Palos Verdes
Encyclopedia
Palos Verdes is a name often used to refer to a group of coastal cities in the Palos Verdes Hills
on the Palos Verdes Peninsula
, within southwestern Los Angeles County
in the U.S. state
of California
.
The peninsula is an affluent bedroom community known for its dramatic ocean and city views from the Palos Verdes Hills
, distinguished schools,
extensive horse trails,
and high home prices. To its inhabitants, Palos Verdes is known affectionately by its initials, P.V.
people for thousands of years. In other areas of the Los Angeles Basin
archeological sites date back 8,000 years. Their first contact with Europeans in 1542 with João Cabrilho (Juan Cabrillo), the Portuguese
explorer who also was the first to write of them. Chowigna
and Suangna
were two Tongva settlements of many in the peninsula area, which was also a departure point for their rancheria
s on the Channel Islands
. Legend has it that the Native Americans blessed the land of Palos Verdes, making it the most beautiful place on Earth.
from lta Governor Pío Pico
for a parcel from the huge original 1784 Spanish
land grant Rancho San Pedro
of Manuel Dominguez
. It was named Rancho de los Palos Verdes
, or "ranch of the green sticks", which was used primarily as a cattle ranch.
, who leased the land to Japanese farmers. After the turn of the century most of Bixby's land was sold to a consortium of New York investors who created The Palos Verdes Project and began marketing land on the peninsula for small horse ranches and residential communities.
Areas of commerce include historic Mediterranean Revival style Malaga Cove Plaza, "The Promenade of the Peninsula" mall, and Lunada Bay Plaza. Smaller shopping centers include the Peninsula Center, Dominos, and The Village.
The largest peninsula commercial district is in Rolling Hills Estates, with many shopping centers including 'The Promenade of the Peninsula' with a megaplex movie theater
and an ice rink
.
provides bus service within and to the Palos Verdes Peninsula. The Palos Verdes Peninsula is within 30 minutes of both Los Angeles International Airport
and Long Beach Airport, which together provide access to most of the U.S. aboard all major carrier
s.
has one of the highest rated API
scores in California and has one of the highest average SAT
scores and one of the highest percentage of students successfully completing the Advanced Placement exams in the county. There are three high schools, Palos Verdes Peninsula High School
(formerly called Rolling Hills High School), Palos Verdes High School
(the latter located just a half block from the Pacific Ocean), and Rancho Del Mar High School
(located in Rolling Hills). Marymount College
, a co-ed Roman Catholic four-year college is located in Rancho Palos Verdes. A private K-12 school, Chadwick School, is also located there. Rolling Hills Preparatory School, a private 6-12 school is also located on the peninsula. Rolling Hills Country Day School, adjacent to the Botanic Garden, offers a private K-8 education.
The area is frequented by runners, hikers, horseback riders, bird watchers, surfers, scuba divers, and bicyclists. The area is home to several golf course
s and country club
s. In addition, nude sunbathers formerly frequented Sacreds Cove (or "Smugglers Cove") until the city of Rancho Palos Verdes enacted a 1994 ordinance that ended such use of that beach.
The infamous Palos Verdes surf spots have been in the spotlight many times over issues of "localism". The most notorious surf spot for localism in Palos Verdes is Lunada Bay, which can hold any winter swell and has been known to rival Sunset Beach, Hawaii on a big day. Localism in Palos Verdes reached a turning point in 2001 when a civil rights lawsuit was filed after a particularly violent confrontation with Hermosa Beach surfers. Surveillance cameras were placed in the surfing area but were later removed.
The Trump National Golf Club
is a Donald Trump
venture with a golf course on the Ocean Trails cliffs. The 18th hole of the prior golf course fell victim to a landslide caused by a leak in the sanitary pipes underneath it. Trump has been heavily criticized for poorly managing the property, including dismissing employees en masse, failing to keep it in business, and upsetting locals with unnecessary and/or unapproved construction. In the summer of 2006, the Trump Organization illegally erected a 70 foot flagpole but was allowed to retain it after a City Council vote.
The Marineland of the Pacific
site near Portuguese Bend is currently home of Terranea, a luxury oceanfront resort.
by Sonia Levitin
, describe life from a teenager's perspective in Palos Verdes.
Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean films
were partly photographed on and off the coast of Palos Verdes Peninsula. A tent city for production was constructed in the Redondo Beach Marina. The Black Pearl and several production vessels were seen on the waters daily as were helicopters filming for overhead shots.
Overhead shots were used for the fictional town of Costa Verde in Heroes
, in the episode "I Am Become Death
".
