Pacific Palisades | |
|---|---|
 .jpg)      Pacific Palisades and Will Rogers State Beach, California | |
 Flag | |
| Motto: | |
  Pacific Palisades Location within Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim, CA MSA | |
| Coordinates:34°02′53″N118°31′37″W / 34.0481°N 118.5269°W /34.0481; -118.5269 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Los Angeles |
| City | Los Angeles |
| First settlement byChumash people | 8,000 BC |
| Mexican settlement | 1838 |
| Established | 1921 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Neighborhood of Los Angeles |
| • Honorary mayor | Eugene Levy[4] |
| Area | |
• Total | 24.31 sq mi (62.97[5] km2) |
| • Land | 22.84 sq mi (59.15 km2) |
| • Water | 1.5 sq mi (3.8[5] km2) |
| Elevation | 323 ft (98.5 m) |
| Highest elevation | 2,126 ft (648 m) |
| Lowest elevation | 0 ft (0 m) |
| Population (2023) | |
• Total | 23,648[3] |
| • Density | 1,185/sq mi (457.5/km2) |
| Demonym(s) | Palisadian, Palisadians |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP Code | 90272 |
| Area codes | 310 and 424 |
| Website | Community Council Chamber of Commerce |
Pacific Palisades is a neighborhood in theWestside region of the city ofLos Angeles, California, situated about 20 miles (32 km) west ofdowntown.[8] It was founded in 1921 by aMethodist organization, and is known for its seclusion,Mediterranean climate, hillytopography, abundance of parkland and hiking trails, a 3-mile (4.8 km) strip of coastline, and for being home to several architecturally significant homes.[9][10]
The neighborhood is bounded byBrentwood to the east, the unincorporated community ofTopanga to the west,Santa Monica to the southeast, theSanta Monica Bay to the southwest, and theSanta Monica Mountains to the north. Parks and beaches in the Palisades include theSanta Monica State Beach,Will Rogers State Beach,Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, andWill Rogers State Historic Park.
In January 2025, thousands of structures were destroyed by thePalisades Fire, amounting to several billion dollars in damages, as part of the wider outbreak ofSouthern California wildfires.
Archeological evidence showsNative American Indians living in the Santa Monica Mountains and the surrounding area including Pacific Palisades for over 10,000 years.[11] Prior to European contact, the western sections of the Santa Monica mountains were inhabited by theTongva people.[11] The closestTongva settlement to Pacific Palisades with a written record is the village ofTopa'nga.[12] The village of Topa'nga sits on the westernmost edge of Tongva territory, neighboring the territory of theChumash people to the north.[12] Due to this close proximity to the Chumash, the culture in western Tongva territory contained elements of Chumash influence.[12]
During the period of Mexican rule of California, the land that became Pacific Palisades belonged toRancho Boca de Santa Monica, granted by the governor of California to Francisco Marquez andYsidro Reyes in 1839.[12] 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 in Pacific Palisades.[13] Sketches of adobe dwelling exist in the collection of theUCLA Library.[14][15] A memorial plaque sits in a boulder on Pampas Ricas Blvd commemorating the adobe house, dedicated in the 1950s.[16] 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 magnateRobert Symington Baker in 1875.[17]
In 1911, film directorThomas Ince constructed his historic film studioInceville on a 460-acre (1.9 km2) tract of land he leased calledBison Ranch atSunset Boulevard andPacific Coast Highway in theSanta Monica Mountains. Today this is where theSelf-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine is located, a Pacific Palisades landmark. By the following year, Ince had earned enough money to purchase the ranch and was able to lease an additional 18,000 acres (73 km2) lot in what is now in thePalisades Highlands neighborhood, stretching 7.5 miles (12.1 km) up Santa Ynez Canyon. This was the first major development built in the Palisades since the Mexican rancho era.[18]
This was the first studio in the area which featured silent stages, production offices, printing labs, a commissary large enough to serve lunch to hundreds of workers, dressing rooms, props houses, elaborate sets, all in one central location.
