Palos Verdes Peninsula: Difference between revisions

| name = Palos Verdes Peninsula, California

| official_name =

| settlement_type = Sub-region of the [[Los Angeles metropolitan area]]

| motto =

| nickname =

| image_skyline = Palos Verdes (aerial view).jpg

| imagesize = 300px

| image_caption = Aerial view of the Palos Verdes Peninsula and the [[Palos Verdes Hills]], with [[Los Angeles]] city center in the distance

| image_flag =

| image_seal =

| image_map =

| mapsize = =

| map_caption =

| image_map1 = =

| mapsize1 = =

| map_caption1 = =

| subdivision_type = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]

| subdivision_type1 = [[U.S. state|State]]

|subdivision_type2 subdivision_name1 = [[List of counties in California|County]]

| subdivision_name2 = {{flagicon image|Flag of Los Angeles County, California.svg}} [[Los Angeles County, California|Los Angeles]]

| government_type =

|leader_name leader_title =

|leader_title1 leader_name =

|leader_name1 leader_title1 = =

|leader_title2 leader_name1 =

|leader_name2 leader_title2 = =

|established_title leader_name2 =

| established_date = <!-- Area------------------>

| area_magnitude = =

| unit_pref = =US

| area_footnotes = =

| area_total_sq_mi = 37.5

| area_land_sq_mi =

| area_water_sq_mi =

| area_total_km2 =

| area_land_km2 =

| area_water_km2 =

| area_water_percent =

| area_note = =

| elevation_m =

| elevation_ft =

| population_as_of = 2010

| population_note = =

| population_total = 65008

| population_rank =

| population_density_km2 =

| timezone = [[Pacific Time Zone|PST]] ([[UTC-8UTC−8]])

| utc_offset =

| timezone_DST = PDT ([[UTC-7UTC−7]])

| website =

| utc_offset_DST =

| postal_code_type = [[ZIP codeCode]]s

| postal_code =

| area_code = [[Area codes 310 and 424|310/424]]

| blank_name =

| blank_info =

| blank1_name =

| blank1_info =

| footnotes =

The '''Palos Verdes Peninsula''' (''Palos Verdes'', [[Spanish language|Spanish]] for "Green Sticks [trees]")<ref>[https://dle.rae.es/palo?m=form rae.com #23] ''Real Academia Española''</ref> is a [[landformpeninsula]] and a geographic sub-region of the [[Los Angeles metropolitan area]], located within southwestern [[Los Angeles County, California|Los Angeles County]] in the U.S. state of [[California]]. Located in the [[South Bay, Los Angeles|South Bay]] region, the peninsula contains a group of cities in the [[Palos Verdes Hills]], including [[Palos Verdes Estates, California|Palos Verdes Estates]], [[Rancho Palos Verdes, California|Rancho Palos Verdes]], [[Rolling Hills, California|Rolling Hills]] and [[Rolling Hills Estates, California|Rolling Hills Estates]], as well as the unincorporated community of Westfield/Academy Hill. The South Bay city of [[Torrance, California|Torrance]] borders the peninsula on the north, the Pacific Ocean is on the west and south, and the [[Port of Los Angeles]] is east. As of the [[2010 United States Census|2010 Census]], the population of the Palos Verdes Peninsula is 65,008.

The peninsula was the homeland of the [[Tongva people|Tongva-Gabrieliño]] [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]] people for thousands of years. In other areas of the [[Los Angeles Basin]] archeological sites date back 8,000 years.<ref>[http://www.laokay.com/halac/RanchoLosEncinos.htm laokay: History of Rancho Los Encinos.] accessed 8/20/2010</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/discoveries/2006-03-03-prehistoric-mill_x.htm|title=USATODAY.com - Prehistoric milling site found in California|website=www.usatoday.com|access-date=2017-10-24}}</ref> Their first contact with Europeans occurred in 1542 with [[João Cabrilho]] (''Juan Cabrillo''). [[Chowigna, California|Chowigna]] and [[Suangna, California|Suangna]] were two Tongva settlements of many in the peninsula area, which was also a departure point for their ''[[ranchería]]s'' on the [[Channel Islands of California|Channel Islands]].

[[File:Manuel Domínguez of California.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Don [[Manuel Dominguez|Manuel Domínguez]], a signer of the [[Californian Constitution]] and owner of [[Rancho San Pedro]], which included all of Palos Verdes until 1846.]]

