Palos Verdes Source

                            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.

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 Annenberg Foundation has an Environmental Impact Report in progress for its multimillion dollar project at Lower Point Vicente.  Plans have also been submitted to the city of Rancho Palos Verdes for approval and a formal application is anticipated soon.

“The proposal, based on a comprehensive study of the community done in concert with the development of the Coast Vision Plan, includes using architecture, art and exhibits to inform the public about Palos Verdes geology, history, marine ecology, terrestrial animals and habitats…” according to the Rancho Palos Verdes site (which can be accessed by clicking here).  The Center would focus on providing education, science, behavior and care of animals and animal adoption opportunities.  There will be an outdoor reconstructed Tongva Village, an archaeological dig, picnic areas, restroom facilities, and trails.

All this at “Zero cost to the city” according to the Annenberg power point presentation (which can be accessed by clicking here).  The Annenberg Foundation’s budget for this project is $38,000,000 to $42,000,00 and they will also to fund operations.  This will be a project to watch!

Photo courtesy of Annenberg Foundation

Have you noticed that there are more visitors in Palos Verdes? Palos Verdes Peninsula was featured in the July/August edition of Westways magazine in the Day Trip section.

After commenting on Palos Verdes real estate, the article goes on to recommend two spots to hike. Trump National Golf Club is mentioned for its bluff top trails and public coastal access down to the beach. Point Vicente Interpretive Center also has ocean trails along the bluff and docents to answer questions. Wayfarers Chapel (also known as the Glass Church) was mentioned as a historical and interesting place to visit as well as Malaga Cove Library.

Malaga Cove Cafe and Malaga Cove Ranch Market (in Malaga Cove Plaza) are recommended for sandwiches and salads. Starbucks at Golden Cove Cener with its great ocean view and the Subway next door are also mentioned if visitors find themselves near Hawthorne Boulevard and Palos Verdes Drive West. The manager at Malaga Cove Cafe said their business had definitely picked up since the article was published.

Palos Verdes is no longer a secret after the opening of Terrenea Resort (and the multiple articles written about it) and the featured article in Westways Magazine (which goes out to Southern California Automobile Club members).

Photo courtesy of Wayfarers Chapel

In addition to being a fabulous resort that you can visit for a walk on the ocean’s edge, enjoy a meal or have an extended stay in one of their beautiful rooms — you can also purchase one of Terrenea Resort’s exclusive villas or casitas.

There are currently 9 properties for sale at Terrenea. The Casitas are 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, 2,040 square feet and range in price from $1,995,000 to $2,750,000. The 3 Villas are between 1,800 and 2800 square feet and range in price from $2,200,000 and $2,950,000. 49 Casitas/Villas have been sold to date.

The Los Angeles Times gave a nod to our new Terrenea Resort with a full page article in Sunday’s Travel section describing it as “the first waterfront resort in L.A. County, blends serenity, space and panache.” Serenity, space and panache – I couldn’t agree more.

After being inspired by the oceanfront trails at Terrenea, I was on a quest to find other hikes and trails on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. I came across an excellent book compiled by the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy entitled, “Best Hikes On The Palos Verdes Peninsula”.

The book lists 32 separate trails and specifies the round trip distance, the highest & lowest elevation of the trail, directions to the trail head & where to park, and what amenities (public restrooms, picnic tables, etc) if any. There are also aerial photos of the trail as well as photos highlighting various points along the way.

As an example, Ocean Estates Trail (as described in my 8-29-08 post) is mentioned as part of the “PVIC to Oceanfront Estates Bluff Trail” which is 2.2 miles round trip. You begin the hike at Palos Verdes Interpretive Center, 31301 Palos Verdes Drive West, Rancho Palos Verdes which has picnic tables, restrooms and water fountains. “The trail is nicely maintained decomposed granite, suitable for wheelchairs and strollers.” The highest elevation is 164 feet and the lowest elevation is 108 feet.

The Palos Verdes Land Conservancy can be reached at 310-541-7613 or their website can be accessed by clicking here.

After spending last weekend at the new Terranea Resort, I can say that it is fabulous and I recommend it to all, including Palos Verdes residents. The views are spectacular. We took several walks along the trails at the ocean’s edge. We walked down to the beach and sat on the rocks and listened to the surf “chatter” as it rolled back out over the stones. There is even a cave near the jetty. We laid on sand and took in the beauty of nature.