In a recent episode
of South Park
, the character of Towelie went to a Rehab center in Rancho Palos Verdes.
In 1962, the "Big W" scenes from the ensemble comedy It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
starring Sid Caesar
, Spencer Tracy
, Ethel Merman
, Phil Silvers
and others were filmed on the grounds of a private estate locally known as "Portuguese Point" near Abalone Cove shoreline park.
MTV's sitcom Awkward. is set in Palos Verdes.
Palos Verdes Hills
The Palos Verdes Hills are a mountain range on the south coast of Los Angeles County, California.They are the landed end of the Channel Islands of California Transverse Ranges formation, and are the location of Palos Verdes Estates, Rolling Hills, and other communities.The South Coast Botanic...
on the Palos Verdes Peninsula
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
, within southwestern Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Introduction
The Palos Verdes Peninsula communities include:- the City of Palos Verdes EstatesPalos Verdes Estates, CaliforniaPalos Verdes Estates is a city, incorporated in 1939, in Los Angeles County, California, USA on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. The city was masterplanned by the noted American landscape architect and planner Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. The population was 13,438 at the 2010 census, up from 13,340 in the...
- the City of Rancho Palos VerdesRancho Palos Verdes, CaliforniaRancho Palos Verdes is a city in Los Angeles County, California that was incorporated on September 7, 1973. The population was 41,643 at the 2010 census...
- the City of Rolling HillsRolling Hills, CaliforniaRolling Hills is a city in the Palos Verdes Hills, in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,860, down from 1,871 at the 2000 census...
- the City of Rolling Hills EstatesRolling Hills Estates, CaliforniaRolling Hills Estates is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 8,067 at the 2010 census, up from 7,676 at the 2000 census....
- Academy Hill: a small unincorporated areaUnincorporated areaIn law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
. - Westfield: a small unincorporated community.
The peninsula is an affluent bedroom community known for its dramatic ocean and city views from the Palos Verdes Hills
Palos Verdes Hills
The Palos Verdes Hills are a mountain range on the south coast of Los Angeles County, California.They are the landed end of the Channel Islands of California Transverse Ranges formation, and are the location of Palos Verdes Estates, Rolling Hills, and other communities.The South Coast Botanic...
, distinguished schools,
extensive horse trails,
and high home prices. To its inhabitants, Palos Verdes is known affectionately by its initials, P.V.
Native Americans
The peninsula was the homeland of the Tongva-Gabrieliño Native AmericansNative Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
people for thousands of years. In other areas of the Los Angeles Basin
Los Angeles Basin
The Los Angeles Basin is the coastal sediment-filled plain located between the Peninsular and Transverse ranges in southern California in the United States containing the central part of the city of Los Angeles as well as its southern and southeastern suburbs...
archeological sites date back 8,000 years. Their first contact with Europeans in 1542 with João Cabrilho (Juan Cabrillo), the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
explorer who also was the first to write of them. Chowigna
Chowigna, California
Chowigna is a former Tongva-Gabrieleño Native American settlement in Los Angeles County, California.It was located at the site of modern-day Palos Verdes, Palos Verdes Peninsula.-See also:*Category: Tongva populated places...
and Suangna
Suangna, California
Suangna is a former Tongva Native American settlement in Los Angeles County, California.It was located near Palos Verdes or Cerritos, California.-See also:...
were two Tongva settlements of many in the peninsula area, which was also a departure point for their rancheria
Ranchería
The Spanish word ranchería, or rancherío, refers to a small, rural settlement. In the Americas the term was applied to native villages and to the workers' quarters of a ranch. English adopted the term with both these meanings, usually to designate the residential area of a rancho in the American...
s on the Channel Islands
Channel Islands of California
The Channel Islands of California are a chain of eight islands located in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Southern California along the Santa Barbara Channel in the United States of America...
. Legend has it that the Native Americans blessed the land of Palos Verdes, making it the most beautiful place on Earth.
Spanish and Mexican era
In 1846 Jose Dolores Sepulveda and José Loreto received a Mexican land grantRanchos of California
The Spanish, and later the Méxican government encouraged settlement of territory now known as California by the establishment of large land grants called ranchos, from which the English ranch is derived. Devoted to raising cattle and sheep, the owners of the ranchos attempted to pattern themselves...
from lta Governor Pío Pico
Pío Pico
Pío de Jesús Pico was the last Governor of Alta California under Mexican rule.-Origins:...
for a parcel from the huge original 1784 Spanish
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire comprised territories and colonies administered directly by Spain in Europe, in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It originated during the Age of Exploration and was therefore one of the first global empires. At the time of Habsburgs, Spain reached the peak of its world power....
land grant Rancho San Pedro
Rancho San Pedro
Rancho San Pedro was one of the first California land grants, and the first to win a patent from the United States. The land grant was validated by the Mexican government at in 1828, and a US patent validating was issued in 1858...
of Manuel Dominguez
Manuel Dominguez
Manuel Dominguez , born at the Mission San Juan Capistrano in Alta California, Viceroyalty of New Spain, and was the heir to the vast Rancho San Pedro land grant.-Juan Jose Dominguez:...
