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Malibu, California

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This article is about the city in California. For the beach in Boston, Massachusetts, see Savin Hill.
Malibu
City
Malibu, California Aerial View
Malibu, California Aerial View
Official seal of Malibu
Seal
Nickname: 
The BU
Location of Malibu in Los Angeles County, California
Location of Malibu in Los Angeles County, California
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
CountyLos Angeles
Incorporated (city)March 28, 1991[1]
Government
 • MayorSharon Barovsky[2]
Area
 • Total100.96 sq mi (261.50 km2)
 • Land19.87 sq mi (51.46 km2)
 • Water81.09 sq mi (210.03 km2)  80.32%
Elevation
105 ft (32 m)
Population
 (2000)[3]
 • Total12,575
 • Density632.9/sq mi (244.3/km2)
Time zoneUTC-8 (PST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP Code
90263, 90264, 90265[4]
Area code310
FIPS code06-45246
GNIS feature ID1668257
Websitehttp://www.ci.malibu.ca.us/ City of Malibu
Dawn in the Santa Monica Mountains.

Malibu (pronounced /ˈmælɨbuː/) is an affluent, beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 12,575. Malibu consists of a 21-mile (34 km)[5] strip of Pacific coastline. The community is famous for its warm, sandy beaches, and for being the home of many Hollywood movie stars and others associated with the entertainment industry. Signs around the city proclaim "27 miles of scenic beauty", referring to Malibu's original length of 27 miles (43 km) before it was incorporated in 1991.

Most Malibu residents live within a few hundred yards of Pacific Coast Highway (State Route 1), which traverses the city, with some residents living up to a mile away from the beach up narrow canyons; the city is also bounded (more or less) by Topanga Canyon to the east, the Santa Monica Mountains consisting of Agoura Hills, Calabasas, and Woodland Hills to the north, the Pacific Ocean to the south, and Ventura County to the west.

Malibu's beaches include Surfrider Beach, Zuma Beach, Malibu State Beach, Topanga State Beach, Point Dume State Beach and Dan Blocker Beach; its local parks include Malibu Bluffs Park[6] (formerly Malibu Bluffs State Park), Trancas Canyon Park, Las Flores Creek Park, and Legacy Park,[7] with neighboring parks Malibu Creek State Park, Leo Carrillo State Beach and Park,[8] Point Mugu State Park,[9] and the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, and neighboring state beach Robert H. Meyer Memorial State Beach,[10] that was once part of Old Malibu (before Malibu became a city), and better known as pristine beaches, El Pescador, La Piedra and El Matador.

History

Malibu was originally settled by the Chumash, Native Americans whose territory extended loosely from the San Joaquin Valley to San Luis Obispo to Malibu, as well as several islands off the southern coast of California. They named it "Humaliwo"[11] or "the surf sounds loudly." The city's name derives from this, as the "Hu" syllable is not stressed.

Spanish explorer Juan Cabrillo is believed to have moored at Malibu Lagoon, at the mouth of Malibu Creek, to obtain fresh water in 1542. The Spanish presence returned with the California mission system, and the area was part of Rancho Topanga Malibu Sequit — a 13,000-acre (53 km2) land grant — in 1802. That ranch passed intact to Frederick Hastings Rindge in 1891. He and his widow, Rhoda May Rindge, guarded their privacy zealously by hiring guards to evict all trespassers and fighting a lengthy court battle to prevent the building of a Southern Pacific railroad line. Few roads even entered the area before 1929, when the state won another court case and built what is now known as the Pacific Coast Highway. By then May Rindge was forced to subdivide her property and begin selling and leasing lots. The Rindge house, known as the Adamson House[12] (a National Historic Site and California Historical Landmark), is now part of Malibu Creek State Park and is situated between Malibu Lagoon State Beach[13] and Surfrider Beach, beside the Malibu Pier[14] that was originally built for the family yacht.

In 1926, in an effort to avoid selling land to stave off insolvency, Rhoda May Rindge created a small ceramic tile factory. At its height, Malibu Potteries employed over 100 workers, and produced decorative tiles which furnish many Los Angeles-area public buildings and Beverly Hills residences. The factory, located one-half mile east of the pier, was ravaged by a fire in 1931. Although the factory partially reopened in 1932, it could not recover from the effects of the Great Depression and a steep downturn in Southern California construction projects. A distinct hybrid of Moorish and Arts and crafts designs, Malibu tile is considered highly collectible. Fine examples of the tiles may be seen at the Adamson House and Serra Retreat, a fifty-room mansion that was started in the 1920s as the main Rindge home on a hill overlooking the lagoon. The unfinished building was sold to the Franciscan Order in 1942[15] and is operated as a retreat facility,[16] Serra Retreat. It burned in the 1970 fire and was rebuilt using many of the original tiles.