[[File:José Loreto Sepúlveda.jpg|thumb|left|upright|In 1846, [[Rancho de los Palos Verdes]] was separated from Rancho San Pedro and granted to brothers [[Sepúlveda family of California|José Loreto Sepúlveda]] (pictured) and [[Juan Capistrano Sepúlveda]].]]

In 1846, [[Francisco Xavier Sepúlveda#José Dolores Sepúlveda|José Dolores Sepúlveda]] and José Loreto received a [[Ranchos of California|Mexican land grant]] from [[Alta California]] Governor [[Pío Pico]] for a parcel from the huge original 1784 [[Spanish Empire|Spanish]] land grant of [[Rancho San Pedro]] to [[Manuel Dominguez]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://content.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/hb9489p1s9/?&brand=oac|title=Plat of the Rancho Los Palos Verdes [Calif.] : finally confirmed to Jose Loretto Sepulveda et al. / surveyed under instructions from the U.S. Surveyor General by Henry Hancock, Dep. Survr., September 1859 |website=Calisphere |language=en |access-date=2017-10-24}}</ref> It was named [[Rancho de los Palos Verdes]], or "ranch of the green stickstrees", which was used primarily as a cattle ranch.<ref>Ogden Hoffman, 1862, ''Reports of Land Cases Determined in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California'', Numa Hubert, San Francisco</ref> It was also briefly used as a whaling station in the mid-19th century.

By 1882, ownership of the land had passed from the Sepulveda family through various mortgage holders to [[Bixby family|Jotham Bixby]] of [[Rancho Los Cerritos]], who leased the land to Japanese farmers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blogs.dailybreeze.com/history/2010/03/02/bixby-ranch/ |title=Bixby Ranch |date=March 2, 2010 |first=Sam |last= Gnerre |access-date=12 June 2015 |publisher=[[South Bay Daily Breeze]] |work=South Bay History}}</ref>

[[Frank A. Vanderlip|Frank Vanderlip]], representing a group of wealthy east coast investors, purchased 25 square miles of land on the Palos Verdes Peninsula in 1913 for $1.5 million.<ref>[[Robert M. Fogelson]] (2005). Bourgeois Nightmares: suburbia, 1870–1930 New Haven: Yale University Press, ppp.5-6 5–6.</ref> In 1914, Vanderlip vacationed at Palos Verdes in order to recover from an illness, and he was astounded by scenery he compared to "the Sorrentine Peninsula and the Amalfi Drive.". He quickly initiated development of Palos Verdes. He hired the [[Olmsted Brothers]], the landscaping firm of [[John Charles Olmsted]] and [[Frederick Law Olmsted Jr.]], to plan and landscape a new subdivision.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.lamag.com/citythinkblog/palos-verdes-estates-brochure/ |title=An Old Brochure Reveals How the Palos Verdes Peninsula Became a Massive Planned Community |last=CreasonReason |first=Glen |date=2019-08-27 |website=Los Angeles Magazine |language=en-USus |access-date=2019-08-28}}</ref> The Olmsted Brothers contracted Koebig & Koebig to perform engineering work, including surveying and road planning.<ref>Robert M. Fogelson (2005). ''Bourgeois Nightmares: Duburbia, 1870–1930''. New Haven: Yale University Press, pp. 6–8.</ref> However, the project stalled as World War I started, and Vanderlip accepted a chairmanship to the War Savings Committee in Washington, D.C. in 1916.

By 1921, Vanderlip had lost interest in overseeing development of Palos Verdes and enticed [[Edward Gardner Lewis]] to take over the project with an option to buy the property for $5 million. Lewis was an experienced developer, but lacked the capital to purchase and develop Palos Verdes. Instead, he established a real estate trust, capitalizing the project through the sale of notes which were convertible to Palos Verdes property. Under the terms of the trust, Lewis sought to raise $30 million for infrastructure improvements, effectively borrowing from investors for both the land and the improvements. He succeeded in attracting $15 million in capital, but far short of the $35 million needed. The trust dissolved and ownership of Palos Verdes reverted to Vanderlip.<ref>Robert M. Fogelson (2005). ''Bourgeois Nightmares: Duburbia, 1870–1930''. New Haven: Yale University Press, pp. 8–10.</ref>

Palos Verdes Estates was organized and landscaped by the [[Olmsted Brothers]] and in their planning, they dedicated a quarter of the land area to permanent open undeveloped space.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.pvestates.org/index.aspx?page=38 |title=History of PVE {{!}} Palos Verdes Estates, CA |website=www.pvestates.org |language=en |access-date=2017-10-24}}</ref>