. It was named Rancho de los Palos Verdes
Rancho de los Palos Verdes
Rancho de los Palos Verdes was a Mexican land grant in present day Los Angeles County, California given in 1846 by Governor Pío Pico to José Loreto and Juan Capistrano Sepulveda. The name means "range of green trees"...
, or "ranch of the green sticks", which was used primarily as a cattle ranch.
American era
By 1882 ownership of the land had passed from the Sepulveda through various mortgage holders to Jotham Bixby of Rancho Los CerritosRancho Los Cerritos
Rancho Los Cerritos was a 1834 land grant in present day eastern Los Angeles County and Orange County, California The grant was the result of a partition of the Rancho Los Nietos grant. "Cerritos" means "little hills" in Spanish...
, who leased the land to Japanese farmers. After the turn of the century most of Bixby's land was sold to a consortium of New York investors who created The Palos Verdes Project and began marketing land on the peninsula for small horse ranches and residential communities.
Commerce
The largest peninsula commercial district is in Rolling Hills Estates, with many shopping centers including 'The Promenade of the Peninsula' with a megaplex movie theater
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
and an ice rink
Ice rink
An ice rink is a frozen body of water and/or hardened chemicals where people can skate or play winter sports. Besides recreational ice skating, some of its uses include ice hockey, figure skating and curling as well as exhibitions, contests and ice shows...
.
Transportation
The Palos Verdes Peninsula Transit AuthorityPalos Verdes Peninsula Transit Authority
The Palos Verdes Peninsula Transit Authority is primary provider of mass transportation in the Los Angeles suburbs of Rancho Palos Verdes, Palos Verdes Estates, Rolling Hills, and Rolling Hills Estates, California...
provides bus service within and to the Palos Verdes Peninsula. The Palos Verdes Peninsula is within 30 minutes of both Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport is the primary airport serving the Greater Los Angeles Area, the second-most populated metropolitan area in the United States. It is most often referred to by its IATA airport code LAX, with the letters pronounced individually...
and Long Beach Airport, which together provide access to most of the U.S. aboard all major carrier
Major carrier
Major carrier or major airline carrier is a designation given by the United States Department of Transportation to U.S.-based airlines that post more than $1 billion in revenue during a fiscal year.As of 2010, there were 19 major carriers....
s.
Education
The Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School DistrictPalos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District
Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District is a school district headquartered in Palos Verdes Estates, California.-Governance:The district is headed by a superintendent - Walker Williams - and governed by a five-person, publicly elected school board.The current board members are:* Malcolm S...
has one of the highest rated API
Academic Performance Index
The Academic Performance Index is a measurement of academic performance and progress of individual schools in California, United States. It is one of the main components of the Public Schools Accountability Act passed by the California legislature in 1999...
scores in California and has one of the highest average SAT
SAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
scores and one of the highest percentage of students successfully completing the Advanced Placement exams in the county. There are three high schools, Palos Verdes Peninsula High School
Palos Verdes Peninsula High School
Palos Verdes Peninsula High School is one of three public high schools on the Palos Verdes Peninsula...
(formerly called Rolling Hills High School), Palos Verdes High School
Palos Verdes High School
Palos Verdes High School is one of three public high schools on the Palos Verdes Peninsula in Southern California, USA...
(the latter located just a half block from the Pacific Ocean), and Rancho Del Mar High School
Rancho Del Mar High School
Rancho Del Mar High School is one of three public high schools on the Palos Verdes Peninsula . Located on Crest Road in Rolling Hills, the school is part of the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District.Rancho Del Mar was opened in 1984 on the former site of La Cresta Elementary School...
(located in Rolling Hills). Marymount College
Marymount College, Palos Verdes
Marymount College, Palos Verdes is an independent, Catholic, coeducational and residential college that offers a liberal arts program that leads to associate degrees and bachelor's degrees...
, a co-ed Roman Catholic four-year college is located in Rancho Palos Verdes. A private K-12 school, Chadwick School, is also located there. Rolling Hills Preparatory School, a private 6-12 school is also located on the peninsula. Rolling Hills Country Day School, adjacent to the Botanic Garden, offers a private K-8 education.
