Stunning homes are part of the awe-inspiring, secluded coastal landscape.
Travelers heading southalong the stretchofPacific CoastHighwaythatruns through the crowded South Bay can hang a right at Palos Verdes Boulevard and withinminutes arriveina place of gracefully curving streets, lush greenspace and stunning ocean views.
Therethey’ll find the peak of an ancientseamount, and on its slopes,overlooking the Pacific Ocean, is Palos Verdes Estates.
Whichisall just away of saying that the cityofPalos Verdes Estates and environs is California coastalsceneryatsome of its most spectacular.
And it should be: Famedlandscape architect FrederickLaw Olmsted Jr.created the master plan for the development in the 1920s, afterits subdivision from Rancho Palos Verdes (he also created aplan for the eventual city’snextdoor neighbor,Torrance, whichwas neverfully implemented).
Olmsted, who also designed the grounds of the Jefferson Memorial and many of the scenic byways of our national parks system, used his considerable expertise to lay out the newcity’s streets in away thatmaximized the views.
He also set aside morethana quarterofthe available land as open space and created alandscape designthatwould transform the dry, sage-covered hills of the peninsula into verdant parkland.
Adetailed set of zoning regulationsgoverned everything from the preferred type of architecture for homes in the city(Mediterranean) to who would be allowedto buy those homes (whites).
The restrictiveracial covenants are, of course,long gone,although newhomes arestillsubject to a reviewbyanart jury to ensure compliance with the rules, which were enshrined in the city’szoning code when it incorporated in 1939.
Like many other masterplanned communities, PalosVerdes Estates had designated business districts built intothe design process, including the historic MalagaCoveMarket.
Olmsted’svisionofabucolic neighborhoodofopen space and scenic vistaslives on today,zealously guarded by the residents of the city, many of whom recently foughtalong, bitterlegal battle to prevent the sale of public parkland to aprivatehomeowner.
Neighborhood highlights An archipelago of parks: Open space is interwoveninthe neighborhoods of Palos Verdes Estates, with plentyofplaces to hikeand otherwise get back to nature. Combine an amazing coastal landscape with a cunningly designed network of roads and terraces, and you get a succession of pleasing views wherever in town you go.
Villas galore: PVE has stunning luxury homes for every taste, as long as that taste is for variations on the Mediterranean style.
Neighborhood challenges
Ahistory of hooliganism: Rich surf locals are as jerky as every other surf local, and the crew at Lunada Bay continues to live down to its reputation as the worst in the region.
Close to the coast, not to the city: Palos Verdes Estates can feel wonderfully isolated — but very far from much of L.A.
Expert insight Cari Corbalis, a real estate agent with RE/MAX Estate Properties, describes Palos Verdes Estates as a “well-kept secret.”
Acombination of great schools, ocean views and limited inventory have kept the PVE market fluid, Corbalis said.
Last month, Corbalis held an open house for a new listing that saw more than 75 people attend. “There were a lot of younger couples there who were looking for yard space and parking that you can’t find in [South Bay] communities like Hermosa and Manhattan Beach.”
Potential buyers need to do their homework, be prequalified and be ready to move quickly, she added. “You have two to three days to view it, make a decision and make an offer.”
Market snapshot In the 90274 ZIP Code, based on 26 sales, the median sales price for December was $1.66 million, according to CoreLogic.
That was a 7.1% increase in median sales price year over year.
Report card Within the boundaries of PVE is Montemalaga Elementary, which scored 947 out of 1,000 in the 2013 Academic Performance Index.
Lunada Bay Elementary scored 940, Dapplegray Elementary scored 932, and Palos Verdes Intermediate had a score of 950.
Palos Verdes High scored 884.
