Unlike some of Los Angeles’s other “hot” neighborhoods, Palos Verdes isn’t exactly screaming for attention. It’s inconveniently located far from any major thoroughfares. Most of the beaches are too rocky for swimming. There isn’t a thriving hotel industry or a swarm of restaurants and bars where people may hang out at night. Instead, it’s just a stunning location with many rich South Bay LA locals who somehow manage to come off as kind and accommodating. Palos Verdes is like comfort food for the soul of an outdoor enthusiast with an adventurous spirit living in the city. If you want to know something more about the place, take a look at these few fun facts about living in Palos Verdes Estates.
6 fun facts about living in Palos Verdes Estates
Palos Verdes is located in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County. The Palos Verdes Peninsula consists of many separate communities, including Rancho Palos Verdes, Palos Verdes Estates, Rolling Hills, and Rolling Hills Estates. If you know the region, you may agree that Palos Verdes is quite remote, like many other desirable California coastal communities. And that’s precisely what makes it so exceptional! When it comes to fun things to do on this peninsula, Rancho Palos Verdes is the clear winner. That is why our residential movers in Los Angeles have their calendars filled up with appointments with people wanting to move to this amazing place.

1. Driving through Palos Verdes leaves you breathless every time
Driving through Palos Verdes never leaves you disappointed. Worlds far from the hustle and bustle of the rest of Los Angeles, this peninsula is wild and rustic in the truest sense of the word. Taking a road trip here means following the coastline, which means plenty of twists and turns as you climb and descend the area’s rocky hills and valleys. The beautiful scenery will make your jaw drop, for sure. You can get there in about 20 minutes if you drive the 12 miles down Palos Verdes Drive (in either direction). But beware, you’ll probably be stopping by a lot and admiring the beauty of the area. If you decide to move to this beautiful area and you need moving and storage in Los Angeles, you can always count on us.
2. There used to be a Nike Missile base here
From 1955 through 1974, a Nike Missile base was stationed near the location of the modern Rancho Palos Verdes City Hall. City Hall for Rancho Palos Verdes, which was founded as a city in 1973, was moved to the administrative buildings at the old Nike missile site in 1975. You can still hear all kinds of tales about the base from the locals here.
3. Palos Verdes has some of the best schools
There are more than 12,000 pupils enrolled in kindergarten through 12th grade in Palos Verdes’ acclaimed public schools. The Palos Verdes This school district consistently ranks in the top 1–5% of performing districts throughout the state of California. Chadwick, Rolling Hills Country Day, Rolling Hills Preparatory, Peninsula Montessori, and Peninsula Heritage are just a few of the exceptional private schools on the Peninsula. If you’d like to move to Palos Verdes with your family before school starts, you might need the assistance of storage in Los Angeles. Simply give them a call and they’ll be happy to help out.
4. The story of Frank Vanderlip’s haunted estate
The Vanderlip Estate is not haunted, despite widespread belief to the contrary. Frank Vanderlip Sr., the peninsula’s first developer and a member of the investment group that bought the whole peninsula in 1913, constructed a house. It has been falsely reported that Frank Vanderlip’s wife went mad there and that Frank Vanderlip’s daughter had an extramarital affair and was sent to the insane institution across the street. Numerous websites that focus on haunted locations provide such ludicrous tales.

In the early 1920s, Mr. Vanderlip constructed this house and often traveled from New York to spend time there. Narcissa Vanderlip, Frank Vanderlip’s widow, seldom used the Cottage near the house after Mr. Vanderlip’s death in 1937. She had a long and fruitful life on the East Coast. She was instrumental in establishing the League of Women Voters and guiding the New York Infirmary through its formative years. Narcissa was close friends with Eleanor Roosevelt and played a key role in getting Mrs. Roosevelt involved in politics and the women’s suffrage campaign. The six kids Frank and Narcissa Vanderlip raised were all up to no good.
Since their 1946 wedding, Frank Vanderlip’s son Kelvin and his wife Elin have made their home in the Villa Villetta (also known as the Cottage next door). Elin stayed in the house she and Kelvin had built until her death in 2009 at the age of 90. She had dubbed it the Villa Narcissa in honor of her mother-in-law, Mrs. Frank A. Vanderlip, Sr., who had passed away in 1956. Elin’s kids still live there.
5. The mysterious large domes
Many people who visit the place wonder about the two large domes that you can see in the distance while passing through the city. Those two domes are actually not so alien. It’s just a radar station. The radar station, whose two big white spherical buildings can be seen from Palos Verdes Drive East at the top of the hill, is still in service today. The Federal Aviation Administration maintains control of the site and continues to use the radar system for long-distance surveillance. Los Angeles Air Route Traffic Control Center uses this building to monitor and direct all flights entering and leaving the Los Angeles area. In 1960, the U.S. Air Force handed over control of the facility to the FAA.
6. People in Palos Verdes don’t need to throw their trash out
Residents in Palos Verdes Estates are exempt from setting out their garbage cans at the curb. Instead, the City of Palos Verdes Estates has its trash contractor retrieve the cans from a trash yard area of each property on trash pick-up day. And we think, that’s pretty neat.

Palos Verdes Estates is way cleaner than Los Angeles and they take much better care of their streets and communal areas. It’s no wonder why many people are moving from LA to Palos Verdes. You can ask our local movers in Palos Verdes Estates CA for more fun facts about living in Palos Verdes Estates as well as help with the move. We’re sure they’ll have lots to tell you.