When Inceville was completed, the streets were lined with many types of structures, from humble cottages to mansions, mimicking the style and architecture of different countries.[19] Extensive outdoor western sets were built and used on the site for several years. According to Katherine La Hue in her book,Pacific Palisades: Where the Mountains Meet the Sea:
Ince invested $35,000 in building, stages and sets ... a bit of Switzerland, aPuritan settlement, a Japanese village ... beyond the breakers, an ancientbrigantine weighed anchor, cutlassed men swarming over the sides of the ship, while on the shore performing cowboys galloped about, twirling their lassos in pursuit of errant cattle ... The main herds were kept in the hills, where Ince also raised feed and garden produce. Supplies of every sort were needed to house and feed a veritable army of actors, directors and subordinates.
While the cowboys, Native Americans and assorted workers lived at Inceville, the main actors came from Los Angeles and other communities as needed, often taking thered trolley cars to theLong Wharf in what is now theTemescal Canyon neighborhood, wherebuckboards conveyed them to the set.
Ince lived in a house overlooking the vast studio in what is now the Marquez Knolls neighborhood.[20][failed verification] Indeed, "Inceville" became a prototype for Hollywood film studios of the future, with a studio head (Ince), producers, directors, production managers, production staff, and writers all working together under one organization and under the supervision of a General Manager,Fred J. Balshofer.[21]
On January 16, 1916, a fire broke out at Inceville, the first of many that eventually destroyed all of the buildings. Ince later gave up on the studio and sold it toWilliam S. Hart,[22] who renamed itHartville. Three years later, Hart sold the lot toRobertson-Cole Pictures Corporation, which continued filming there until 1922. La Hue writes that the place was virtually a ghost town when the last remnants of Inceville were burned on July 4, 1922, leaving only a "weatherworn old church, which stood sentinel over the charred ruins."
A decade later, the Rev. Charles H. Scott and the Southern CaliforniaMethodist Episcopal Church bought the land; in 1922, Scott foundedPacific Palisades, envisioning an elaborate religious-intellectual commune.[23] Believers snapped up choice lots and lived in tents during construction. By 1925, the Palisades had 100 homes. In one subdivision, streets were named in alphabetical order forMethodist missionaries (the "Alphabet Streets"). 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).
The name "Pacific Palisades" comes from the term for atall wooden fence or defensive wall, by analogy with the cliff-like bluffs situated on the western side of the neighborhood bordered by the Pacific Ocean. These bluffs were said to resemble those in thePalisades section of New Jersey, on the western side of the lowerHudson River.[24]
Pacific Palisades enjoyed steady growth throughout theRoaring 20s. The paving ofSunset Boulevard in 1925 brought an increased flow of traffic through the community and offered more convenient access to nearbyWestwood andBeverly Hills.[25]
In 1928, theLos Angeles Police Department began renting temporary office space in the now-historic Business Block building for the price of $10 a month. The following year, a motorcycle officer was assigned to make nightly patrols in the area. The Palisades finally acquired its own fire station in 1929, located on Sunset, adjacent to where the localChase Bank branch now stands in the Village neighborhood.[25]
By 1929 the town consisted of about 365 homes with about 1,000 residents, who mostly resided in the "Alphabet Streets" neighborhood, although residential construction was now expanding into what would later become the Castellammare, Huntington and Paseo Miramar neighborhoods.[26] On August 18 of that year, the cornerstone was laid for the foundation of theMethodist Episcopal Church on Via de la Paz, which at that time was the community's only church. Directly across the street, planning was underway for the town's first permanent school building which would later become known as "Palisades Elementary", which was dedicated on June 12, 1931.[25]
By the end of the decade, nearly all remaining open areas of Pacific Palisades were being developed, reflecting the period's booming growth and the Palisades' coastal allure. Golfers were already enjoying theRiviera Country Club, opened in 1927, and theBel-Air Bay Club opened in March 1930.[25]
During the 1930s and 40s, the Palisades attracted German,German-Jewish andAustrian-Jewish intellectuals and artists fleeing fromHitler’sHolocaust, including associated with theExilliteratur literary movement, such asThomas Mann,Lion Feuchtwanger,Theodor W. Adorno,Vicki Baum,Herbert Zipper, andEmil Ludwig. Some of these exiles had previously sought refuge in the south of France, but fled to the United States after thefall of France. They were surprised by the similarities with the Mediterranean climate and topography.[27][28]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".[29] Some non-Jewish exiles who were married to people with Jewish ancestry chose to settle in the Palisades as well, such asThomas Mann and his wifeKatia Mann who resided at1550 San Remo Drive in the Riviera neighborhood.[30]
For many decades there was a virtual ban on the sale ofalcoholic beverages in the district, and aChinese restaurant, House of Lee, held the onlyliquor license. The Methodist Church created aChautauqua Conference Grounds in Temescal Canyon.[31] The Presbyterian Synod purchased the property in 1943 and used it as a private retreat center until theSanta Monica Mountains Conservancy purchased the property in 1994 to become Temescal Gateway Park.
