Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles

Pacific Palisades
Neighborhood of Los Angeles
Pacific Palisades and Will Rogers State Beach, California
Flag
Nickname(s):  The Palisades, PacPal, Pali, Palisades
Motto(s):  "If you’re rich, you live in Beverly Hills. If you’re famous you live in Malibu. If you’re lucky, you live in Pacific Palisades.’"[1] "Where the mountains meet the sea."[2][3]
Map of Pacific Palisades
Pacific Palisades Location within Los Angeles County
Coordinates: 34°02′53″N 118°31′32″W / 34.04806°N 118.52556°W
Country	United States
State	California
County	Los Angeles
City	Los Angeles
First settlement by Chumash people	8,000 BCE
Mexican settlement	1838
Established	1921
Government
• Type	Neighborhood of Los Angeles
• Body	Pacific Palisades Community Council/Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce
• Honorary Mayor	Eugene Levy (D)[5]
Area
• Total	24.31[4] sq mi (62.97[4] km2)
• Land	22.84[6] sq mi (59.15 km2)
• Water	1.47[4] sq mi (3.8[4] km2)
Elevation [7]	328 ft (98.5 m)
Highest elevation [8]	2,126 ft (648 m)
Lowest elevation [8]	0 ft (0 m)
Population (2018)
• Total	28,811[4]
• Density	1,185/sq mi (457.5/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
Zip code	90272
Area code(s)	310/424
Website	Community Council Chamber of Commerce

Pacific Palisades is a seaside community in the Westside of Los Angeles, California, situated about 20 miles (32 km) west of Downtown Los Angeles.^[9].

Pacific Palisades was formally founded in 1921 by a Methodist organization, and in the years since has also been a refuge for Jewish artists and intellectuals fleeing the Holocaust, and the horrors of the Nazis, and later the Palisades became a refuge for celebrities seeking privacy.^[10] and is known for its small-town feel and for being a close-knit community, as well as its Mediterranean climate, hilly topography, its natural beauty and abundance of parkland and hiking trails, 3-mile (4.8 km) strip of coastline, and for being home to a number of celebrities.^[11][12]

Pacific Palisades has been historically home to Hollywood celebrities. Due to its secluded location compared to other affluent areas such as Beverly Hills, notable residents are afforded privacy and papparazzi are uncommon. People in the entertainment industry and other affluent residents live throughout the Palisades, yet some residents are middle class. As of 2018, the community's population was 28,881.

Unlike its neighboring communities of Malibu and Santa Monica, there are no hotels in the Palisades, as Pacific Palisades is a largely residential community and does not attract many tourists other than those visiting the Getty Villa and the Self-Realization Fellowship Temple.

Nicknamed "the Palisades" by surfers and locals, the 3 mile length of the Palisades coast spanning from after Sorrento Beach in Santa Monica to the south ending at Sunset Point Beach with Malibu to the north. Beaches along the Pacific Palisades coast include: Will Rogers State Beach, Sunset Point Beach, and the one of the only gay beaches in Los Angeles, Ginger Rogers Beach. The landmark restaurant Gladstones Malibu, is actually located in Pacific Palisades. The many parks within the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area lie along the ridges above the community along with local parks that include Will Rogers State Historic Park.

The Palisades is bounded by Brentwood to the east, Malibu to the west, Santa Monica to the southeast, the Santa Monica Bay to the southwest, Topanga and the Santa Monica Mountains to the north.

Etymology

The name "Pacific Palisades" comes from the term "palisades", which is a name which describe a geological formation consisting of a series of cliff-like bluffs situated by a body of water, in this case the Pacific Ocean. The Pacific Palisades were given their name also due to the resemblance to The Palisades along the Hudson River.^[13]

History

Native American period

Archeological evidence shows Native American Indians living in the Santa Monica Mountains and the surrounding area including Pacific Palisades for over 10,000 years.^[14] Prior to European contact, the western sections of the Santa Monica mountains were inhabited by the Tongva people.^[14] The closest Tongva settlement to Pacific Palisades with a written record is the village of Topa'nga.^[15] The village of Topa'nga sits on the western-most edge of Tongva territory, neighboring the territory of the Chumash people to the north.^[15] Due to this close proximity to the Chumash, the culture in western Tongva territory contained elements of Chumash influence.^[15]

Mexican period

The land that became Pacific Palisades was originally located within the boundaries of Rancho Boca de Santa Monica, granted by the governor of California during the Mexican period to Francisco Marquez and Ysidro Reyes in 1839.^[15] The Ysidro Reyes Adobe was the first adobe home ever built in Santa Monica Canyon, erected in the year 1838 on land now known as Pampas Ricas Blvd, located in Pacific Palisades.^[16] Sketches of adobe dwelling exist in the collection of the UCLA Library.^[17][18] A memorial plaque sits in a boulder on Pampas Ricas Blvd commemorating the adobe house, dedicated in the 1950s.^[19] Ysidro Reyes died in 1863. Reyes left his portion of Rancho Boca de Santa Monica to his widow, Maria Antonia Villa, who sold it to developer and railroad magnate Robert Symington Baker in 1875.^[20]

