Malibu

Malibu is a stunning 27 miles long beach community in Los Angeles County. It’s great for beach goers, surfers, and hikers. Malibu has spectacular scenery everywhere you go. The canyons are great for hikes or horseback riding. The schools in Malibu are amongst the top schools in Los Angeles. Real estate in Malibu is through the roof. Everything is expensive—even homes in trailer parks. The Colony which is one of Malibu’s only private, gated, security patrolled enclaves is a prestigious area where many celebrities live.

Pacific Coast Highway and Malibu Canyon are the two major roads in Malibu. Both roads are kind of twisty and accidents happen quite often. PCH on weekends and during the summer can get very congested and it can take an hour to make it to the next town. The commute can be brutal because Malibu is really far from the rest of the city.

Malibu Country Mart is a pleasant small outdoor shopping center just minutes from Malibu Colony. The place is very low-key, yet sophisticated and trendy at the same time. It’s a nice place to stop for a stroll, to have a leisurely lunch, or just to watch the locals. Things in general cost more in Malibu than elsewhere, e.g. gas and food.

The Getty Villa in Malibu is an amazing museum situated on beautiful grounds. One of my favorite restaurants in Malibu is Moonshadows. It offers amazing ocean views (sometimes dolphins), and great food. Mel Gibson and Britney Spears like to dine there.

Malibu is prone to natural disasters. The PCH floods during the rainy season and landslides are not uncommon. Several times, the city has been severely damaged by fires.

I have several friends who live in the Las Flores community of Rancho Santa Margarita. For each of them, the decision to move there came down to the economic realities of the runaway real estate market of 2005 in Ladera Ranch, its neighboring community. Not knowing too much about Las Flores, I had read that as "settling for less" but, after visiting the community, I think they made a very good decision.

It's a small community and so geographically removed from RSM that you'd think it should stand on its own. Yet, there are no community services based within its borders. It has one (very good) elementary school, and there doesn't seem to be any real community center. I suppose this is main reason why people feel that Ladera offers so much more from a community standpoint, which, in terms of amenities and community-based resources, it does.

Another look at Las Flores and you notice that the neighborhoods that meander over curved streets are very close knit. The families have access to the best of RSM with its central park, lake and skate park as well as Ladera Ranch and its big sports park. But none of these are within a short drive of Las Flores so the families and neighborhoods do more to create their own fun and activities which is what community is all about.

You couldn't ask for better access to the neighboring towns for services and shopping, not to mention its proximity to the 241 Toll Road. Highway 5 is just a straight 15 minute shot up Oso Parkway.

If I were looking again in the RSM, Ladera and Las Flores area, I would give Las Flores a much closer look. It's my idea of real family community.

Malibu is one of those area in LA that people have heard of all over the country and probably the world. Beach side properties are always a draw because of the immense beauty of the ocean and the idea that you could just get up in the morning and walk out to the beach. But then, you add the fact that many celebrities and millionaires have homes here, and Malibu becomes the sort of nexus of natural beauty and celebrity culture that people find irresistible, if only to visit.

I must admit, however, that my brother managed to find his way into a home in Malibu. He lived for a few years in this little trailer park just above Paradise Cove—still pretty expensive, though well worth it. I spent a couple of summers there in my senior year of high school and first year of college. It was wonderful.

Malibu is worth the hype. It is that kind crazy mix of laid back beach culture—the kind of culture you get from a Beach Boys song (a few of them lived here) and the fabulously wealthy. When you live in Malibu, you stop being surprised when you see movie stars in sweats at the supermarket. You don’t find it strange that Martin Sheen is your mayor (or was anyway) or that you wake up to find that Robert Downey Jr. accidentally ended up passed out on your lawn. Its that kind of place.

As you would expect given the affluence, Malibu has a great high school and great schools in general—though of course, it must be hard hitting the books when you got the beach right there.

Also, Malibu is prone to wild fires and mud slides, the first which is common to the Santa Monica Mountains and the second which is just the cost of living on a beach where erosion is s constant problem. Also, Highway 1 is the only way in and out of Malibu pretty much—and the traffic into LA on it—especially as you approach Santa Monica—is horrible. Heading the other way, towards Santa Barbara however is perfectly fine—largely because there isn’t much there.

Crime is minimal here as well. There has not been a murder in Malibu in several years. Property crime is the more common occurrences but even that is relatively limited because of the distance from the city.

Malibu’s affluent community have also made it a draw for many restauranteurs looking to serve this prime community and those who want to gawk at it. You can find several seafood places, as well as Italian, French, Chinese foods and sushi. There are also several boutiques and shops.

If the outdoors is what you like, you can either go to the beach or go hiking in the Santa Monica Mountains. There is also hang gliding in the area and horse back riding—just about any thing you can imagine. There is even Pepperdine University if you like going to school on the coast and can afford the high tuition of this private university.