Though the Palisades had a notable Jewish population since at least the 1930s, it was still largely Methodist until the 1970s. This is when the Palisades began to see an increase in affluent Jewish migration.[citation needed]Mort's Deli,[citation needed], opened in 1972; it closed in 2007.[32]
In 2021, awildfire destroyed about 1,200 acres (490 ha) in Pacific Palisades and an arson suspect was detained.[33]
On January 7, 2025, thePalisades Fire began north of Bienveneda Ave. The fire was propelled at a rapid rate of spread due to extremely high Santa Ana Winds and critically dry brush. The fire quickly spread through the Palisades and neighboring communities before being fully contained on January 31. The fire destroyed 6,831 structures, damaged 973 structures, injured 3 civilians, 1 firefighter, and killed 12 civilians.[34] It is thetenth-deadliest andthird-most destructive California wildfire on record and the most destructive to occur in the history of the city of Los Angeles.[35][36][37]
Pacific Palisades is located about 7 miles (11 kilometers) west of theUCLA campus.[38] The Santa Monica Mountain range runs through the northern and eastern sections of Pacific Palisades, accessible through a series oftrailheads.[38]
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.[5] The Palisades coast is about three miles (4.8 km) in length.
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Pacific Palisades has aMediterranean climate (KöppenCsb), and receives just enough annual precipitation to avoidsemi-arid climate (BSh),.[40] 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.[41][42] Pacific Palisades has plenty of sunshine throughout the year, with an average of only 35 days with measurable precipitation annually.[43]
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.[43][44] 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.[45] 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.[46] 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.[47]
Pacific Palisades averages 14.93 in (379 mm) of precipitation annually, mainly occurring between November and March,[44] generally in the form of moderate rain showers, but sometimes as heavy rainfall during winter storms. Rainfall is usually higher in the neighborhoods located in the hills and coastal slopes of theSanta Monica Mountains, such as the Highlands and Castellammare; due toorographic 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).[44] Wet years are usually associated with warm waterEl Niño conditions in the Pacific, dry years with cooler waterLa Niña episodes. A series of rainy days can bring floods to the lowlands and mudslides to the hills, especially afterwildfires 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,[48][49] with snow falling in some areas of the Palisades as recently as January 2021.[50] At the official downtown station, the highest recorded temperature is 113 °F (45 °C) on September 27, 2010,[44][51] while the lowest is 28 °F (−2 °C),[44] on January 4, 1949.[44] During autumn and winter,Santa Ana winds sometimes bring much warmer and drier conditions to Pacific Palisades, and raise wildfire risk.