Libraries
The Peninsula is served by the Palos Verdes Library District which operates the:- Peninsula Center Library
- Miraleste Library
- Malaga Cove Library
Parks and recreation
- South Coast Botanic GardenSouth Coast Botanic GardenThe South Coast Botanic Garden is a 35 hectare garden in the Palos Verdes Hills, in Palos Verdes, California, USA, about 16 km south of Los Angeles International Airport...
- 35 hectareHectareThe hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
(87 acre) landscaped botanical gardenBotanical gardenA botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names...
, event venue, and arboretumArboretumAn arboretum in a narrow sense is a collection of trees only. Related collections include a fruticetum , and a viticetum, a collection of vines. More commonly, today, an arboretum is a botanical garden containing living collections of woody plants intended at least partly for scientific study...
with over 150,000 landscape plants and trees from approximately 140 families, 700 genera, and 2,000 different species. It is a classic example of land recycling by reclaiming a site that was previously a sanitary landfillLandfillA landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
and open pitOpen-pit miningOpen-pit mining or opencast mining refers to a method of extracting rock or minerals from the earth by their removal from an open pit or borrow....
diatomite mine from 1929 until 1956. - Point Vicente Park is a popular spot for watchingWhale watchingWhale watching is the practice of observing whales and other cetaceans in their natural habitat. Whales are watched most commonly for recreation but the activity can also serve scientific or educational purposes. A 2009 study, prepared for IFAW, estimated that 13 million people went whale watching...
the migrationFish migrationMany types of fish migrate on a regular basis, on time scales ranging from daily to annually or longer, and over distances ranging from a few metres to thousands of kilometres...
of gray whaleGray WhaleThe gray whale, Eschrichtius robustus, is a baleen whale that migrates between feeding and breeding grounds yearly. It reaches a length of about , a weight of , and lives 50–70 years. The common name of the whale comes from the gray patches and white mottling on its dark skin. Gray whales were...
s to and from their breeding lagoon in Baja CaliforniaBaja CaliforniaBaja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
. - Fort MacArthurFort MacArthurFort MacArthur is a former United States Army installation in San Pedro, Los Angeles, California . The fort is named in honor of Lieutenant General Arthur MacArthur...
Military Museum is located near Point Fermin in San Pedro.
The area is frequented by runners, hikers, horseback riders, bird watchers, surfers, scuba divers, and bicyclists. The area is home to several golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
s and country club
Country club
A country club is a private club, often with a closed membership, that typically offers a variety of recreational sports facilities and is located in city outskirts or rural areas. Activities may include, for example, any of golf, tennis, swimming or polo...
s. In addition, nude sunbathers formerly frequented Sacreds Cove (or "Smugglers Cove") until the city of Rancho Palos Verdes enacted a 1994 ordinance that ended such use of that beach.
The infamous Palos Verdes surf spots have been in the spotlight many times over issues of "localism". The most notorious surf spot for localism in Palos Verdes is Lunada Bay, which can hold any winter swell and has been known to rival Sunset Beach, Hawaii on a big day. Localism in Palos Verdes reached a turning point in 2001 when a civil rights lawsuit was filed after a particularly violent confrontation with Hermosa Beach surfers. Surveillance cameras were placed in the surfing area but were later removed.
Trump National Golf Club (Los Angeles)
Trump National Golf Club, Los Angeles is a public golf club in Palos Verdes, California featuring a course designed by Pete Dye and Donald J. Trump Signature Design....
is a Donald Trump
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump, Sr. is an American business magnate, television personality and author. He is the chairman and president of The Trump Organization and the founder of Trump Entertainment Resorts. Trump's extravagant lifestyle, outspoken manner and role on the NBC reality show The Apprentice have...
venture with a golf course on the Ocean Trails cliffs. The 18th hole of the prior golf course fell victim to a landslide caused by a leak in the sanitary pipes underneath it. Trump has been heavily criticized for poorly managing the property, including dismissing employees en masse, failing to keep it in business, and upsetting locals with unnecessary and/or unapproved construction. In the summer of 2006, the Trump Organization illegally erected a 70 foot flagpole but was allowed to retain it after a City Council vote.
The Marineland of the Pacific
Marineland of the Pacific
Marineland of the Pacific was a public oceanarium and tourist attraction located on the Palos Verdes Peninsula coast in Los Angeles County, California, USA. Architect William Pereira designed the main structure. It was also known as Hanna-Barbera's Marineland during the late 1970s and early 1980s...
site near Portuguese Bend is currently home of Terranea, a luxury oceanfront resort.
