Neighborhoods, City of Los Angeles
© McCormack's Guides
Zip Code: 90272
Prestige communities located on or near the Pacific just north of Santa Monica. Many homes have great views of the Pacific. Estimated population: 27,000. www.mccormacks.com
School rankings run from the 70th to 90th percentile. Crime not tracked by the FBI but high-income towns generally have low crime and these neighborhoods do not appear to be an exception.
For orientation, on the coast, moving north from Santa Monica, first Pacific Palisades, then Castellammare, then the small county neighborhood of Sunset Mesa (its streets include Clifford Way and Castlerock Road.)
Moving in about two miles, accessed by Palisades Drive ... Pacific Highlands, which is quite high.
Pacific Palisades has three distinct sections.
The largest starts at the palisades, the high bluffs that run about three miles along the Pacific then level off into small mesas. In the mesa neighborhoods, the housing mixes the old, the fairly old and occasionally the new. Homes along the edge of the bluff and some ravine homes have views of the Pacific. The rest are within walks of five to ten blocks to the beaches. The homes show a lot of care, the landscaping is nicely done, the streets attractive. The tenor is upper-middle-class to well-to-do (with exceptions, notably, a small mobile home park squeezed into a ravine). www.mccormacks.com
The second and third sections of Pacific Palisades are situated north of Sunset Boulevard, which twists and angles through Pacific Palisades.
The west side ascends into fairly steep and wooded hills and consists of large single homes well maintained.
The east side favors middle-class tract housing, somewhat plain, laid out on grid streets.
Pacific Highlands sits almost directly above the wooded section of Pacific Palisades. The Highlands consists of condos, executive homes and mansions, many of which have views of the countryside and Pacific. The housing was built over the last 15 years and the neighborhood comes across as quite new.
Pacific Highlands is almost completely surrounded by Topanga State Park — no development, miles of open space. Accessed by only one road, the steep Palisades Drive, the neighborhood seems to be set off by itself and this may appeal to people who want privacy. www.mccormacks.com
The same for Castellammare and Sunset View — access limited to a few roads, park land on one border, palisades on another border. Suburban seclusion.
Castellammare seems to hover over the Pacific. Some homes, to secure views, were shoehorned into the hills and have narrow streets. Because of its superb views, Castellammare from its beginning in the 1920s attracted the rich and its homes include some gorgeous estates, including the Getty Villa.
J. Paul Getty was an oil tycoon, a businessman of renowned acumen and an art lover. He purchased 64 acres in Castellammare and built a rambling god-knows-what, part Spanish ranch, part ancient Roman villa. The place later became the first Getty Museum and ingratiated itself into the hearts of many. In the 1990s, work began on the second Getty Museum, located along Interstate 405, a few miles to the east, and the first Getty was closed for extension renovation and changes. After 12 years and $275 million, it was reopened in 2006 as a museum specializing in Greek, Roman and Etruscan artifacts.
Sunset Mesa, about 500 homes and 50 condos, was built in the 1960s along the tract lines of that era. Since then many of the homes have been remodeled or improved. Trees have been trimmed and utility lines buried to improve views of the ocean.
All these neighborhoods do their immediate shopping in small, upscale plazas along Sunset Boulevard and for larger items head to Santa Monica or Beverly Hills. www.mccormacks.com
Sunset Mesa is the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District. Scores generally in the 80th and 90th percentile, the top 20 percent.
The other neighborhoods are served by the Los Angeles School District. Sample rankings: Marquez Elementary, 90th percentile; Paul Revere Middle, 80th percentile; Palisades High School, 80th percentile. The high school, which accepts students from throughout the district, emphasizes math and the sciences and includes a media-entertainment academy. See Schools.
For recreation, typical sports and the untypical. The Pacific is literally at your doorstep. Surfing, swimming, boating, watching the sun sink to China. Many trails in the state park. Golf course-country club, the Riviera, on south side; good enough to host PGA tournaments. The restored ranch of Will Rogers, the cowboy humorist, was donated to the state park. The ranch fields polo matches and is popular with the horse set; stables. A short drive to many of the finest restaurants and liveliest nightspots of L.A.
Patrolled by L.A. cops, except for Sunset Mesa, sheriff's deputies. Crime believed to be low, especially in the neighborhoods with limited access. The typical private security prevalent. See Crime.
Not too bad a commute to Hollywood or to Santa Monica. Downtown L.A. is about 19 long miles to the East. Santa Monica freeway can be picked up several miles to the south. Buses. www.mccormacks.com
For orientation on cities, towns and neighborhoods of Los Angeles County, see County Overview.
Chamber of commerce: (310) 459-7963.
• Sunset Mesa and Castellammare, in news stories, will sometimes be lumped into Pacific Palisades.
• Homeowner groups are sensitive about protecting views and quality of housing and of living. If you want to build something large and gaudy, you will probably get a fight.
• Coast Highway sometimes gets blocked by slides. Not a problem for Pacific Palisades but can force residents of Sunset Mesa and Castellammare into long detours. www.mccormacks.com
• No surprise: ocean views cost more than non-ocean; in some instances, about a third more.
• Pacific Palisades and the other neighborhoods are generally placed in the Olympus of “Hollywood” towns. Many of the residents work in film-video-entertainment.