1911-1930

In 1911, film director Thomas Ince created his Western film factory, "Inceville", which at its peak employed nearly 600 people. A decade later, the Rev. Charles H. Scott and the Southern California Methodist Episcopal Church bought the land; in 1922, Scott founded Pacific Palisades, envisioning an elaborate religious-intellectual commune.^[21] Believers snapped up choice lots and lived in tents during construction. By 1925, the Palisades had 100 homes. In one subdivision, streets were named for Methodist missionaries. The tents eventually were replaced by cabins, then by bungalows, and ultimately by multimillion-dollar homes. The climate of the area was a big selling point. Temperatures are much cooler than inland Los Angeles during summer, but usually sunnier and less foggy than areas south along the coast (e.g. Santa Monica).

1930– present

Photo of the devastation from the 1938 flood in what is now The Village.

The Palisades was a refuge for many German-Jewish and Austrian-Jewish intellectuals and artists fleeing the Holocaust, many of whom associated with the Exilliteratur settled in Pacific Palisades, including Lion Feuchtwanger, Theodor W. Adorno, Vicki Baum, and Emil Ludwig. Many of these Jewish refugees had previous sought refuge in the south of France (and had to flee due to the fall of France to the Vichy regime), and were surprised by the many similarities between the Mediterranean climate and topography of the Palisades and that of the south of France.^[22][23] Villa Aurora on Paseo Miramar, the Spanish colonial home of Feuchtwanger and his wife, Marta, became the focal point of the expatriate community, which was nicknamed "Weimar by the Sea".^[24] Some non-Jewish exiles who were married to people with Jewish ancestry chose to settle in the Palisades as well, such as Thomas Mann and his wife Katia Mann who resided at 1550 San Remo Drive in the Riviera neighborhood.^[25]

For many decades there was a virtual ban on drinking alcohol in the district, and a Chinese restaurant, House of Lee, held the only liquor license. The Methodist Church created a Chautauqua Conference Grounds in Temescal Canyon.^[26] The Presbyterian Synod purchased the property in 1943 and used it as a private retreat center until the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy purchased the property in 1994 to become Temescal Gateway Park.

Geography

Pacific Palisades is about 7 miles (11 kilometers) west of the UCLA campus.^[27] The Santa Monica Mountain range runs through the northern and eastern sections of Pacific Palisades, accessible through a series of trailheads.^[27]

Topography

The Pacific Palisades covers a total area of 24.31 square miles (63 km²), comprising 22.84 square miles (59.2 km²) of land and 1.47 square miles (3.8 km²) of water.^[4] The Palisades covers an area slightly larger than the island of Manhattan.

Climate

Pacific Palisades has a Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb), and receives just enough annual precipitation to avoid semi-arid climate (BSh),.^[29] Daytime temperatures are generally temperate all year round. In winter, they average around 68 °F (20 °C) giving it a tropical feel although it is a few degrees too cool to be a true tropical climate on average due to cool night temperatures.^[30][31] Pacific Palisades has plenty of sunshine throughout the year, with an average of only 35 days with measurable precipitation annually.^[32]

Temperatures in the Palisades exceed 90 °F (32 °C) on a dozen or so days in the year, from one day a month in April, May, June and November to three days a month in July, August, October and to five days in September.^[32][33] The average annual temperature of the sea is 63 °F (17 °C), from 58 °F (14 °C) in January to 68 °F (20 °C) in August.^[34] Hours of sunshine total more than 3,000 per year, from an average of 7 hours of sunshine per day in December to an average of 12 in July.^[35] Pacific Palisades, like much of the rest of the southern California coast, is subject to a late spring/early summer weather phenomenon called "June Gloom". This involves overcast or foggy skies in the morning that yield to sun by early afternoon.^[36]

Pacific Palisades averages 14.93 in (379 mm) of precipitation annually, mainly occurring between November and March,^[33] generally in the form of moderate rain showers, but sometimes as heavy rainfall during winter storms. Rainfall is usually higher in the neigborhoods located in the hills and coastal slopes of the Santa Monica Mountains, such as the Highlands and Castellammare; due to orographic uplift. Summer days are typically rainless. Rarely, an incursion of moist air from the south or east can bring brief thunderstorms in late summer, especially to the mountains. The coast gets slightly less rainfall, while the inland and mountain areas get considerably more. Years of average rainfall are rare. The usual pattern is year to year variability, with a short string of dry years of 5–10 in (130–250 mm) rainfall, followed by one or two wet years with more than 20 in (510 mm).^[33] Wet years are usually associated with warm water El Niño conditions in the Pacific, dry years with cooler water La Niña episodes. A series of rainy days can bring floods to the lowlands and mudslides to the hills, especially after wildfires have denuded the slopes.

