Pacific Palisades has been called the Mayberry of Los Angeles, perhaps because of it's isolated, small-town feel, or perhaps because it is overwhelmingly white. Whatever the case, this sleepy, mostly residential neighborhood has a few hidden gems that are often overlooked and worth the extra 15 minutes past Brentwood or Santa Monica it takes to get there. It also has some serious architectural street cred as the site with the densest cluster of Case Study Houses (among many other mid-century homes in the area), and perhaps most alluring are its preponderance of incredible beaches, parks, hikes, and other outdoor spaces.
Craft cocktail bar with nautical vibes and a notable history.
Ray Kappe was the founding chair of the Department of Architecture at Cal Poly Pomona and he resigned to found the Southern California Institute of Architecture (more commonly known as SCI-Arc). This is his house. He designed and built it in the 60s, and he still lives and works here—his studio is on the ground floor. The structure floats off the ground, stabilized by a series of concrete towers, to deal with the steep terrain and natural ground springs. It is not open to the public, but still worth a slow drive by.
