cinema western factory known as “Inceville” which employed 600 people in the early 1900s. A decade later it became a subdivision founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church and Rev Charles H. Scott who envisioned the Pacific Palisades as an idealistic religious-intellectual commune. Believers snatched up lots and by 1925 the Pacific Palisades had 100 homes. Since the early days of the Pacific Palisades small homes and bungalows have been replaced by multi-million dollar mansions. For many decades the Pacific Palisades remained a dry neighborhood, as the only liquor license was held by a small Chinese restaurant called House of Lee.
There are many different areas and neighborhoods within the Pacific Palisades, each with their own unique feel. The Alphabet Streets or the “North Village” is located north of Sunset Blvd, and street names are consecutively named by order of the alphabet. This residential neighborhood is a popular Halloween trick or treating destination. The Bluffs are far west in the Pacific Palisades on Sunset Boulevard and have beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean and Malibu. Castellammare is the area of small bluffs located directly on the ocean, and is some of the most scenic landscape in the Pacific Palisades. This is where The Getty Villa is built, and there are many other stunning homes in this prime area.
Huntington Palisades is close to “the village” (Pacific Palisades shopping area) and the homes are more typically suburban than other areas of the Pacific Palisades. It is also home to Palisades Park which has four baseball diamonds, tennis courts, indoor basketball courts, a hockey rink, dog parks and playgrounds. Marquez Knolls is an area in the Pacific Palisades known for its large homes and their spectacular ocean views, and is located off of an upslope of Sunset Blvd. The Palisades Highlands are near the end of Sunset Blvd, bordering Topanga Canyon. The Riviera neighborhood and streets are named after French and Italian Riviera destinations. A particularly exclusive area of the Pacific Palisades, the Riviera is bordered by Santa Monica and Brentwood and home to the famous Riviera Country Club. Rustic Canyon is made up of post-war homes built on a former polo field. The Village is the small business district of the Pacific Palisades which runs along Sunset Boulevard and is home to restaurants, shopping, banks, and offices.
The Pacific Palisades has a very involved civic group called the Pacific Palisades Community Counsel, which meets, discusses and advocates to Los Angeles government on behalf of Pacific Palisades residents on a wide range of local issues. There are two elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school that serve the residents of the Pacific Palisades. The schools in the Pacific Palisades are considered some of the best public schools in Los Angeles, a definite consideration for families that live here. There are also several private schools that serve elementary age students.
With its many park facilities, beautiful views, shops, and small community feel, the Pacific Palisades has become one of the prime areas for people looking to purchase beautiful properties in Los Angeles. It has proximity to Los Angeles, Malibu, Santa Monica, and all of the west side, making the Pacific Palisades ideal for many who want to have an outside of the city lifestyle. Prominent residents of the Pacific Palisades include Whoopi Goldberg, Anthony Hopkins and Michael Douglas.
Places of Interest:
The Getty Villa:
Oil tycoon J. Paul Getty was an avid art collector, and his famous collection fills two museums today, both of which are architecturally significant. The Villa was built by Getty in 1954, when the gallery at his home ran out of space. The design was inspired by the Villa of Papyri at Herculaneum and other ancient sites. It holds the ancient antiquities collections, while the remainder of the collection is housed at The Getty Museum in Brentwood. The Greek, Roman and Etruscan antiquities are surrounded by Roman Style architecture and beautifully manicured Roman-style gardens. The art is arranged by themes, and the entrance to the museum is designed to resemble an architectural dig. Tickets are free but must be reserved in advance and parking is $15 per vehicle.
Will Rogers State Historic Park and Polo Club:
Will Rogers, the famous cowboy and vaudeville performer purchased a large land parcel in the Palisades and built a weekend cottage and polo field in 1922, and made it his family home towards the end of his life. It became a state park after his death in 1944. The home is maintained as it was to this day, and is open to the public, though there is an admission. The property has beautiful trails including one that ends with stunning vistas of the ocean and city.
Riviera Country Club:
A championship golf course, with a country club: the host for the annual PGA Tour’s Northern Trust Open each February. It’s also hosted 3 major championships in 1948, 1983, and 1995. The course is located in beautiful Santa Monica Canyon near Sunset Boulevard. Founded in 1926, it was one of the most expensive constructions in golf history at that time. It hosted the equestrian events in the 1932 Summer Olympics and Elizabeth Taylor prepped for her film role in National Velvet at the club. It has been a film location for several films including The Caddy and has had many famous members throughout its history. Tiger Woods has never won there. Guests must attend with a member, and course fees are $350 per round of golf.
Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine:
Founded by Paramahansa Yogananda in 1950, the shrine is a beautiful spring fed lake surrounded by gardens and natural rolling hills, waterfalls, fountains, shrines to various deities from different religions, and a Dutch windmill that serves as a chapel. The property is just blocks from the Pacific Ocean on Sunset Boulevard. The major landmark is a huge golden lotus archway which is visible from all parts of the property. It is a towering white arch topped with an enormous golden lotus blossom. This archway frames the Gandhi World Peace Memorial which holds a portion of the ashes of Mahatma Ghandhi. The shrine is open to the public Tuesday-Sunday.
Resources:
- Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce
- Pacific Palisades Community Counsel
- Pacific Palisades Calendar
- Palisades Charter High School
- Palisades Elementary Charter School
- Westside Waldorf School
- Village School
- Seven Arrows School
- Pacific Palisades Hiking Trips
- Riviera Country Club
- Self-Realization Lake Shrine
- The Getty Villa