Palos Verdes Source

Palos Verdes homes owners are in for a special treat as the Cherry Blossoms are blooming at the South Coast Botanic Garden.  This is the closest location for us to see the beauty and color of these trees.  This yearly event reminds us that Spring is just around the corner.

The South Coast Botanic Garden is one of Palos Verdes’ best kept secrets.  It is never crowded and one is free to roam for hours through 87 acres of beautiful settings.  There is plenty of parking in their large paved lot.

The Garden is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  and is located at 26300 Crenshaw Boulevard, Palos Verdes Peninsula 90274.  The cherry blossoms should continue for a couple of weeks.

                         Whale watching is a welcomed event in Palos Verdes and Saturday, March 6, 2010, is our official “Whale Of A Day” at Point Vicente Interpretive Center, 31501 Palos Verdes Drive West, Rancho Palos Verdes from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  In addition to whale watching from the bluff, there were be games, events and “inflatables”.  Admission to Whale Of A Day is free and parking/shuttle service will be available at the Rancho Palos Verdes City Hall on Hawthorne Blvd.

The Point Vicente Lighthouse will also be open for complimentary tours by the Coast Guard.

As of February 22, 2010, 361 whales have been spotted since the beginning of the whale watching season (December).  292 whales were traveling south and 69 were heading north, according to the Peninsula News.  Whale watching season runs through April.

Photo couresy of Tom Underhill Peninsula News 2008

This request comes from the City of Palos Verdes Estates as they try to manage the peacocks in Malaga Cove and the Espinosa Circle area of Lunada Bay.  The City traps (and relocates) peafowl that wander out of those area.  They also do a headcount twice a year and if there are too many (as there are no natural predators), they relocate some of the peacocks out of the area.

The peacocks are beautiful to look at but I  have heard stories of peacocks sitting on cars, screeching at all hours and generally being a nuisance in numbers.  The City of Palos Verdes Estates encourages resident “ to allow the peafowl to to live in their environment with minimal human contact or interference.  Specifically, residents are urged not to feed the peafowl.  They do not require artificial feeding and survive quite well on food found naturally in their environment such as domestics plants, berries, and insects.”  If residents outside the peafowl area feed them, the peacocks will be lured out of their designated areas making it more difficult for the City’s peafowl management program.

There are generally peacocks waiting for relocation in cages just off Palos Verdes Drive West to the right of the Fire Station (if you want to take a peek).  If you have questions regarding the peafowl, you may contact Captain Mark Velez at 310-378-4211.

                            Palos Verdes homes owners welcome the re-opening of Malaga Cove School which will house the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District offices.  The school was built in 1926 and was the Peninsula’s first permanent school and is one of the city’s historical buildings.   It was closed in 1991 due to declining enrollment.

“The restoration kept period details and added elevators and other features to comply with federal disability law” according to the Daily Breeze.  Yet, it was also built to current state standards for schools should the building need to be used in the future as a school.

Currently, all district departments have moved to Malaga Cove School with the exception of ESL (English as Second Language) Testing and Pupil Services which will move over shortly from Valmonte School.  The Costume Closet and Peninsula Education Foundation will also be located at the newly reopened Malaga Cove School.  Malaga Cove School is located at 375 Via Almar, Palos Verdes Estates.

It is that time of year again for 2010 Kindergarten Registration for owners of Palos Verdes homes(and/or tenants) who have children entering Kindergarten in the Fall.  This year Kindergarten Orientation will be held on Monday, February 1, 1010, at Vista Grande Elementary School and Tuesday, February 2, 2010, at Dapplegray Elementary School.  Both meetings will begin at 7:00 p.m.

This is an important event if you have Kindgergarten age children because some Palos Verdes elementary schools are impacted. If you want to be assured that your child will go to their neighborhood school, then Kindergarten is the best time to do so. If you move into Palos Verdes after this point, the Palos Verdes Unified Schoold District officials try to place your child in their neighborhood elementary school but as some schools are impacted, new students are redirected to elementary schools where there is room for additional students.

New Kindergarten students for the 2010/2011 school year must be 5 years of age on or before December 2, 2010. Proof of residency is also required. Registration packets will be available at each elementary school on February 17th and should be returned to that school by March 5th. Each of the ten elementary schools will also be holding individual parent meetings and the schedule can be accessed by clicking here.

Photo courtesy of PVUSD

Hiking in Palos Verdes takes you through varied terrain usually with spectacular ocean views. There are 4 different trails which can be accessed from Del Cerro Park.  All four trails are part of the Canyons Ecological Reserve and vary in length from 2 to 4 miles.

Rim Trail is 3.9 miles round trip, Ailor Cliff Trail is 3.2 miles round trip, Peacock Flat Trail is 2.1 miles round trip, and Del Cerro To Ladera Linda Trail is 2.9 miles one way.  All trails begin on the dirt Crenshaw.  Hikers are advised to bring water.  Some trails in the Portuguese Bend Reserve are closed following the August fire.  Please click here for a map of the open trails.

The Palos Verdes neighborhood of Lunada Bay is located on the west side of Palos Verdes Estates.  Lunada Bay is .7 square miles and has approximately 2,800 residents.  This area is also home to 3 schools – Lunada Bay Elementary, Palos Verdes Intermediate, and Palos Verdes High School.  You can see why this is a favorite area for families as their children will probably be able to walk to at least one of those schools during their school career.  My favorite things about Lunada Bay are the ocean views and the coastline bluff trails for walking.