Both freezing temperatures and snowfall are extremely rare in the hills and canyon ridges and along the coast, with the last occurrence of a 32 °F (0 °C) reading being on. While the most recent snowfall occurred in January 2021, it has also occurred several other times in recorded history, the second-most recent being in February 2019,^[37][38] with snow falling in some areas of the Palisades as recently as January 2021.^[39] At the official downtown station, the highest recorded temperature is 113 °F (45 °C) on September 27, 2010,^[33][40] while the lowest is 28 °F (−2 °C),^[33] on January 4, 1949.^[33] In Pacific Palisades, the highest temperature ever officially recorded is 121 °F (49 °C), on September 6, 2020, at the. During autumn and winter, Santa Ana winds sometimes bring much warmer and drier conditions to Pacific Palisades, and raise wildfire risk.

Neighborhoods

The Village

• The Village is the Pacific Palisades' walkable, vibrant downtown area and small central business district with its center at Sunset Boulevard and Via de la Paz. The Village's namesake is the Palisades Village a shopping center which was opened in 2018 and replaced a number of buildings in the downtown area. The Village consists of a weekly farmers' market, restaurants, cafés, and coffee shops in addition to boutiques, shops, banks, offices, an Erewhon Market, Ralph's, a Gelson's, and a Starbucks, and local events.

The Alphabet Streets

• The Alphabet Streets, also known as "The North Village," is the neighborhood that borders the 'village' proper to the north of Sunset Boulevard. This was the first nieghbornood to be built in Pacific Palisades, beginning in 1921 by members of the Methodist movement. This neighborhood has the smaller lot sizes of all the neighborhoods in the Palisades, with lots ranging from 5,200 to 7,500 sq ft in size. The Alphabet Streets are within walking distance to The Village, and this area is characterized by its high density of smaller single family homes on lively narrow streets. The streets, named after Methodist Bishops of the late 19th and early 20th century, are consecutively named beginning with A, B, C, D, etc. – hence the name Alphabet Streets. This neighborhood is a popular destination for trick-or-treaters on Halloween.^[42]

The El Medio Mesa

• The El Medio Mesa is located south of Sunset Boulevard beginning about a quarter mile west of The Village, across Temescal Canyon – just past Palisades Charter High School. The El Medio Mesa extends for a long distance from Temescal Canyon all the way to where Sunset Boulevard meets the Pacific Coast Highway.

Marquez Knolls

• Marquez Knolls is a large area of homes located north of Sunset Boulevard beginning about a quarter mile west of The Village across Temescal Canyon on the mountain upslope known for spectacular ocean views. The lower upslope was first developed in the early 1950s and mid-1960s by the Earl Lachman family. There is a small shopping center on Marquez Street and Sunset Boulevard.

The Via Bluffs and the Huntington Palisades

• The Via Bluffs and The Huntington Palisades are the neighborhoods that border the "village" proper to the south of Sunset Boulevard , overlooking the ocean. The Via Mesa is located between Temescal Canyon on the west and Potrero Canyon on the east; the Huntington Palisades is located between Potrero Canyon on the west and Chautauqua Boulevard on the east. Both of these neighborhoods are within walking distance to The Village and sit upon high bluffs that look out over the Pacific Ocean.

The El Medio Bluffs

• The El Medio Bluffs, as with The Via Bluffs and The Huntington Palisades, The El Medio Bluffs are located on a high ridge overlooking the Pacific Ocean and much of the neighborhood is afforded beautiful ocean views and ocean air.

Castellammare

• Castellammare is located along Pacific Coast Highway on small bluffs much closer to sea-level, north of where Sunset Boulevard meets PCH. This is the home of the Getty Villa and the narrow, winding streets in this neighborhood have Italian names and ocean breezes.^[43]

Rustic Canyon

• Rustic Canyon is the neighborhood east of Chautauqua Boulevard that dips into Santa Monica Canyon and includes the Will Rogers State Historic Park.^[44] The neighborhood features post-war homes located on the former polo field of The Uplifters, the original site of The Uplifters clubhouse (now a city park), and "cabins" developed as second homes and weekend retreats. This area is also known as Uplifter's Ranch.

The Riviera

Aerial view of Pacific Palisades, the Riviera neighborhood can be seen to the right.

