Palos Verdes Estates is a refined coastal community masterplanned by famed architect Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. Olmsted’s grand design accentuates the area’s stunning natural beauty, with seafront cliffs and mesmerizing views over the ocean, Santa Catalina Island, Redondo Beach, and Malibu. On clear days, it’s possible to see as far as downtown Los Angeles and the Hollywood sign.
Palos Verdes Estates’ gorgeous properties are a mix of European-inspired villas, classic California ranches, stylish contemporary designs, and private resort-style compounds. Olmsted was a visionary landscape planner, and many of the homes here feature magnificent grounds and gardens comparable to European palaces.
Restaurants abound within Palos Verdes Estates: excellent Mexican dishes at
Salsa Verdes, fresh fish sushi at
Black Bamboo, and great pizza at
Rafaello’s.
Yellow Vase is a stylish café and florist serving coffee, a delicious breakfast menu, and baked goods. In addition to the many restaurants and businesses at the 1920s Spanish Renaissance Revival-style Malaga Cove Plaza, check out the popular Malaga Cove Ranch Market. Malaga Cove Plaza is also home to the Malaga Cove Library, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The library regularly hosts, among other events, art shows.
The quiet beaches at the foot of Palos Verdes Estates’ seaside bluffs make for good surfing. With far less tourism than other nearby coastal communities, they provide a serene place to relax and take in the ocean views.
Palos Verdes Golf Club features a course designed in the 1920s by the Olmsted Brothers and noted golf course architects George C. Thomas and William P. Bell. This private course is famed for the attractiveness of its landscaping, which takes in barrancas, creeks, and hills.
Palos Verdes Estates has some of the best public schools in the country. The Washington Post ranks the local high school as the eighth best in the entire United States.