Lunada Bay in Palos Verdes has its own shopping area (Palos Verdes Drive West and Yarmouth) with a market, restaurants, gas station, banks and other shops.  Lunada Bay also has its landmark fountain (photo above).  Some Lower Lunada Bay homes (on the ocean side of Palos Drive West) have ocean views; this area is fairly flat which is perfect for biking and walking.  Upper Lunada Bay homes are located higher on the hill and many have panoramic ocean views.

Most of Lunada Bay is single family homes (87%) but there are also apartments and townhomes.  Currently, there are 27 single family homes for sale in Lunada Bay Palos Verdes ranging in price from $1,080,000 (3 br, 2 ba, 1943 sq ft) to $4,495,000 (5 br, 5 ba, 5490 sq ft).  There are 8 homes in escrow.  41 homes have sold in Lunada Bay since the first of the year ranging in price from $875,000 (4 br, 3 ba, 1614 sq ft) to $5,000,000 for a stunning bluff home (4 br, 4 ba, 3568 sq ft).  Currently, there are 2 condos for sale in Lunada Bay – one for $399,900 (1 br, 1 ba, 671 sq ft) and one for $725,000 (3 br, 2 ba, 1609 sq ft).

The Palos Verdes neighborhood of Malaga Cove  has spectacular”Queen’s Necklace Views”.  You can see white water, the beaches of Redondo, Hermosa and Manhattan Beach, the coastline all the way around to Malibu, city lights at night and the ocean during the day.  It is one of my favorite views (above).

The Malaga Cove area is .66 square miles and has approximately 1500 residents. Lower Malaga Cove (west of Palos Verdes Drive West) is within walking distance from the bluffs and trails down to the water and is home to the former MalagaCove School which is currently being renovated to house the school district’s offices, Palos Verdes Beach & Athletic Club (310-375-8777), The Neighborhood Church and St. Francis Episcopal Church.  Malaga Cove also has a commercial center (photo below) with banks, real estate offices, restuarants, a market, post office and other stores and offices.  Palos Verdes Estates City Offices and the Library are also located in Malage Cove.  Upper Malaga Cove (above Palos Verdes Drive West has many homes with even grander views and is the location of LaVenta Inn (events only), Palos Verdes Golf Club and Palos Verdes Tennis Club.

 Currently, there are 11 single family homes for sale in the Malaga Cove area of Palos Verdes Estates ranging in price from $1,275,000 (3 br, 2 ba, 1878 sq ft) to $3,950,000 (3 br, 3 ba, 2228 sq ft).  There are 4 homes in escrow.  15 homes have sold in Malaga Cove since the first of the year ranging in price from $1,200,000 (4 br, 3 ba, 1946 sq ft) to $4,700,000 (6 br, 7 ba, 9884 sq ft).  Malaga Cove also has townhomes/condos and apartments.  Currently there is one 2 bedroom, 3 bath condo for sale in Malaga Cove for $661,000.

Malaga Cove homes are custom built and most have red-tile roofs.  Originally, all homes in this area that could be seen from the water had to have red tile roofs as the original developers wanted it to look like the French/Italian Riviera.

The Valmonte neighborhood is in Palos Verdes Estates and is located at the northwest corner of the Palos Verdes Peninsula and borders the Hollywood Riviera section of Torrance.  Valmonte is approximately 1/2 mile.  This neighbhorhood is known for its eucalyptus groves and its “family neighborhood” feel.   The topography is relatively flat which is greatfor walking, riding bikes, playing ball, etc.  It is a very friendly area with lots of people taking walks and stopping to chat.

The Palos Verdes Estates “gatehouse” or tower is located in this area as well as the Palos Verdes Estates Stables.  The first house was built in Valmonte over 70 years ago.  Houses were custom built in many different styles such as Ranch, Spanish, Contemporary, Tuscan, Craftsman, etc.  Today the area is a blend of older homes and larger newer homes that have replaced some of the older ones.

Currently, there are 14 homes for sale in the Valmonte area of Palos Verdes Estates ranging in price from $840,000 (3 br, 2 ba, 1553 sq ft) to $2,075,000 (4 br, 4 ba, 3750 sq ft).  There are 4 homes in escrow.  23 homes have sold in Valmonte since the first of the year ranging in price from $820,000 (2 br, 1 ba, 1008 sq ft) to $2,100,000 (4 br, 3 ba, 3671 sq ft).

This is a very popular area as the weather is temperate; its been described as a “banana belt” with not too much fog, wind or heat.  Valmonte is on the north side of the Palos Verdes Peninsula and is closer to beaches, freeways and shopping.  As with all neighborhoods in Palos Verdes Estates, Valmonte does not have any sidewalks, street lights or traffic signals.

This year there are on-line coupons available for 56 businesses and restaurants in Rolling Hills and Rancho Palos Verdes (click here for the link) as part of the Peninsula Privileges program.  These are available to all not just owners of Palos Verdes real estate.

Participating merchants range from Terrenea Resort to Ice Chalet, Restoration Hardware, Equinox Fitness, Norris Center for the Performing Arts, Chicken Dijon, Mayer’s Bakery, Marmalade Cafe and many more.  This is a great opportunity to support our locale businesses and save money too!