Finishing hole at Riviera Country Club

• The Riviera is a Palisades neighborhood located approximately two miles east of The Palisades Village and features The Riviera Country Club, a high-end country club, and streets named after various locations in the French and Italian Riviera. The neighborhood is divided into north and south sections by Sunset Boulevard. It borders Santa Monica and Brentwood. The Riviera Country Club hosts the Genesis Open on the PGA Tour in February (the tournament has been previously known as the Northern Trust Open and Nissan Open and was originally the "Los Angeles Open"). Riviera has hosted three major championships: the U.S. Open in 1948 and the PGA Championship in 1983 and 1995. Ben Hogan won three times in less than 18 months at the course (1947 and 1948 L.A. Open, 1948 U.S. Open), and it became known as "Hogan's Alley." The country club will also host golf during the 2028 Summer Olympics.^[45]

Palisades Highlands

• The Palisades Highlands is a housing development in Los Angeles, California's Pacific Palisades northern region, located in the upper Santa Ynez Canyon. The Highlands has its own shopping center and access to several Topanga State Park trailheads. The Palisades Village shopping center is nearby. The Highlands themself have a number of gated communities, housingndevelopments and distinct neighborhoods some of which are mentioned below.^[46]

Country Estates

A gated community of 80 homes on the farthest west part of the Palisades.

Palisades Hills

Piedra Morada (with its few branching streets) make up the Palisades Hills. This is the oldest area and the highest part at around 1,600 feet (490 m) above sea level.

The Summit

The newest construction in the Highlands that has been completed since the early 2000s. This area includes The Summit Club which is a recreation center with numerous tennis courts, a pool and multiple children's play structures.

Lower Highlands

The Low Highlands includes homes and condominiums as well as a shaping center and various commercial properties. The Highlands development began in the early 1970s. Housing development in the Highlands is now reaching its final stage as residences are being built at the highest point at the northeast border between Pacific Palisades and Topanga State Park in what was once open land. ^[47]

Demographics

In 2009 the Los Angeles Times's "Mapping L.A." project supplied these Pacific Palisades statistics: a population of 25,507 residents in the 22.84 sq mi (59.2 km²) neighborhood, giving a population density of 1,048/sq mi (405/km²), among the lowest for the city and the county.^[48]

Parks and recreation

The Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks operates several recreational facilities in Pacific Palisades.

• Palisades Park, at 851 Alma Real Drive, has 117 acres (47 hectares) of land and is the Palisades largest park.^[49] The Palisades Recreation Center, also at that address, has barbecue pits, four baseball diamonds (two lighted, two unlighted), lighted basketball courts (indoor and outdoor), a children's play area, a football field, an indoor gymnasium (no weights are offered), picnic tables, lighted tennis courts, and lighted volleyball courts. The facility also has a kitchen, a stage, a television area, and various scheduled athletic and non-athletic activities.^[50] The Pacific Palisades Tennis Court, also at that address, has eight courts.^[51]
• Rustic Canyon Park is located along Rustic Canyon Road.^[52] The Rustic Canyon Pool is located at 601 Latimer Road.^[53] The Rustic Canyon Recreation Center, located at the same address, has a multipurpose with a capacity of 150 people that can be used as an auditorium, a gymnasium, or a volleyball court. The center also has barbecue pits, an unlighted baseball diamond, basketball courts (lighted indoor and unlighted outdoor), a children's play area, an indoor gymnasium (no weights are offered), picnic tables, and volleyball courts (lighted and unlighted).^[54]
• Temescal Canyon Park is a non-staffed "pocket park" located along Temescal Canyon Drive from Pacific Coast Highway to Sunset Blvd. The park has barbecue pits, a children's play area, picnic tables, hiking trails, a native garden, and toilets.^[55]
• Santa Ynez Canyon Park is located at Palisades Drive and Avenida de Santa Ynez.^[56]
• Rivas Canyon Park is located at the east terminus of Oracle Place.^[57]

Hiking trails

Hiking is popular in the Palisades, and the community is home to an abundance of hiking trails including the following trails:

Backbone Trail

Bushwacker's Delight

Bushwacker's Delight is a 0.8 mile lightly-trafficked point-to-point trail with 528 ft in elevation gain, located within Will Rogers State Historic Park. This trail is frequented by more-experienced hikers as Bushwacker's Delight is an uncleared trail with overgrown vegetation.^[58]

Eagle Springs Fire Road Loop Trail

Eagle Springs Fire Road Loop Trail is a popular 5.5 mile-long loop trail with 1,095 ft in elevation gain, located near the Palisades Highlands neighborhood. The trail is paved and well-maintained as it doubles as a fire road, and offers a number of activity options. It isnmost popular from September until May. This is one of the few trails in Los Angeles County which is open to those on horseback. This trail offers parking in the nearby lot for $10 a day, and is easily accessible from both the Palisades as well as neighboring Topanga. The Eagle Springs Fire Road Loop Trail leads to Eagle Rock, a rock formation which is a popular spot for photography as it's peak offers sweeping views of the surrounding area and is home to a variety of native lizards.^[59]

