Palos Verdes Estates history:

Palos 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 13,340 in the 2000 census. According to the 2000 US Census, Palos Verdes Estates is the 81st richest place in the United States with at least 1,000 households (based upon per capita income). The 90274 ZIP code (covering all communities within the Palos Verdes Peninsula) was ranked the 47th most expensive housing area among high property value U.S. ZIP codes in a 2007 study by Forbes.com. Palos Verdes Estates is one of the most affluent communities in the nation, inhabited by professionals, scientists, educators, and business leaders, and takes pride as a community in its healthy outdoor environment and the continuing success of its nationally prominent public educational system.

The city is located along the Southern California coastline of the Pacific Ocean. There are several accessible beaches although most of the predominantly rocky shoreline is marked by high cliffs. Three noteworthy Palos Verdes Estates surfriding beaches exist among the estate homes along the coastline, and include: Haggerty's (the rock beach below the Neighborhood Church, site of the former Haggerty Manor estate), the Palos Verdes Bluff Cove Beach (around the point, south of Haggerty's, which includes "indicator", "little reef", "middle", and "boneyard" surf breaks), and Lunada Bay (occasional large winter waves). Other significant features of the city are the scenic Palos Verdes Golf Club, a challenging 18-hole golf course and country club designed by George C. Thomas Jr and William "Billy" Bell in 1923, and the Palos Verdes Tennis Club. Both premier facilities are restricted for recreational use by city resident-members and guests, and are centrally located within the city. Another popular city landmark atop Palos Verdes Estates is the La Venta Inn. Built in 1923, La Venta Inn was the first known building structure on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Architects Walter and Pierpont Davis designed the building and the famous landscape architects, the Olmstead brothers, designed its gardens. The La Venta Inn has sensational views of the Southern California coastline.

The city is primarily a high-end residential location, with no traffic lights, and relatively limited commercial shop areas found in Malaga Cove Plaza and Lunada Bay. One of Southern California's most exclusive and expensive neighborhoods, Palos Verdes Estates' aesthetics and architecture are protected by an Art Jury, a non-governmental organization which must approve any exterior alteration to any building, fence, sidewalk, or other structure. For example, most residences and business buidings within the city limits have uniform Mediterranian red ceramic tile roofs and often feature architecture with column and arch motifs, resembling European coastal communities.

A substantial amount of land in the community is planned and dedicated as undeveloped open field habitat. The community has an extensive system of hiking trails, and road bike lanes and mountain bike trails. Equestrian facilities and horse trails are nearby.

At the time of the city's incorporation in 1939, the business and shop area around Malaga Cove had most of the Peninsula's earlier buildings. The Malaga Cove Plaza building of the Palos Verdes Public Library, designed by Pasadena architect Myron Hunt, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. Palos Verdes Estates was one of the earliest masterplanned communitites in the United States.

Palos Verdes Estates is located at 33°47′13″N 118°23′48″W / 33.78694°N 118.39667°W / 33.78694; -118.39667 (33.787049, -118.396657).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.4 km² (4.8 mi²), all land.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_California