| Climate data for Pacific Palisades, California | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 88 (31) | 92 (33) | 95 (35) | 102 (39) | 97 (36) | 104 (40) | 97 (36) | 98 (37) | 110 (43) | 106 (41) | 101 (38) | 94 (34) | 110 (43) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 66 (19) | 67 (19) | 67 (19) | 70 (21) | 71 (22) | 75 (24) | 79 (26) | 80 (27) | 79 (26) | 76 (24) | 70 (21) | 67 (19) | 72 (22) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 48 (9) | 49 (9) | 50 (10) | 52 (11) | 55 (13) | 58 (14) | 61 (16) | 62 (17) | 61 (16) | 57 (14) | 52 (11) | 49 (9) | 55 (13) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 27 (−3) | 34 (1) | 37 (3) | 43 (6) | 45 (7) | 48 (9) | 52 (11) | 51 (11) | 47 (8) | 43 (6) | 38 (3) | 32 (0) | 27 (−3) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 3.41 (87) | 3.69 (94) | 2.86 (73) | 0.65 (17) | 0.27 (6.9) | 0.04 (1.0) | 0.02 (0.51) | 0.13 (3.3) | 0.21 (5.3) | 0.41 (10) | 1.14 (29) | 1.98 (50) | 14.83 (377) |
| Source 1:[52] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2:[53] | |||||||||||||
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hottest | 63.9 °F (17.7 °C) | 64.2 °F (17.9 °C) | 67.5 °F (19.7 °C) | 68.2 °F (20.1 °C) | 71.5 °F (21.9 °C) | 75.9 °F (24.4 °C) | 79.8 °F (26.6 °C) | 79.0 °F (26.1 °C) | 80.3 °F (26.8 °C) | 75.4 °F (24.1 °C) | 66.9 °F (19.4 °C) | 62.2 °F (16.8 °C) |
| Coldest | 46.7 °F (8.2 °C) | 51.1 °F (10.6 °C) | 52.0 °F (11.1 °C) | 55.2 °F (12.9 °C) | 57.2 °F (14.0 °C) | 62.9 °F (17.2 °C) | 66.2 °F (19.0 °C) | 66.3 °F (19.1 °C) | 63.1 °F (17.3 °C) | 57.8 °F (14.3 °C) | 55.2 °F (12.9 °C) | 49.4 °F (9.7 °C) |
| Wettest | 14.43 in (367 mm) | 15.23 in (387 mm) | 10.44 in (265 mm) | 7.31 in (186 mm) | 3.83 in (97 mm) | 0.98 in (25 mm) | 0.43 in (11 mm) | 2.54 in (65 mm) | 5.13 in (130 mm) | 5.13 in (130 mm) | 9.96 in (253 mm) | 11.46 in (291 mm) |
| Driest | 0 in (0 mm) | 0 in (0 mm) | 0 in (0 mm) | 0 in (0 mm) | 0 in (0 mm) | 0 in (0 mm) | 0 in (0 mm) | 0 in (0 mm) | 0 in (0 mm) | 0 in (0 mm) | 0 in (0 mm) | 0 in (0 mm) |
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The Village is Pacific Palisades' small central business district with its center atSunset Boulevard and Via de la Paz, known for an abundance of Italian restaurants. The Village's anchor is thePalisades Village, a shopping center which was opened in 2018 and replaced a number of buildings in the downtown area. This business district is centered around the historicBusiness Block building located between Antioch and Sunset. The Village consists of a weekly farmers' market, restaurants, and a coffee shop in addition to shops, and offices.[citation needed]
The Alphabet Streets, also known as "The North Village", is the neighborhood that borders the 'village' proper to the north ofSunset Boulevard. This was the first neighborhood to be built in Pacific Palisades, beginning in 1921 by members of theMethodist movement. This neighborhood has the smallest 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 destination for trick-or-treaters on Halloween.[55]
The El Medio Mesa is located south ofSunset Boulevard beginning about a quarter mile west of The Village, across Temescal Canyon – just pastPalisades Charter High School. The El Medio Mesa extends for a long distance from Temescal Canyon all the way to where Sunset Boulevard meets thePacific Coast Highway.[citation needed]
Marquez Knolls is a large area of homes located north ofSunset Boulevard beginning about a quarter mile west of The Village across Temescal Canyon on the mountain upslope, known for spectacular ocean views. There is a small shopping center on Marquez Avenue and Sunset Boulevard.[citation needed]
The Via Bluffs and The Huntington are the neighborhoods that border the "village" proper to the south ofSunset 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.[citation needed]
The El Medio Bluffs, as with The Via Bluffs and The Huntington Palisades, are located on a high ridge overlooking the Pacific Ocean and much of the neighborhood is afforded ocean views and ocean air.[citation needed]
Castellammare is located alongPacific Coast Highway on small bluffs much closer to sea-level, north of whereSunset Boulevard meets PCH. This is the home of theGetty Villa and the narrow, winding streets in this neighborhood have Italian names and ocean breezes.[citation needed]