El Medio Trail

High Point Trail

High Point Trail is 2.8 mile-long trail with 1,007 ft of elevation gain located in the Santa Monica Mountains overlooked the Palisades. High Point Trail is a paved trail that beginsnon private property, and hikers hiking this trail frequently trespass knowingly or unknowingly in order to complete the hike. This trail is noted for it's wildlife, and although the trail is paved some parts are overgrown with bushes and other vegetation. The trail leads to "Goat Peak" which is of the highest points in the Palisades and offers sweeping views of the surrounding area.^[60]

Inspiration Point Trail

Inspiration Point Trail is a 2.1 mile-long hiking trail with 324 ft in elevation gain located within Will Rogers State Historic Park near the Riviera neighborhood. This is one of the oldest hiking trails in Los Angeles and was created by Will Rogers in the early 20th cenrury. Inspiration Point is one of the only hiking trails in the Palisades which is open to dogs. Inspiration Point Trail is one of the main attractions of Will Rogers State Park, and attracts hikers from across the Palisades and around the area as it is a easy hike with unique vistas of the Los Angeles Basin and Santa Monica Bay. On a clear day one can see views of areas such as Catalina Island, Chino Hills, and Saddleback Peak at the summit of this trail. Inspiration Point Trail also connects to the nearby Backbone Trail.^[61]

Los Leones Trail

Los Leones Trail, also known as Los Liones, is a moderately-challenging hiking trail located in the Castellammare neighborhood. Los Leones Trail is 7.3 miles in length, with over 1,300 ft in elevation gain. . Often spelled "Los Liones," the area is named after the mountain lions that are common in the area.^[62]

Los Leones is one of the most-popular hiking trails in the entire Westside, and the trail weaves through a lush canyon with abundant green vegetation located in the southern end of Topanga State Park, just a 1/3 mile away from the Pacific Ocean. The ivy and chaparral-lined trail offers some of the best of Santa Monica Bay. After 1.3 miles and 550 feet of elevation gain, Los Liones Trail arrives at a clearing on a ridge with a bench that looks down on the Palisades, Santa Monica city and bay, and the surrounding area. The top of this hiking trail joins East Topanga Fire Road, which leads to the Paseo Miramar Trail which leads you deeper into the Santa Monica Mountains. Continuing on the trail you will reach "Parker Mesa Overlook", which is known for offering some of the best views of the coast of any hiking trail in Los Angeles. the area consists of a flat plateau area with sweeping views of the coastline.^[63][64]

Los Lomas Trail

Murphy Ranch Trail

Murphy Ranch Trail

Palisades Highlands to Garapito Trail

Paseo Miramar Trail

• Paseo Miramar Trail

Rustic Canyon Loop

Santa Ynez Canyon Trail

Skull Rock Loop

Skull Rock Loop is a 4 mile-long popular loop trail with 1,141 ft of elevation gain located near the Temescal Canyon neighborhood. This trail is frequented by both rock climbers and birders, as it is home to both rocky terrain ans an abundance of different bird species. Skull Rock Loopnbranches off from the nearby Temescal Canyon Trail, and features a waterfall as well as it's namesake "Skull Rock" which is rock formation names for it's resemblance to a skull. The entrance to the trail offers free street parking or a daily rate in the nearby parking lot for $12.^[65]

Split Rock Trail

The Exercising Stairs

• The Exercising Stairs

Top of The World

Trailer Canyon Fire Road

Trailer Canyon Fire Road is a 4.3 mile-long trail with 925 ft in elevation gain located near the Summit development in the Palisades Highlands neighborhood. This trail is wide and paved as it doubles as a fire road, it is also popular with mountain bikers and birdwatchers. After 1.5 miles this trail connects with the nearby Temescal Ridge Trail, which takes hikers to the Temescal Gateway Park. Trailer Canyon Fire Road has views of the ocean and Temescal Canyon.^[66]

Will Rogers Trail

Will Rogers Trail is a 4.1 mile trail with 449 ft in elevation gain located within Will Rogers State Historic Park. This trail is one of many trails located within the Will Rogers State Park, near the Riviera neighborhood. Will Rogers Trail is known for being very challenging even for experienced hikers, as it is not very well-maintained, and there are signs bon portions of the trail which point this out. Those hiking this trail may have to scramble on stones through the underbrush to avoid falling into the nearby creek. During the winter months the creek often overflows its banks, obscuring the trail and making this trail even more treacherous.^[67]

State parks and beaches

The California Department of Parks and Recreation also has locations in Pacific Palisades.

