Pacific Palisades
Pacific Palisades is an affluent neighborhood on the West Side of Los Angeles in Southern California, adjacent to Santa Monica. The district is a primarily residential area with expensive houses amongst the hills offering incredible ocean views.
Get in
By car
The town is accessible via the Pacific Coast Highway (SR-1; often abbreviated "PCH"), or by traveling along famed Sunset Boulevard, which acts as an east-west pass-through and terminates on the western boundary of the town itself. Temescal Canyon Blvd. originates at PCH and permits an northerly approach into the middle of town.
By bus
Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus #9 goes along Sunset Blvd. via Chautauqua Blvd., going through the heart of Pacific Palisades, from Santa Monica.
LA Metro bus 2 also travels along Sunset Blvd. all the way to PCH, and then loops back on Temescal Canyon Blvd. traversing much of the town.
By bicycle
You will be competing for space along the same access routes for vehicular traffic. Unless you are a capable urban cyclist, travel along Sunset Blvd. and PCH is not advised. Temescal Canyon Blvd. presents a long, steep grade, and you would do well to make sure your braking system is in tip-top shape should you double back!
By foot
Foot traffic from the coastline is common, especially during good weather. Both the west entrance into town via Sunset Blvd. and the uphill north entrance along Temescal Canyon Blvd. have uninterrupted sidewalks. The east entrance does not have clearly-marked walkways for at least 200 yards (180 meters) measured from the east border of town--walking along either side of Sunset Blvd. is very dangerous and ill-advised.
Get around
See
- 1 J. Paul Getty Villa, 17895 Pacific Coast Highway, ☏ +1-310-440-7300. W-M 10AM-5PM, closed Tuesdays. An extension of the world-famous Getty Center in West Los Angeles, the Getty Villa is a separate location built in the style of an ancient Roman villa that features statues and other cultural artifacts from Greece and Rome. You can visit both the Villa and the Getty Center in the same day (Wednesday through Sunday) and pay the parking fee only once (save your ticket stub), but don't expect to have any time left over for other activities. Admission is free but advance, timed tickets are required for each individual. Parking is $15.
- 2 Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine Temple, 17190 Sunset Blvd., ☏ +1 310-454-4114. The Lake Shrine Temple's 10-acre site has lush gardens and a large, natural spring-fed lake which is framed by natural hillsides, and is home to a variety of flora and fauna, including swans, ducks, koi, water turtles, and lotus flowers. A highlight of this spiritual sanctuary is the Mahatma Gandhi World Peace Memorial, where a portion of Gandhi's ashes is enshrined.
Do
- 1 Will Rogers State Beach. Offers swimming, volleyball, and a bike/running path. The beach will be familiar to fans of the TV show Baywatch.
Buy
- 1 Farmer's Market (Swarthmore & Sunset). Sunday 8AM-1:30PM. A downtown farmer's market offering produce, handicrafts, flowers, and homemade food.
Eat
- 1 Chez Mimi, 548 Palisades Dr, ☏ +1-310-393-0558. Country French cuisine in a converted house and courtyard. Outstanding romantic spot. Micheline Hebert, the owner, is French-Canadian, so there are always a few French-Canadian specialties on the menu.
Drink
Sleep
- 1 Channel Road Inn, 219 W. Channel Road, ☏ +1 310 459-1920. Check-in: 3PM-10PM, check-out: noon. An upscale bed and breakfast housed in a 1910 colonial revival home located a few blocks from the beach. Free Wi-Fi, breakfast, and afternoon wine and snacks, with some rooms coming with fireplaces and whirlpool tubs. $250-$350.
Go next
- Santa Monica. A neighboring beach city that is popular with tourists and features a fun and famous pier.
- Malibu. Another neighboring city that is accessible via PCH. Malibu is a beach town that is home to many entertainment stars and offers great beaches, surfing and restaurants for visitors.
| Routes through Pacific Palisades |
| Santa Barbara ← Malibu ← | N  S |
→ Santa Monica → Long Beach |