Rustic Canyon is the neighborhood east of Chautauqua Boulevard that dips into Santa Monica Canyon and includes theWill Rogers State Historic Park.[56] 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 is a Palisades neighborhood located approximately two miles (3.2 km) east of The Palisades Village and features streets named after various locations in the French and Italian Riviera. The neighborhood is divided into north and south sections bySunset Boulevard. It borders Santa Monica and Brentwood. TheRiviera Country Club hosts theGenesis Open on thePGA Tour in February. Riviera has hosted threemajor championships: theU.S. Open in1948 and thePGA Championship in1983 and1995.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 the2028 Summer Olympics.[57]
The Palisades Highlands is a neighborhood in the northern region, located in the upper Santa Ynez Canyon. The Highlands has access to severalTopanga State Park trailheads. The Highlands themself have a number of gated communities, housing developments and distinct neighborhoods including the following:[58]
Santa Monica Canyon, named for the historicRancho Boca de Santa Monica, is within the city of Los Angeles and is considered part of the Los Angeles community of Pacific Palisades. Canyon Charter School serves the local area. The neighborhood is bordered by Chautauqua Boulevard to the north and Adelaide Drive to the south.
In 2009 theLos 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.[59] Demographic data from the 2023 US Census American Community Survey indicated a population that was 81%Non-Hispanic White, 6%Asian, 1%Black, 8% multiracial; 4% of residents wereHispanic or Latino, of any race.[60]
The Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks operates several recreational facilities in Pacific Palisades.
Hiking is common in the Palisades, and the community is home tohiking trails including the following:
The Backbone Trail is along distance trail extending 68 miles[70] (109 km) across the length of theSanta Monica Mountains. The trail runs through bothMalibu and Pacific Palisades, with its western terminus inPoint Mugu State Park in Malibu and its eastern terminus inWill Rogers State Historic Park in Pacific Palisades. The trail is open to hikers throughout its length; dogs,mountain bicyclists andhorseback riders are allowed on portions of the trail as posted. The trail follows a well-maintained, single-track path with some dirt roads. There is no permit required for hiking it.[71]
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 it is an uncleared trail with overgrown vegetation.[72]
Eagle Springs Fire Road Loop Trail is a 5.5 mile-long loopwith 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 activity options. It is most popular from September to May. This is one of the few trails in Los Angeles County open to those onhorseback. This trail offers parking in the nearby lot for $10 a day, and is easily accessible from the Palisades and neighboring Topanga. The Eagle Springs Fire Road Loop Trail leads to Eagle Rock, a rock formation which is a common spot for photography as its peak offers sweeping views and is home to a variety of native lizards.[73]
High Point Trail is 2.8 mile-long trail with 1,007 ft of elevation gain located in the Santa Monica Mountains overlooking the Palisades. It is a paved trail that begins on private property, and hikers frequently trespass knowingly or unknowingly to complete the hike. This trail is noted for its wildlife, and though the trail is paved, parts are overgrown with bushes and other vegetation. The trail leads to"Goat Peak", one of the highest points in the Palisades with views of the area.[74]
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 byWill Rogers in the early 20th century. It is one of the few trails in the Palisades open to dogs. The trail is one of the main attractions of Will Rogers State Park, as it is an 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 asCatalina Island,Chino Hills, andSaddleback Peak at the summit of the trail. Inspiration Point Trail connects to Backbone Trail.[75]
Los Leones Trail, also known as Los Liones, is a moderately-challenging trail located in the Castellammare neighborhood. It is 7.3 miles long, with over 1,300 ft in elevation gain. Often spelled "Los Liones", the area is named after the mountain lions common in the area.[76]
