Pacific Palisades

 

Pacific Palisades, California boasts coastline views and rests under Topanga State Park, Santa Ynez Falls, and Will Rogers State Historic Park.  The area claims the coastal finish line of the iconic Sunset Blvd. The Pacific Palisades is an outdoorsy neighborhood with Oak and Sycamore-strewn trails within the 141-acre Temescal Gateway Park. Temescal Gateway Park runs through the neighborhood all the way to Will Rogers State Beach. Residents love going for a scenic ride along the bike trail at Will Rogers State Beach. The Pacific Palisades is home to multiple trailheads, recreation centers, a country club, and neighborhood parks and playgrounds. Pacific Palisades homes are predominantly single-family and modern. Many Pacific Palisades homes have been designed or remodeled by the highly esteemed architects RLB Architecture. Though it carries a natural feel with parks abound and borders tree-laden state parks, Pacific Palisades is only a 20-minute drive to Los Angeles International Airport. It is also only a 10-minute drive to the festive Santa Monica Pier.

 

Nature-lovers and residents who love outdoor exercise are drawn to Pacific Palisades. This is a superb neighborhood for staying active and appreciating all a gorgeous natural setting and temperate coastal climate has to offer. In addition to Temescal Gateway Park being the main neighborhood attraction, the Pacific Palisades neighborhood borders the Riviera Country Club, another neighborhood hotspot. Bel-Air Bay Club is another neighborhood gem, a centrally located and popular wedding or large event venue utilized by residents and tourists alike.

The Pacific Palisades community is active, nature-appreciating, and enjoys the luxury of being a short drive to vast, mountainous state parks and bustling downtown Los Angeles or surrounding neighborhoods. With upscale dining establishments concerned with the nutritional quality and environmental impact of their ingredients, Pacific Palisades is a community of foodies or people who become them. This is a great place to get outside and appreciate the inviting climate and views this area has to offer.

Circe Terre West Osteria is an Italian restaurant with a dinner and brunch menu serving entrees like their Burrida, a traditional Ligurian seafood soup served with a crostini. Pearl Dragon serves Asian-inspired dishes and offers a catering service. The Draycott sources their ingredients from local farms and serves brunch, lunch, and dinner, and they have a raw bar menu. Café Vida is a wonderful place to find nutritious vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free dishes. 

 

Pacific Palisades is also a fabulous place for shopping with Palisades Village, a boutique shopping mall with designers like Brunello Cucinelli, Tamara Mellon, and Veronica Beard. The Village also has a movie theatre and hosts live music nights and other events.

The Getty Villa Museum is a local art museum focusing on Greek and Roman art. It also showcases an impressive garden with sculptures and fountains. Asilomar View Park is a great place to get a bird’s eye view of the neighborhood. 

 

Palisades Village Green is a beautiful private park with quaint benches to enjoy a picnic with old friends or meet new ones. Temescal Gateway Park sprawls through the neighborhood and is well-known for its Temescal Platform Tree, a Wild Oak tree with a wooden platform surrounding it and long curling branches. 

 

Los Leones Trail is a short yet elevated trail boasting spectacular views of the neighborhood. Pacific Palisades is also home to the Santa Monica Stairs, a set of cascading wooden stairs loved by local exercisers. Lake Shrine Self Realization Fellowship, founded by Paramahansa Yogananda, is another residential gem. It is a meditation temple famous for containing a sarcophagus with Gandhi’s ashes and offering group meditation and retreat services.

 

Theatre Palisades is a local theatre with an acting troupe featuring regular performances. Pacific Palisades Recreation Center harbors a basketball court, a baseball field, and a badminton court and offers dance, soccer, futsal, and fitness classes. Its outdoor areas have barbecue pits with picnic tables. 

 

Lastly, though certainly not least, this neighborhood is a short drive to the annual Santa Monica Festival, a Santa Monica event with cooking demonstrations, fitness classes, art workshops, and live music.

Pacific Palisades is served by Santa Monica-Malibu School District.