• Will Rogers State Beach extends 1 ³&fras1;₄ mi (3 km) along the shore. The beach features swimming and skin diving. Facilities include volleyball courts, playground and gymnastic equipment, as well as a bike path and walkway. A number of movies and TV shows have been filmed at this beach. The beach is located off the Pacific Coast Highway, near the intersection with Temescal Canyon Road. The beach is operated by the County of Los Angeles Department of Beaches & Harbors.^[68]
• Will Rogers State Historic Park. While Will Rogers made Beverly Hills his home in the late 1920s, in 1922 he bought a large plot of almost 200 acres (80 hectares) of land above Sunset Blvd. to build a weekend cottage. He built a polo field on the property in 1926, and in 1928 he and his family made it their home. In 1944, nine years after Rogers died, the ranch became a state park. In the interest of historical preservation, the home is maintained as it was including the furniture and fixtures. It is open to the public most days with the exception of major holidays, although admission is required. The top of the property's trail includes vistas of the ocean and city.^[69]
• Temescal Gateway Park, located at 15601 Sunset Blvd., encompasses 141 acres (57 hectares) of oak and sycamore canyons, ridgetop views, and access to miles of trails in Topanga State Park, Will Rogers State Historic Park, and the 20,000-acre (8,000-hectare) “Big Wild.”^[70]
• Topanga State Park Located in the cliffs and canyons of the Santa Monica Mountains and headquartered in nearby Topanga Canyon, Topanga State Park features 36 mi (58 km) of trails through open grassland, live oaks and views of the Pacific Ocean. The park is bound on the south by Pacific Palisades and Brentwood, on the west by Topanga Canyon, and on the east by Rustic Canyon. Numerous geologic formations can be found in the park, including earthquake faults, marine fossils, volcanic intrusions, and a wide variety of sedimentary formations. Trail heads into the park are located throughout Pacific Palisades, including Las Lions Drive, Palisades Highlands, Temescal Gateway Park and Will Rogers State Historic Park.^[71]

Government and infrastructure

The most important civic group within the Palisades is the Pacific Palisades Community Council. The Pacific Palisades Community Council usually meets twice each month to discuss a wide range of issues that affect its residents. The Council has rejected city offers to become an official part of the city, preferring its independent, non-aligned status. Among the main reasons that Council members cite is that the Council would not have the power to appeal decisions of City officials, commissions, and boards and the Council could not appear before Federal, State, and County authorities regarding local issues.

Local government

The community is within District 11 of the Los Angeles City Council, represented by Mike Bonin.^[72]

The Los Angeles Fire Department operates two fire stations serving Pacific Palisades. Station 69 at 15045 West Sunset Boulevard serves Pacific Palisades and the Pacific Coast.^[73] Station 23 at 17281 West Sunset Boulevard serves the Palisades Highlands, Castellammare, and the Pacific Coast.^[74]

The Los Angeles Police Department operates the West Los Angeles Community Police Station at 1663 Butler Avenue, serving the neighborhood.^[75]

County, state, and federal representation

Pacific Palisades is within Los Angeles County's 3rd Supervisorial District. As of 2014, Sheila Kuehl represents the district.^[76]

The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services SPA 5 West Area Health Office serves Pacific Palisades.^[77] The department operates the Simms/Mann Health and Wellness Center in Santa Monica, serving Pacific Palisades.^[78]

Pacific Palisades is a part of California's 50th State Assembly district. As of 2019, Richard Bloom represents the district.^[79] Pacific Palisades is also a part of California's 23rd State Senate district; as of 2019, Ben Allen represents the district. ^[80] The community is a part of the State Board of Equalization District 4,^[81] represented by Mike Schaefer as of 2019.^[82]

In the U.S. House of Representatives Pacific Palisades is within California's 33rd congressional district and is currently represented by Ted Lieu.^[83][84] The United States Postal Service operates the Pacific Palisades Post Office at 15243 La Cruz Drive.^[85][86]

Fire service

Los Angeles Fire Department Stations 23 and 69 serve the area. Station 23 is located on Sunset Boulevard at the bottom of Los Liones Drive and Station 69 is located on Sunset Boulevard and Carey Street.

Law enforcement and security

Pacific Palisades is served by the West Los Angeles Division of the Los Angeles Police Department. One police car is generally assigned to the neighborhood.^[87] Palisades Patrol, a private security company, is contracted by the city and supplements the police presence and provides security for the Palisades. Many residents also rely on private security companies such as ADT, or ACS security.

