Spend time in this Norman Rockwell-esque town by the sea and you’ll understand its appeal — and maybe even its price tag.
Years ago, when I was in my late 20s, I had lunch with a friend of a friend who had just moved to Pacific Palisades. I was living in a duplex in Echo Park at the time and expressed surprise that someone my age lived in a part of Los Angeles that felt so out of reach.I was stunned. “Oh honey,” I thought. “If only that’s how the world worked for all of us.”
Once the home of the Gabrielino-Tongva people, the area known as Pacific Palisades was colonized by the Spanish in the mid-1800s and marketed by wealthy developers as a resort town in the 1880s. Collis Huntington built what was then the world’s longest wharf in 1894 in the hopes that the area might be designated the Port of L.A.
Soon Marlo and I got to chatting. The sandwiches were great, she said, but DELIzioso Cinque’s claim to fame is the croissants her husband makes daily. Comedian Tom Segura called them “the best in the world” in awith more than 19,000 views, and on weekend mornings, customers from across Los Angeles line up at the tiny, nondescript store to buy boxes to take home. I thought I probably should try one of the croissants too. “Plain? Sugar? Chocolate?” she asked.
I almost always order the avocado toast , which comes on gently toasted wheat seeded bread with roasted cherry tomatoes and fresh basil. My best friend and Palisades native, novelist Alexis Landau, is partial to the spicy rigatoncini “arrabbiata” , which looks deceptively simple and is incredibly delicious. Bestsellers also include e.
On the retail side, beautifully arranged display tables showcase books, journals, ceramics, jewelry, dried bouquets and tarot and oracle cards — many of them from local artists, designers and writers. Woven blankets and straw hats from Guatemala adorn two of the walls. A line of ayurvedic-inspired beauty products line the shelves of a third wall.
The villa can easily be enjoyed in a couple of hours. I recommend prioritizing the gardens, which include the spectacular Outer Peristyle with its 220-foot-long turquoise pool and walkways dotted with bronze statues. The statues are replicas of those found at Villa dei Papiri, which was destroyed by a volcanic eruption in AD 79 and served as a model for the Getty Villa.
Today, the house is owned by a German nonprofit arts organization that offers fellowships to writers, filmmakers, visual artists and composers, primarily from Germany, who live there for three to six months at a time. Tours of the house are free and available upon request . Villa Aurora also hosts occasional lectures, readings and performances that are open to the public. Check the website for details.
Located just off Sunset Boulevard, Will Rogers State Park includes a polo field where matches are still played today, horse stables that offer trail rides and lessons, a broad grassy area perfect for picnicking and gorgeous trails with ocean views. For a moderately easy and picturesque hike, try Inspiration Loop, which you can access to the left of the beautifully restored horse stables and riding ring.
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