Notable places
- The Wayfarers ChapelWayfarers ChapelWayfarers Chapel, also known as "The Glass Church" is located in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. It is noted for its unique modern architecture and location on cliffs above Pacific Ocean...
, a transparent glass chapel in a RedwoodRedwood-Trees:Conifers* Family Cupressaceae *** Sequoia sempervirens - coast redwood**** Albino redwood*** Sequoiadendron giganteum - giant sequoia*** Metasequoia glyptostroboides - dawn redwood* Family Pinaceae...
forest, was designed in 1951 by the renowned architect and landscape architect Lloyd WrightLloyd WrightFrank Lloyd Wright, Jr. , commonly known as Lloyd Wright, was an American landscape architect and architect, most active in Los Angeles and Southern California...
. It is under the stewardship of the SwedenborgianSwedenborgianA Swedenborgian is the doctrines, beliefs, and practices of the Church of the New Jerusalem, and is an adjective describing a person or an organization that understands the Bible through the theological writings of Emanuel Swedenborg....
Church, a well-known landmark on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, and overlooking the ocean at the western entrance of Portuguese Bend. - Portuguese BendPortuguese BendThe Portuguese Bend region is the largest area of natural vegetation remaining on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, in Los Angeles County, California....
is one of the most geologically unstable areas in the world. Constant tectonic shifts (approximately 1/3 of an inch a day) and rock slides mean that Palos Verdes Drive South, the main road through the bend, is under constant repair. - Point Vicente Lighthouse is on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. - Point Fermin lighthouse in San Pedro.
- Lunada Bay on the north western edge of the peninsula is a famed surf spot, noted for its large swells, at times comparable to Hawaii's Sunset BeachSunset Beach (Oahu)thumb|right|Sunset Beach on Oahu's North ShoreSunset Beach is on the North Shore of Oahu in Hawai'i and known for big wave surfing during the winter season. The original Hawaiian name for this place is Paumalū...
, and also for severe localism. - Korean Bell of FriendshipKorean Bell of FriendshipThe Korean Bell of Friendship is a massive bronze bell housed in a stone pavilion in Angel's Gate Park, in the San Pedro neighborhood of Los Angeles, California...
is located near Point Fermin in San Pedro. - Marineland of the PacificMarineland of the PacificMarineland of the Pacific was a public oceanarium and tourist attraction located on the Palos Verdes Peninsula coast in Los Angeles County, California, USA. Architect William Pereira designed the main structure. It was also known as Hanna-Barbera's Marineland during the late 1970s and early 1980s...
is the location of the former aquatic theme park on the coast.
The area where Marineland once stood subsequently served as an outdoor set for commercials, film productions, and, in 1996, the MTV Beach HouseMTV Beach HouseMTV Beach House was a one hour music video block that aired in 1993. The show was targeted at black audiences, and was considered by some to be a rival to BET:Live. It was hosted by comedian Bill Bellamy.-External links:*...
. FoxFox Broadcasting CompanyFox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
filmed some scenes of its teen dramaTeen dramaA teen drama is a dramatic television series with a major focus on teenage characters. The genre was relatively non-existent for the first 45 years of television; it came into prominence in the early 1990s...
, The OC, at locations in and around Palos Verdes.
Wrecks
- The wreck of the DominatorDominator (ship)The Dominator, a Greek freighter, ran ashore on the Palos Verdes Peninsula in the South Bay area of California in 1961 due to a navigational error while lost in fog. Its remains can still be seen today, and serves as a point of interest for hikers and kayakers.-Accessing the wreck:The nearest...
, a freighter that ran aground in 1961, was for years, a rather bizarre attraction for those willing to hike down the cliffs to the shoreline. Very little is left of the ship today. - In 2006, the 45 foot cabin cruiser Lady Hawk sank 2 miles from the Palos Verdes coast due to an engine fire.
In popular culture
The novels The Tribes of Palos Verdes by author Joy Nicholson, and The Mark of ConteThe Mark of Conte
The Mark of Conte is a children's book written by American author Sonia Levitin.It concerns a teenager who creates two identities in his high school computer in order to garner his required credits in a shorter time...
by Sonia Levitin
Sonia Levitin
Sonia Levitin is an award-winning novelist and author of over forty novels and picture books for young adults and children, as well as published essays on various topics for adults...
, describe life from a teenager's perspective in Palos Verdes.
Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean films
Pirates of the Caribbean (film series)
Pirates of the Caribbean is a series of fantasy-adventure films directed by Gore Verbinski and Rob Marshall , written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
were partly photographed on and off the coast of Palos Verdes Peninsula. A tent city for production was constructed in the Redondo Beach Marina. The Black Pearl and several production vessels were seen on the waters daily as were helicopters filming for overhead shots.
Overhead shots were used for the fictional town of Costa Verde in Heroes
Heroes (TV series)
Heroes is an American science fiction television drama series created by Tim Kring that appeared on NBC for four seasons from September 25, 2006 through February 8, 2010. The series tells the stories of ordinary people who discover superhuman abilities, and how these abilities take effect in the...
, in the episode "I Am Become Death
I Am Become Death
"I Am Become Death" is the fourth episode of the third season of the NBC science fiction drama series Heroes and thirty-eighth episode overall. It was written by Aron Coleite and directed by David Von Ancken. The episode aired on October 6, 2008.-Plot:...
".
In a recent episode
Crippled Summer
"Crippled Summer" is the seventh episode and mid-season finale of the fourteenth season of the American animated television series South Park, and the 202nd overall episode of the series. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on April 28, 2010...
of South Park
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
, the character of Towelie went to a Rehab center in Rancho Palos Verdes.
In 1962, the "Big W" scenes from the ensemble comedy It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World is a 1963 American comedy film produced and directed by Stanley Kramer about the madcap pursuit of $350,000 in stolen cash by a diverse and colorful group of strangers...
starring Sid Caesar
Sid Caesar
Isaac Sidney "Sid" Caesar is an Emmy award winning American comic actor and writer known as the leading man on the 1950s television series Your Show of Shows and Caesar's Hour, and to younger generations as Coach Calhoun in Grease and Grease 2.- Early life :Caesar was born in Yonkers, New York,...
, Spencer Tracy
Spencer Tracy
Spencer Bonaventure Tracy was an American theatrical and film actor, who appeared in 75 films from 1930 to 1967. Tracy was one of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, ranking among the top ten box office draws for almost every year from 1938 to 1951...
, Ethel Merman
Ethel Merman
Ethel Merman was an American actress and singer. Known primarily for her powerful voice and roles in musical theatre, she has been called "the undisputed First Lady of the musical comedy stage." Among the many standards introduced by Merman in Broadway musicals are "I Got Rhythm", "Everything's...
, Phil Silvers
Phil Silvers
Phil Silvers was an American entertainer and comedy actor, known as "The King of Chutzpah." He is best known for starring in The Phil Silvers Show, a 1950s sitcom set on a U.S...
and others were filmed on the grounds of a private estate locally known as "Portuguese Point" near Abalone Cove shoreline park.
MTV's sitcom Awkward. is set in Palos Verdes.
Notable residents
- World Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
(WWE) Superstar John Morrison - Juan CroucierJuan CroucierJuan Croucier is a Cuban-American heavy metal musician.-Career:Croucier attended Torrance High School in Torrance, California. Formerly a bassist for well known metal bands Dokken and Ratt during the 1980s, Croucier was also very briefly in Quiet Riot...
famous bass player and songwriter of the band RattRattRatt is an American heavy metal band that had significant commercial success in the 1980s. The band is best known for songs such as "Round and Round," "Wanted Man," "Lay It Down," "You're in Love", "Slip of the Lip", "Back For More", "Dance", "Body Talk", "I Want a Woman", and "Way Cool Jr." Ratt... - George TakeiGeorge TakeiGeorge Hosato Takei Altman is an American actor, author, social activist and former civil politician. He is best known for his role in the television series Star Trek and its film spinoffs, in which he played Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the...
famous for his work as Hikaru SuluHikaru SuluHikaru Sulu is a character in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by George Takei in the original Star Trek series, Sulu also appears in the animated Star Trek series, the first six Star Trek movies, one episode of Star Trek: Voyager, and in numerous books, comics, and video games...
from Star TrekStar TrekStar Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise... - Former resident Chuck NorrisChuck NorrisCarlos Ray "Chuck" Norris is an American martial artist and actor. After serving in the United States Air Force, he began his rise to fame as a martial artist and has since founded his own school, Chun Kuk Do...
, of Walker, Texas RangerWalker, Texas RangerWalker, Texas Ranger is an American television action crime drama series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis, and starring Chuck Norris as a member of the Texas Ranger Division. The show aired on CBS in the spring of 1993, with the first season consisting of three pilot episodes. Eight full...
fame, owns several properties in the region - Former resident Joe MontanaJoe MontanaJoseph Clifford "Joe" Montana, Jr. , nicknamed Joe Cool, Golden Joe, The Golden Great and Comeback Joe, is a retired American football player. Montana started his NFL career in 1979 with the San Francisco 49ers, where he played quarterback for the next 14 seasons...