Los Leones is one of the most-popular trails in theWestside, and weaves through a lush canyon with abundant green vegetation located in the southern end ofTopanga State Park, just a 1/3 mile away from the Pacific. 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, the 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 the trail joins East Topanga Fire Road, which leads to the Paseo Miramar Trail which leads deeper into theSanta Monica Mountains. Further on the trail is"Parker Mesa Overlook", known for some of the best views of the coast of any trail in Los Angeles. The area consists of a flat plateau area with sweeping views of the coast.[77][78]
Murphy Ranch Trail
Skull Rock Loop is a 4-mile-long loop trail with 1,141 ft of elevation gain located near the Temescal Canyon neighborhood. This trail is frequented by bothrock climbers andbirders, as it is home to rocky terrain and an abundance of bird species. Skull Rock Loop branches off from the nearby Temescal Canyon Trail, and features a waterfall as well as its namesake"Skull Rock", a rock formation named for its resemblance to a skull. The entrance to the trail offers free street parking or a daily rate in the nearby parking lot for $12.[79]
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 used by 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.[80]
Will Rogers Trail is a 4.1 mile trail with 449 ft in elevation gain located withinWill 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 on portions of the trail which point this out. Those hiking may have to scramble on stones through the underbrush to avoid falling into the nearby creek. During winter the creek often overflows its banks, obscuring the trail and making it even more treacherous.[81]
The California Department of Parks and Recreation also has locations in Pacific Palisades.
Will Rogers State Beach extends1+3⁄4 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.[82]
WhileWill Rogers made Beverly Hills his home in the late 1920s, in 1922 he bought a large plot of 186 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.[83][failed verification]
Temescal Gateway Park, located at 15601 Sunset Blvd., has 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".[84]
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.[85][failed verification]
The most important civic group within the Palisades is thePacific 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.[citation needed]
The community is withinDistrict 11 of the Los Angeles City Council, represented byTraci Park.[86]
TheLos Angeles Fire Department operates two fire stations serving Pacific Palisades. Station 69 at 15045 West Sunset Boulevard serves Pacific Palisades and the Pacific Coast.[87] Station 23 at 17281 West Sunset Boulevard serves the Palisades Highlands, Castellammare, and the Pacific Coast.[88]
TheLos Angeles Police Department operates the West Los Angeles Community Police Station at 1663 Butler Avenue, serving the neighborhood.[89]
Pacific Palisades is within Los Angeles County's 3rd Supervisorial District. As of 2014,Sheila Kuehl represents the district.[90]
TheLos Angeles County Department of Health Services SPA 5 West Area Health Office serves Pacific Palisades.[91] The department operates the Simms/Mann Health and Wellness Center inSanta Monica, serving Pacific Palisades.[92]
Pacific Palisades is a part ofCalifornia's 50th State Assembly district. As of 2019,Richard Bloom represents the district.[93] Pacific Palisades is also a part ofCalifornia's 23rd State Senate district; as of 2019,Ben Allen represents the district.[94] The community is a part of theState Board of Equalization District 4,[95] represented by Mike Schaefer, as of 2019.[96]
In theU.S. House of Representatives, Pacific Palisades is withinCalifornia's 32nd congressional district, and is currently represented byBrad Sherman. TheUnited States Postal Service operates the Pacific Palisades Post Office, at 15243 La Cruz Drive.[97][98]
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.
Pacific Palisades is served by the West Los Angeles Division of theLos Angeles Police Department. One police car is generally assigned to the neighborhood.[89][citation needed] Many residents also rely on private security companies such as ADT, or ACS security.
Pacific Palisades is a heavilyDemocratic area, and Democrats tend to win the majority of the vote in each election.
