Pacific Palisades

One of the cool things about the various neighborhoods in Los Angeles is their history that is weaved into the story that is Los Angeles. This is no different with the very affluent neighborhood of Pacific Palisades. Home to actors and actresses as well as huge Hollywood Executives, the Pacific Palisades offers both the closeness of the beach and the small-town-like community that many people are looking for today. It’s no wonder that it actually started out as a film director Thomas Ince’s western film factory dubbed “Inceville” in 1911. A decade later, in 1922, Reverent Charles H. Scott bought the land from Ince and founded a religious and intellectual commune on the land and called it Pacific Palisades. Many of his followers bought up choice land and lived in tents while their homes were being built. By 1925, there were 100 homes in the Palisades. During WWII, many German and Austrian intellectuals and artists, including Thomas Mann, settled in Pacific Palisades during their exile from Nazi Germany.

While it has definitely evolved from a commune over the years, there is definitely still a small community atmosphere in the Palisades that is interesting to find among the million dollar mansions. The Village, consisting of a weekly farmers’ market, restaurants, cafés, and coffee shops in addition to boutiques, shops, banks, offices, and local events is like main street of a small town. And this small town doesn’t really bother you if you are famous or not – which is likely why it has such a big celebrity draw. Pacific Palisades past and present resident list reads like a who’s who of the Entertainment Industry. The list includes Jennifer Garner, Ben Affleck, Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann, Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, Kobe Bryant, Matt Damon, Jamie Lee Curtis, Brad Paisley, Chris O’Donnel, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Hillary Swank, Nicole Kidman, Tom Hanks & Rita Wilson, Martin Short, Anthony Hopkins, Kate Hudson and many many others.

Pacific Palisades is also a popular filming location for TV Shows and Movies. The Original “Gidget” hailed from Pacific Palisades and the “Golden Girls” home exterior was shot their for the popular series (eventually they moved the set to a sound stage). Rockford Files was filmed there in and currently “Everyday Italian” is filmed in one of the homes there. Larry David used his own home in the Palisades in his popular series “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “Modern Family” is filmed at Palisades High School. In fact, Palisades High School has been used in many TV Shows and movies including “Freaky Friday” and 1976’s “Carrie”.

While visiting Los Angeles, you might want to come check out this cozy neighborhood by the Santa Monica Mountains. Take a hike along Temescal Canyon or Topanga State park or sit back in the Village and have a great cup of coffee. You can see the Palisades and so much more on a tour with us. Call us at 800-549-6625 to set up a great tour today!