, of San Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ersThe San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
fame, used to live in Palos Verdes Estates during the football off-season - Christopher Boyce and Andrew Daulton LeeAndrew Daulton LeeAndrew Daulton Lee is an American who was convicted of espionage for his involvement in the spying activities of his childhood friend, Christopher Boyce.Lee was the adopted eldest son of Dr. Daulton Lee, a wealthy California physician...
, who sold U.S. secrets to the Soviets and were portrayed in the book and movie The Falcon and the SnowmanThe Falcon and the SnowmanThe Falcon and the Snowman is a 1985 film directed by John Schlesinger about two young American men, Christopher Boyce and Daulton Lee , who sold U.S. security secrets to the Soviet Union... - Billionaire John TuJohn Tu-Biography:John Tu was born in Chongquing, China and grew up in Taiwan. He studied electrical engineering at Technische Hochschule Darmstadt in Germany, then moved to California....
- Seattle SeahawksSeattle SeahawksThe Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
head coachHead coachA head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
Pete CarrollPete CarrollPeter Clay Carroll is the head coach and executive Vice-President of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He is a former head coach of the New York Jets, New England Patriots and the University of Southern California Trojans football team.-Early life:Carroll attended Redwood High... - Musician Gary WrightGary WrightGary Malcolm Wright is an American musician, best known for his song, "Dream Weaver". He was the piano player on Harry Nilsson's version of "Without You".-Early life:...
Glenn Hughes - Billboard model AngelyneAngelyneAngelyne is an American model and actress who ostensibly became an icon of Hollywood and Los Angeles, best known for purchasing billboards advertising herself.-Biography:...
- Actor Michael DudikoffMichael DudikoffMichael Joseph Dudikoff II is an American actor who has been in numerous films, including the American Ninja series , Tron , Bachelor Party , Platoon Leader , River of Death , Soldier Boyz , Ringmaster , and The Silencer , to name a few...
- Author, actor and filmmaker Scott ShawScott ShawScott Shaw is an American actor, author, journalist, film director, film producer, musician, professor and martial artist.-Early life:...
- Former pro basketball players Elden CampbellElden CampbellElden Jerome Campbell is a retired American professional basketball player who played center in the National Basketball Association .-Playing Career:...
- Pro basketball player Sasha VujačićSasha VujacicAleksandar "Sasha" Vujačić is a Slovenian basketball player who has played in Italy, the United States , and more recently for Anadolu Efes S.K. in Turkey...
of the New Jersey NetsNew Jersey NetsThe New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
- Musician James TaylorJames TaylorJames Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000....
- Hedge Fund Manager Scott J. Schachter
- Actor Richard Lynch
- Pete SamprasPete SamprasPete Sampras is a retired American tennis player and former world no. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam singles titles and became recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time....
(former tennis great) - Pro Basketball Player Luke WaltonLuke WaltonLuke Theodore Walton is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . His primary position is at small forward. After the 2010 NBA Finals, Walton and his father Hall of Famer Bill Walton became the first and only father and son to...
of the Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
Lakers - U.S. National Dancesport Champions (Professional Standard)U.S. National Dancesport Champions (Professional Standard)The United States national professional ballroom dance champions are crowned at the United States Dance Championships , as recognized by the National Dance Council of America and the World Dance & DanceSport Council ....
and So You Think You Can DanceSo You Think You Can Dance (U.S. TV series)So You Think You Can Dance is an American dance competition and reality show that airs on Fox in the United States.The series first premiered on July 20, 2005, and was created by American Idol producers Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe and is produced by 19 Entertainment and Dick Clark Productions...
choreographers Heather Smith and Victor Veyrasset - Lindsay DavenportLindsay DavenportLindsay Ann Davenport is a former World No. 1 American professional tennis player. She has won three Grand Slam singles tournaments and an Olympic gold medal in singles. In 2005, TENNIS Magazine ranked her as the 29th-best player of the preceding forty years...