Education

Public schools

Palisades Charter High School

Residents are zoned to Los Angeles Unified School District schools. The area is within Board District 4.^[88] As of 2017, Nick Melvoin represents the district.^[89][90]

Some residents are assigned to Pacific Palisades Elementary School, some residents are assigned to Canyon Elementary School, and some are assigned to Marquez Elementary School. All residents are zoned to Paul Revere Charter Middle School and Palisades Charter High School.^[91][92]

• Canyon Elementary School opened in 1910.^[93]
• Pacific Palisades Elementary opened in 1922.^[94]

Pacific Palisades Charter Elementary School front tower.

• Marquez Elementary School opened in 1955.^[95]

Marquez Elementary School. Pacific Palisades, CA

• Paul Revere Middle School first opened as Palisades-Brentwood Junior High School on September 12, 1955; it chose its current name during its first year of operation. It became an internal charter in 1994.^[96]
• Palisades Charter High School, commonly known as "Pali High", opened in 1961.^[97] Pali High later became a charter school in 1994.^[98]

Private schools

Private schools in the area include:

• Palisades Jewish Early Childhood Center (preschool-kindergarten) – is a Jewish private school associated with the Chabad movement offering private preschool, kindergarten, daycare and Hebrew school education.^[99]
• Calvary Christian (K–8)^[100]
• Village School^[101] (pre-K–6)
• Corpus Christi (K–8)
• St. Matthew's Parish School (PS–8)
• Seven Arrows (K–6)^[102]
• Westside Waldorf (K–8)
• Lycée Français de Los Angeles Pacific Palisades Campus^[103]

Public libraries

Palisades branch

Los Angeles Public Library operates the Palisades Branch at 861 Alma Real Drive.^[104]

Culture

Palisades Rocks The Fourth!

Fireworks during the 2006 Palisades Rocks The Fourth! event.

Palisades Rocks The Fourth is a Palisadian tradition that first began in 1967. Every Fourth of July, the community's Chamber of Commerce sponsors day-long events which include 5K and 10K runs, a home decorating contest, a parade down Sunset Boulevard, and a concert accompanied by a fireworks display at Palisades High School baseball field.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Palisades Rocks The Fourth! was held mostly virtually beginning in 2020. A virtual concert accompanied by fireworks and a flyover by World War II fighter pilots flying AT-6 fighter jets over the Palisades.^[105]

Synagogues

The Pacific Palisades is home to a large Jewish population and has a number of synagogues including the following:

• Chabad of Pacific Palisades- local Chabad center located at 17315 Sunset Blvd in the Castlellammare neighborhood, offering religious services, Hebrew school and early Jewish education. Chabad of the Palisades hosts a number of Jewish events, and is also responsible for the annual Menorah lighting and Hanukkah celebration at the Palisades Village.^[106][107]

• Kehillat Israel- Reconstructionist synagogue, this is the oldest synagogue in the Palisades.

Media

• The Los Angeles Times is the citywide newspaper.
• The Palisadian-Post, founded in 1928, is the oldest newspaper to serve the Pacific Palisades community.
• The Palisades News, first published in 2014, is a Palisades-based newspaper published twice monthly for the residents of Pacific Palisades.^[108]

Landmarks

Eames House

Eames House

• Eames House: The 1949 home and studio of husband-and-wife design pioneers Charles and Ray Eames.

The Getty Villa

• The Getty Villa: An educational center and museum dedicated to the study of the arts and cultures of ancient Greece, Rome, and Etruria.

Villa Aurora

• Villa Aurora: An artists residence and historic landmark located in the former home of exiled German-Jewish writer Lion Feuchtwanger and his wife Marta.

Thomas Mann House

• Thomas Mann House: Thomas Mann's home during his exile from 1942 to 1952 designed by JR Davidson.

Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine

• Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine:^[24] A 10-acre (4-hectare) spiritual center on Sunset Boulevard founded in 1950 by Paramahansa Yogananda, whose classic book “Autobiography of a Yogi” introduced many Westerners to yoga and Eastern mysticism.

Wildlife

Pacific Palisades is home to a variety of species of wildlife, both native to the area and introduced from elsewhere.

Wild Parrots

Nanday parakeets resting in a tree in Pacific Palisades

Pacific Palisades has been noted for its large population of California wild parrots, and is one of the main areas in Southern California where wild parrots can be found. Parrots mainly live in the sycamore-lined canyons of the Palisades. Wild parrots have lived in the Palisades since the 1960s, and are said to descend from pet parrots that were released by their owners in the area in the wake of the 1961 Bel Air fire, and the closing of Busch Gardens in Van Nuys.^[109][110]

Pacific Palisades is home to numerous species of parrots, and the most commonly-sighted species is the Nanday parakeet^[111]. Other species of parrots found in the Palisades include the mitred parakeet, yellow-chevroned parakeet, white-winged parakeet, rose-ringed parakeet, red-masked parakeet, blue-crowned parakeet, red-crowned parrot, lilac-crowned parrot, white-fronted parrot, blue-fronted parrot, yellow-headed parrot, and the red-lored parrot.^[112]