In the2024 presidential election, of the 11,151 votes cast from the five voting precincts that largely constitute the Palisades (9005918A, 9005919A, 9005929A, 9001382A, 9007693D), 71.17% went forKamala Harris, whileDonald Trump andRobert F. Kennedy Jr. received just 27.75% and 1.08% of the Palisadian vote, respectively.[99]
Residents are zoned toLos Angeles Unified School District schools. The area is within Board District 4.[100] As of 2017,Nick Melvoin represents the district.[101][102]
Some residents are assigned toPacific 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 andPalisades Charter High School.[103][104]
Private schools in the area include:
Los Angeles Public Library operates the Palisades Branch at 861 Alma Real Drive.[116]
Beginning in 1988, each year on the first night ofHanukkah a public menorah lighting ceremony is held at thePalisades Village, the downtown area of the Palisades. The menorah lighting is organized by Chabad of Pacific Palisades as well as other leaders in the local Jewish community, and the Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce. It is hosted by Palisades Chabad Rabbi Zushe Cunin, as well as thehonorary mayor, the city councilman representing the area, and local developerRick Caruso. It is accompanied by a community event featuring liveHanukkah music, complimentary Hanukkah foods such aslatkes,chocolate gelt andsufganiyot, Hanukkah-themed arts and crafts, face painting and balloon twisting.
On December 2, 2018, the 30th Annual Pacific Palisades Menorah Lighting was held at its new location, the Palisades Village shopping center. This was the highest-attended menorah lighting in Palisades history and was attended by over 1,000 people, including actors and Co-honorary Mayors Janice andBilly Crystal, Rabbi Zushe Cunin, Palisades Village developer Rick Caruso, and councilmanMike Bonin. The Crystals also helped in the planning of the event. The event performances of Hanukkah and other traditionalJewish music by the Marquez Elementary Choir, Paul Revere Music Club and the Westside Waldorf School.[117]
Pacific Palisades is also home to one of the fewvegan Hanukkah celebrations in Los Angeles,"Lights and Latkes", hosted by vegan Rabbi Jonathan Klein and JewishVeg Los Angeles.[118]
Palisades Rocks The Fourth is a Palisadian tradition that first began in 1967. EveryFourth of July, the community'sChamber of Commerce sponsors day-long events which include5K and10K runs, a home decorating contest, a parade downSunset Boulevard, and a concert accompanied by a fireworks display atPalisades High School football field.
Due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, Palisades Rocks The Fourth! was held mostly virtually beginning in 2020. A virtual concert accompanied by fireworks and a flyover byWorld War II fighter pilots flyingAT-6 trainers over the Palisades.[119]
Pacific Palisades is home to a large Jewish population and has a number of synagogues including the following:
The Bel-Air Bay Club is both an event venue (Upper Club) and a private beach club (Lower Club) located in the area.
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The Riviera Country Club is aprivate club with a championshipgolf course and tennis courts in the Riviera neighborhood of Pacific Palisades. It is just a block south ofSunset Boulevard.
The Riviera was designed bygolf course architectsGeorge C. Thomas, Jr. andWilliam P. Bell,[citation needed] it has been the primary host for theGenesis Invitational (originally the Los Angeles Open), an annual event on thePGA Tour in February. The2021 edition was the 58th held at Riviera.
The Riviera has hosted threemajor championships: theU.S. Open in1948, and thePGA Championship in1983 and1995. In addition, it was site of theU.S. Senior Open, asenior major, in1998 and theU.S. Amateur in August 2017.[122] The club is scheduled to host theOlympics in 2028.[57]
The Will Rogers Polo Club is apolo club located at 1501Will Rogers State Park Road, Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, California.,[123][124][125][126] which is withinWill Rogers State Historic Park, and is Southern California's only remainingpolo club.
ArchitectCharles W. Moore designed his first house in Los Angeles for the UCLA economist and urban planning professor, Leland Burns. The house was completed in 1974. It occupies a narrow ledge on a steep slope of the Santa Monica canyon. The house is composed of an interlocking set of shed roofs and tower, its forms reminiscent of The Sea Ranch Condominium, but adapted for a sense of the Mediterranean climate and Hollywood allusions. An interior staircase climbs up through a vertical cleft in the narrow house, and then at the very top of the third story, the stair descends outside, back down into a swimming pool court. Designer Tina Beebe developed with Moore the color scheme, whereby exterior planes were painted in a range of ochres, pinks, roses, and golds, so as the light and shade shifts during the day, the house itself seems to change like a chameleon.[attribution needed] The house was built around a tracker organ hand-built byJürgen Ahrend, an instrument known as Opus 1, U.S.A.