, 3 time Grand SlamGrand Slam (tennis)The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and...
winner and former tennis World No. 1 - Kamyar Kalantar-Zadeh, physicianPhysicianA physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
scientistScientistA scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
and proponent of the reverse epidemiologyReverse epidemiologyReverse epidemiology is a term for a medical hypothesis which holds that obesity and high cholesterol may, counterintuitively, be protective and associated with greater survival in certain groups of people, such as very elderly individuals or those with certain chronic diseases...
hypothesis - Pro basketball player Pau GasolPau GasolPau Gasol Sáez is a Spanish professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . He was born to Marisa Sáez and Agustí Gasol, and he spent his childhood in Spain...
of the Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
Lakers - Journalist, political activist, and Holocaust denierHolocaust denialHolocaust denial is the act of denying the genocide of Jews in World War II, usually referred to as the Holocaust. The key claims of Holocaust denial are: the German Nazi government had no official policy or intention of exterminating Jews, Nazi authorities did not use extermination camps and gas...
Willis CartoWillis CartoWillis Allison Carto is a longtime figure on the American far right. He describes himself as Jeffersonian and populist, but is primarily known for his promotion of antisemitic conspiracy theories and Holocaust denial.-Influences on Carto:... - Marten AnderssonMarten AnderssonMarten Andersson is the bass guitarist for the hard rock and heavy metal groups Lizzy Borden, George Lynch's , Starwood and...
bass player and songwriter with the Hardrock bands Lizzy BordenLizzy Borden (band)Lizzy Borden is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983. Lizzy Borden is also the name of the band's lead vocalist.-History:Lizzy Borden specializes in the shock rock style originated by artists such as Alice Cooper and Kiss...
and Lynch Mob - Jack Baumann, famous for his work as a ruthless bicycle cop on TV's Pacific BluePacific Blue (TV series)Pacific Blue is an American crime drama series about a team of police officers with the Santa Monica Police Department who patrolled its beaches on bicycles. The show ran for five seasons on the USA Network, from March 2, 1996 to April 9, 2000, with a total of one hundred and one episodes...
- Tracy AustinTracy AustinTracy Ann Austin Holt is a former World No. 1 female professional tennis player from the United States who won the women's singles title at the US Open in 1979 and 1981 and the mixed doubles title at Wimbledon in 1980, before a series of injuries cut her career short.-To 1980:Austin defeated...
, former World No. 1 female professional tennis player - Donald BaillargeonMoneyTV with Donald BaillargeonMoneyTV with Donald Baillargeon is an internationally syndicated television program all about money, featuring interviews with small company CEOs. The weekly television program debuted in 1996 and is broadcast internationally in the USA, Western Europe, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and in the 21...
, international television host
- Galorath Inc. CEO and President Dan GalorathDan GalorathDaniel D. Galorath is the President and CEO of Galorath Incorporated and the chief architect of SEER-SEM, an algorithmic project management software application...
- Figure skater Michelle KwanMichelle KwanMichelle Wingshan Kwan is an American figure skater. She is a two-time Olympic medalist, a five-time World champion and a nine-time U.S...
- UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson SilvaAnderson SilvaAnderson da Silva is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He is the current UFC Middleweight Champion and the promotion's longest reigning champion. With 14 consecutive wins, Silva holds the longest winning streak and title defense streak in UFC history...
See also
- Horse CommunityHorse CommunityA horse community or equestrian community is a planned real estate development or community where people live with their horses on their property or at a facility within the rural or suburban development, with a shared trails network for pleasure riding...
- Palos Verdes BluePalos Verdes BlueThe Palos Verdes Blue is a small endangered butterfly native to the Palos Verdes Peninsula in southwest Los Angeles County, California. As its distribution has been proven to be limited to one single site it has one of the best claims to being the world's rarest butterfly.- Overview :Palos Verdes...
— an endangered speciesEndangered speciesAn endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
of an endemic ButterflyButterflyA butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
, and resident of the Palos Verdes Peninsula - Palos Verdes Peninsula Land ConservancyPalos Verdes Peninsula Land ConservancyThe Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy is a non-profit organization that is based in Palos Verdes, CA, whose mission is "Preserving land and restoring habitat for the enjoyment and education of all." Founded in 1988, the PVPLC has protected of open space as nature preserves on the Palos...
- Transverse RangesTransverse RangesThe Transverse Ranges are a group of mountain ranges of southern California, in the Pacific Coast Ranges physiographic region that runs along the Pacific coast from Alaska to Mexico in North America. The Transverse Ranges begin at the southern end of the California Coast Ranges and lie between...
— with the Palos Verdes HillsPalos Verdes HillsThe Palos Verdes Hills are a mountain range on the south coast of Los Angeles County, California.They are the landed end of the Channel Islands of California Transverse Ranges formation, and are the location of Palos Verdes Estates, Rolling Hills, and other communities.The South Coast Botanic...
and Channel Islands a single geologic range.
Further reading
- Patryla, Jim (2005). A Photographic Journey Back To Marineland of the Pacific. Lulu Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4116-7130-0.