In popular culture

• Jerry Lewis lived on Amalfi Drive in Pacific Palisades during the 1950s. He shot several Gar-Ron Productions home movies at that house with neighbors Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh.^[113] He became the honorary mayor of the Palisades in 1953.^[114]
• The Beach Boys 1963 hit "Surfin' U.S.A." mentions Pacific Palisades in its list of Southern California surf spots.
• The 1976 book, What Really Happened to the Class of '65? is about members of one of Palisades High School's early graduating classes and how their once-privileged lives turned out years later, often disastrously. The book, by author David Wallechinsky, the son of novelist Irving Wallace, and his "Pali" classmate, film critic Michael Medved, described Pacific Palisades as a microcosm of America during the tumultuous Summer of Love era.^[115]
• The West Coast Avengers, a California-based branch of the Marvel Comics superhero team, were depicted as based out of an estate in Pacific Palisades.^[116]
• Pacific Palisades, a 1997 TV series produced by Aaron Spelling, was named after the area.
• The characters on the teen show Saved by the Bell (1989–1993) mention on several occasions that their school is located in Pacific Palisades.
• Popular show 90210 mentions Palisades High as their rivals and has filmed some episodes on the beach and at a local restaurant, Cafe Vida.
• British alternative rock band Ash included a song entitled "Pacific Palisades" on their 2001 album Free All Angels.
• Rapper Childish Gambino mentions Pacific Palisades in his song IV. Sweatpants saying, "got a glass house in the Palisades."
• In Modern Family, the Dunphy children attend Palisades Charter High School. Alex Dunphy was crowned school valedictorian in the episode "Patriot Games."
• The main character of the TV series Transparent lives in a house in Pacific Palisades.
• untitled 02 – 06.23.2014., the second track of Kendrick Lamar's 2016 compilation album untitled unmastered, mentions the area in the third verse: "Palisade views with some sex."

Filming locations

• The 1985 Jack Nicholson, Kathleen Turner film Prizzi's Honor was partly filmed at a private house located at 15025 Corona Del Mar, which was repainted for the occasion and then turned back to its original colours after the shooting. That house was demolished later and now only exists in film history. It belonged to Joyce R. Proctor.
• The 2005 Anne Hathaway, Bijou Phillips film Havoc was set in the Palisades and filmed at Palisades Charter High School.
• The 2003 Disney film Freaky Friday with Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan was filmed at Palisades Charter High School.
• The 2001 film Crazy/Beautiful starring Kirsten Dunst was filmed at Palisades Charter High School.
• The house used for the exterior shots of the Pearson residence in the 1979 film Phantasm is located at 1232 Corsica Drive in Pacific Palisades.
• The 1985 music video for "Slip It In" by the hardcore punk band Black Flag was filmed at Palisades High School.
• The 1977 NBC television program James at 16, starring Lance Kerwin, was filmed at the same school, which was then called Palisades High School, or more commonly "Pali High".
• The 1976 film Carrie was filmed at Palisades High School.
• The 1957 film No Down Payment has several sequences around Pacific Palisades posing as a Los Angeles suburb.
• Food Network's Everyday Italian is filmed on El Medio.
• The TV series Baywatch was filmed at Lifeguard Headquarters by tower 15 of Will Rogers State Beach in Pacific Palisades.
• The TV series The Rockford Files was often filmed in and around the Palisades in the 1970s.
• The TV series Popular filmed at Palisades Charter High School
• The TV series Modern Family filmed some scenes at Palisades Charter High School.
• The first-season residence of the television series The Golden Girls was a home in Pacific Palisades. For subsequent seasons, a facade house was built on the Disney/MGM back lot.^[117]
• The HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm is filmed in the real-life Pacific Palisades residence of Larry David, as the home of his character, "Larry David".
• The TV series Teen Wolf was filmed at Palisades Charter High School.
• The original 2014 movie God's Not Dead had scenes filmed at 1033 Ravoli Drive in Pacific Palisades.
• The 2014 movie Redeemed, starring Pacific Palisades resident Ted McGinley, also was filmed at 1033 Ravoli Drive.
• An episode of HBO's Silicon Valley was filmed in the Palisades Highlands at 1268 Piedra Morada Drive. It was used as the home of “Big Head” after he became rich.

Notable people

See List of people from Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles

See also

• List of districts and neighborhoods of Los Angeles
• Old Santa Monica Forestry Station in Pacific Palisades.

References

Further reading

• Young, Betty Lou, Pacific Palisades: Where the Mountains Meet the Sea , Pacific Palisades Historical Society Press (1983)

External links

• Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce
• Pacific Palisades Community Council