TheBradbury House is a historic house in the Huntington Palisades neighborhood. It was designed in theSpanish Revival style by architectJohn Byers, and it was completed in 1923.[131] The home was built for Lewis L Bradbury Jr,[132] whose father, Lewis L Bradbury, commissioned the construction of theBradbury Building inDowntown Los Angeles.[131] It has been listed on theNational Register of Historic Places since March 22, 2010.[133]
TheBusiness Block building was a historic building located in the Palisades downtown area called the Village, prior to the 2025 fire. It served as the anchor of the downtown area, and was designed by architect Clifton Nourse and dedicated in 1924. The building was 30,000 square feet (2,800 m2) and sits on 36,000 square feet (3,300 m2) of land. The Business Block building is located between Antioch, Swarthmore and Sunset in the Village neighborhood of Pacific Palisades, an area in theWestside of Los Angeles, California.[134]
TheDolores Del Río House is located at 757 Kingman Avenue and was designed forMexican-American actressDolores del Río and her husband, production designerCedric Gibbons, by architectsDouglas Honnold andGeorge Vernon Russell in 1929.[135][136][137][138]
Eames House is the 1949 home and studio of husband-and-wife design pioneersCharles and Ray Eames.
The Getty Villa is an educational center and museum dedicated to the study of the arts and cultures ofAncient Greece,Rome, andEtruria.
TheKappe Residence is a house located in theRustic Canyon section of Pacific Palisades, that was designed by architectRaymond Kappe, FAIA,[clarification needed] and was intended to be his own private residence. The house is a modern design built into a heavily treed hillside. The Kappe Residence was designated aLos Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 1996, and in 2008 it was named one of the top ten houses in Los Angeles by an expert panel selected by theLos Angeles Times.
Mort's Palisades Deli, more commonly referred to asMort's Deli, was aJewish delicatessen located at 1035 Swarthmore Ave on the corner ofSunset Boulevard in the Village. Mort's was a neighborhood fixture and local landmark, which first opened in 1972 and closed in 2008 upon the building's sale to former mayorRichard Riordan, who closed the deli to make way for a bistro, which itself closed after a few months. The deli was known for theirReuben sandwiches and celebrity clientele includingLarry David,Walter Matthau, andLarry King among others, as well as being featured in numerous episodes ofCurb Your Enthusiasm asLeo's Deli.
TheOld Santa Monica Forestry Station is the nation's first experimental forestry station, built in 1887. The Old Santa Monica Forestry Station was designated aCalifornia Historic Landmark (No.840) on March 20, 1970.[139] Old Santa Monica Forestry Station is located in theRustic Canyon neighborhood of Pacific Palisades. It is south of what is now calledSanta Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. The hills and canyons around the Santa Monica Canyon were a land boom in the late 1880s. In 1971 the state placed a marker near the entrance of theRustic Canyon Recreation Center at the NW corner of Latimer and Hilltree Roads, at 601 Latimer Road; which reads:[140][141]
In 1887, the State Board of Forestry established the nation's first experimental forestry station. Located in Rustic Canyon, the station tested exotic trees for planting in California, established plantations for management studies, and produced planting stock for scientific and conservation purposes. The station was operated by the Board of Forestry until 1893 and by the University of California until 1923.
Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine[29] is a 10-acre (4-hectare) spiritual center on Sunset Boulevard founded in 1950 byParamahansa Yogananda, whose classic bookAutobiography of a Yogi introduced many Westerners to yoga and Eastern mysticism.
Designed by JR Davidson, this was Thomas Mann's home during his exile from 1942 to 1952.
Villa Aurora is an artists' residence,Historic-Cultural Monument, and former home of exiled German-Jewish writer Lion Feuchtwanger and his wife Marta.
Pacific Palisades is home to a variety of species of wildlife, both native to the area and introduced from elsewhere.
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 inVan Nuys.[142][143]
Pacific Palisades is home to numerous species of parrots, and the most commonly-sighted species is theNanday parakeet.[144] Other species of parrots found in the Palisades include themitred 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 thered-lored parrot.[145]
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District 4 Board Member Nick Melvoin
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