The [[Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District]] has one of the highest rated [[Academic Performance Index (California public schools)|API]] scores in California<ref name="APIscore">{{cite web | url = http://api.cde.ca.gov/APIBase2006/2005Base_DstApi.aspx?allcds=1964865 | title = Palos Verdes Local Educational Agency Report | access-date = 2006-10-03 | publisher = California Department of Education | archive-date = 2011-09-28 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110928230557/http://api.cde.ca.gov/APIBase2006/2005Base_DstApi.aspx?allcds=1964865 | url-status = dead }}</ref> and has one of the highest average [[SAT]] scores<ref name="SAT">{{cite web | url = http://store.schoolwisepress.com/cgi-bin/parser.pl?sourcedoc=/snapshots/19/19-64865-1995588h.tmpl&rank=19/19_h_snapshots.html | title = School Wise Press School Snapshot: Palos Verdes Peninsula High School | access-date = 2006-10-03 | publisher = School Wise Press | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061024172107/http://store.schoolwisepress.com/cgi-bin/parser.pl?sourcedoc=%2Fsnapshots%2F19%2F19-64865-1995588h.tmpl&rank=19%2F19_h_snapshots.html | archive-date = 2006-10-24 | url-status = dead }}</ref> and one of the highest percentage of students successfully completing the [[Advanced Placement]] exams<ref name="APscores">{{cite web | url = http://www.ed-data.k12.ca.us/Navigation/fsTwoPanel.asp?bottom=%2Fprofile%2Easp%3Flevel%3D05%26reportNumber%3D16 | title = SAT, ACT and AP Test Results in California | access-date=2006-10-03 | publisher=California Department of Education}}</ref> in the county. There are three high schools, [[Palos Verdes Peninsula High School]] (formerly called Rolling Hills High School), [[Palos Verdes High School]], and [[Rancho Del Mar High School]] (located in Rolling Hills). The former [[Marymount California University]], a [[co-ed]] [[Roman Catholic]] four-year college iswas located in [[Rancho Palos Verdes]].<ref name= pvCampus >Tyler Shaun Evans and Lisa Jacobs, ''Daily Breeze'' [https://www.dailybreeze.com/2022/09/27/ucla-buys-marymount-california-university-property-in-palos-verdes-peninsula-to-ease-crowding/ (28 September 2022) UCLA buys Marymount California University property in Palos Verdes Peninsula to ease crowding] "The 35-acre purchase is the largest in the public university’s history".</ref> A private K–12 school, [[Chadwick School]], is also located there. [[Rolling Hills Country Day School]], adjacent to the Botanic Garden, offers a private K-8 education. In total, there are 11 elementary schools, 3 intermediate schools, and 3 high schools located on the peninsula.

The Peninsula is served by the Palos Verdes Library District,<ref>[http://www.pvld.org Palos Verdes Library District],</ref> which operates these three libraries:

The [[Trump National Golf Club (Los Angeles)|Trump National Golf Club]] is a [[Donald Trump]] venture with a golf course on the Ocean Trails cliffs. The 18th hole of the prior golf course fell victim to a landslide caused by a leak in the sanitary pipes underneath it. In the summer of 2006, the golf club erected a 70-foot flagpole for an American flag; critics claimed it was illegal, but the golf club was allowed to retain it after a City Council vote.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/21/AR2006092101207.html|title=Trump Gets OK for Illegal Flagpole|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=2006-09-21|access-date=2017-10-24|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286}}</ref>

=== Native plants ===

* [[wildMarah cucumber(plant)]]

=== Native animals ===

* [[Palos Verdes blue|Palos Verdes blue butterfly]]

* [[Portuguese Bend]] is one of the most geologically unstable areas in the world. Constant shifting of the soil (approximately 1/3 of an inch a day) and rock slides mean that Palos Verdes Drive South, the main road through the bend, is under constant repair.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Deng |first=Jireh |date=2024-03-22 |title=Part of Palos Verdes Drive South damaged by landslide will close temporarily for repairs |url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-03-22/imminent-temporary-closure-for-palos-verdes-drive-south |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref>

* Musician [[Hyde (musician)|HYDEHyde]], lead singer of Japanese rock band [[L'Arc~En~-en-Ciel]] owns property in the region