We ate at several of the restaurants. The Catalina Grill served an excellent dinner and we also enjoyed the Sunday brunch. We enjoyed snacks from the Terrenea Grill around the pool. My son loved the water slide and the very large pool more than accommodated my lap swimming. There are also two other pools – at the Spa and the Adult Pool. At Sea Beans, we enjoyed coffee, gelato, pastries and cupcakes. We did not get to eat at Mar’sel as it is only open for dinner and was booked both last weekend and this coming weekend!

We toured the Spa which looked fabulous but I did not have time to enjoy any treatments as we were in “explore” mode. We actually forgot that we were only 15 minutes from home. We have never spent so much time on our own coast. It has inspired us to explore our beautiful Peninsula! We plan to go back again, in the Fall for our anniversary and take advantage of the 25-50% discount (if you book online before June 28th for stays before December 30, 2009).

There are currently 32 casitas and villas for sale (50 have already sold) between $2,225,000 and $4,500,000. Owners, of course, have access to all the amenities of Terranea including resort facilities, housekeeping, etc. You can stay in your unit 60 days (casitas) or 90 days (villas) per calendar year and rent them out the rest of the year.

Palos Verdes Art Center is open to all, not just owners of Palos Verdes real estate. Palos Verdes Art Center is a non-profit community arts organization that provides art classes for children and adults of all ability levels. The next group of classes begin July 6, 2009 and finish August 29, 2009. Art Center provides classes in drawing, painting, ceramics, sculpture, printmaking, photography, digital arts, art history and more. Terms begin in January, April, July and September.

Palos Verdes Art Center’s 3 galleries are open to the public and feature both local and significant artists. Art Center also supports the Art At Your Fingertips program that is offered in the Palos Verdes Elementary Schools with the assistance of parent volunteers. The Art Center awards scholarships to artists of any age, residing or formerly residing within 25 miles of the Palos Verdes Art Center. Art Center also has a program called Special Mornings for developmentally disabled youth and young adults.

We are so lucky to have such a great resource so close to us that we can enjoy. If you have never been to Palos Verdes Art Center, I recommend you stroll through the galleries or peek into some classes in session. It is very inspiring. Palos Verdes Art Center is located at 5504 W. Crestridge Road, Rancho Palos Verdes. l

I had another tour of Terranea Resort and it is really taking shape. Palos Verdes Peninsula’s first hotel/resort (and Los Angeles County’s only resort on the water) is scheduled to open June 1, 2009. Terranea is already booking events and taking hotel reservations at $400 to $5500 per night. $5,500 is for the Presidential Suite with its fabulous ocean views and 1,800 square feet of luxury accommodations.

There are currently 32 casitas and villas for sale (50 have already sold) between $2,225,000 and $4,500,000. Owners, of course, have access to all the amenities of Terranea including resort facilities, housekeeping, etc. You can stay in your unit 60 days (casitas) or 90 days (villas) per calendar year and rent them out the rest of the year. View below is from a casitas balcony.

Terranea is receiving over 150 inquiries a month for weddings alone. There are over 1,000 people working 6 days a week to make sure the resort is finished by June. The pools are in but not yet filled. The waterslide is in. The lobby entry is now paved. When you drive down Palos Verdes Drive South past Terranea, you will see green as the golf course is being planted. It is so exciting to see the progress!

A very special place to visit in Palos Verdes Estates is the Labyrinth at Neighborhood Church. There is a memorial plaque which reads, “For the Journey of Life to Help You find Your Way.” It is “Dedicated to the Memory of Miriam Levonian”. As you walk the path to the center (which is marked as a shell), you are to ponder your life. I am usually struck with thoughts of all that I have to be grateful for.

And look at that view! You can see all around the coastline from Redondo Beach to Malibu. Observing beauty puts me in a very grateful place.

The Neighborhood Church is located on Paseo Del Mar in Malaga Cove. This beautiful church was originally built in 1927 as the Haggarty mansion. The Neighborhood Church is affiliated with United Church of Christ. For more history and information, click on this link.