History 

Palos Verdes means "green trees" in Spanish, and Palos Verdes Estates certainly lives up to the name. In 1913, Frank A. Vanderlip, president of the National Bank of New York, bought the 6,000-acre Palos Verdes Peninsula from a local rancher in hopes of developing a residential area on the site. 

The construction of the first homes in Palos Verdes Estates began in the early 1920s. The new community was designed and landscaped by the Olmsted Brothers, whose father designed New York's Central Park. Because of the brothers' love of nature, 28 percent of the city was dedicated to permanent open space. The city's flowering trees, lush paths and winding roads made it among the most scenic spots on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. The city still boasts 849 acres of pure parkland, which gives Palos Verdes Estates its reputation as a "garden suburb." 

Today 

Today, the peninsula is made up of four cities: Palos Verdes Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills and Rolling Hills Estates. Palos Verdes Estates, which was incorporated in 1939, is the oldest residential community on the peninsula. Spanish-style architecture blends seamlessly with the city's lush landscapes to create a lovely place to live or visit. 

Palos Verdes Estates' most notable landmark is the Neptune Fountain, a two-thirds-scale replica of an antique Italian statue, which is located in Malaga Cove Plaza. The plaza offers several shopping, dining and entertainment options for those seeking a leisurely adventure. 

For those who prefer a little more action, Palos Verdes Estates offers a variety of outdoor activities, including golf and tennis, horseback riding, and walking and jogging trails. 

Local Community Information 

Palos Verdes Peninsula  

The Palos Verdes Peninsula consists of four cities: Palos Verdes Estates, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, and Rancho Palos Verdes. The four areas in Palos Verdes were founded to preserve the beauty of the coast and hills and to guarantee a balance of preservation and development. The region is very low density, with condominiums and single family homes ranging from the affordable to multi-million dollar estates. The title "Luxury home" takes on a new meaning on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Magnificent estates with views from Catalina to the Channel Islands.  

The quality of life on the Palos Verdes Peninsula is second to none. It boasts one of the best school districts in California and enjoys the sea breezes of the Pacific ocean. It has three golf courses, including the future "Trump" National which is called "Ocean Trails" at this time.  

The Palos Verdes Art Center offers regular visual arts exhibition, education and community service programs. Exhibitions open six times a year, with free evening receptions usually scheduled in January, March, May, June, August and December. Class terms begin in January, March, July and September.  

The Peninsula Symphony provides four concerts and a Young Musician's Performance Competition Showcase, plus special summer family concerts, to South Bay audiences each season without admission charge. The Peninsula Symphony has been directed and conducted by Maestro Joseph A. Valenti since our founding in 1967. The COSB is a fully-professional orchestra, which is resident at the Norris Center for the Performing Arts, Crossfield Drive and Indian Peak Road, on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Under Music Director FRANCES STEINER, it gives a basic five-concert season at the Norris Center,which for the past five years has been "subscribed-out". The COSB has received three awards from the National Endowment for the Arts. The Peninsula Symphonic Winds (PSW) was formed in the fall of 1996 as a community band affiliated with the Music Department of Los Angeles Harbor College. In September of 2003, the band was organized as an independent, non-profit educational association, whose purposes are to prepare and perform musical concerts for the musical enrichment and education of the public, and to provide an opportunity for musicians to learn the skills needed for the performance of the concert band repertoire. The members of the band are volunteers who come from a variety of musical backgrounds, and for whom making music is a labor of love.  

The Norris Theatre for the Performing Arts was built in 1983 by a visionary group of individuals who formed the Community Association of the Peninsula (CAP.) Local residents contributed the bulk of construction costs for the Theatre, supplemented by businesses and corporations. The most notable of the Theatres early and continuing contributors is the Kenneth T. & Eileen L. Norris Foundation, after whom the Theatre is named.  

The Norris Theatre is a 450-seat, state of the art facility that has become the cornerstone of the performing arts on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, bringing leading entertainers and performing artists to the region and reinforcing these efforts with high-quality educational outreach programs for children and adults.