Malibu Colony was one of the first areas inhabited after Malibu was opened to the public in 1929 and it is one of Malibu's most famous districts.[17] It is located along Malibu Road, westward of the Pacific Coast Highway, on the opposite shore of the Malibu Lagoon State Beach and adjacent to the Malibu Bluffs Park (former state park). Initially May Rindge kept control of Malibu Beach, allowing a few wealthy Hollywood stars to build vacation homes. Nearly a decade later, money woes forced Rindge to sell the land, and the Colony was born. Long known as a popular private enclave for wealthy celebrities,[18] the Malibu Colony today is a gated community, with multi-million dollar homes on small lots. The Colony commands breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean, affording a spectacular coastline view stretching from Santa Monica to Rancho Palos Verdes to the south (known locally as the Queen's Necklace[19]) and the bluffs of Point Dume to the north.

High technology in Malibu: the first working model of a laser was demonstrated by Dr. Theodore Maiman in 1960 in Malibu at then Hughes Research Laboratory[20] (now known as HRL Laboratories LLC). In the 1990s HRL Laboratories developed the FastScat computer code,[21] for frequency domain algorithms and implementation, recognized as perhaps the most accurate code in the world for radar cross-section calculations.[citation needed] TRW built a laboratory in Solstice Canyon without any structural steel to test magnetic detectors for satellites and medical devices.[22]

Celebrity anecdotes abound: Cat Stevens had his famous near-death experience there in 1976, when he nearly drowned while he was swimming. The accident led him to embrace Islam in 1977 and change his name to Yusuf Islam. Actor Martin Sheen was named honorary mayor in 1989.[23]

Incorporation: in 1991 most of the old Malibu land grant was incorporated as a city to allow local control of the area (as cities, unlike townships, are not subject to the same level of county government oversight). Prior to achieving municipal status, the local residents had fought several county-proposed developments, including an offshore freeway, a nuclear power plant, and several plans to replace septic tanks with sewer lines. The incorporation drive gained impetus in 1986, when the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved plans for a regional sewer that would have been large enough to serve 400,000 people in the western Santa Monica Mountains. Residents were incensed that they would be assessed taxes and fees to pay for the oversized sewer project, and feared that the already-capacity Pacific Coast Highway would need to be widened into a freeway to accommodate growth that they did not want. The Supervisors fought the incorporation drive and prevented the residents from voting, a decision that was overturned in courts.

The city councils that were elected in the 1990s were unable to write a Local Coastal Plan (LCP) that preserved enough public access to satisfy the California Coastal Commission, as required by the California Coastal Act. The state Legislature eventually passed a Malibu-specific law that allowed the Coastal Commission to write an LCP for Malibu, thus neutering the city's ability to control many aspects of land use. Because of the failure to adequately address sewage disposal problems in the heart of the city, the local water board ordered Malibu in November 2009 to build a sewage plant for the Civic Center area. The city council has objected to that solution.

The Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) in central Malibu


Geography

The Paradise Cove pier in Malibu

Malibu is located at 34°1′50″N 118°46′43″W / 34.03056°N 118.77861°W / 34.03056; -118.77861Invalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (34.030450, -118.778612).Template:GR

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 261.5 km² (101.0 mi²). Thus, Malibu is one of the largest cities in California and the United States in terms of land and water area. 51.5 km² (19.9 mi²) of it is land and 210.0 km² (81.1 mi²) of it is water (the city boundaries extend three miles (5 km) into the ocean). The total area is 80.32% water. Malibu has a population density of 632.9 persons per square mile of land area.

Malibu's dry brush and steep clay slopes make it susceptible to fires, floods, and mudslides. Poor grading practices and over-irrigation or leaking pipes exacerbate the tendency for landslides.[citation needed]

Carbon Beach, Paradise Cove, Escondido Beach, Surfrider Beach, Broad Beach, Pirate's Cove, Westward Beach, Zuma Beach, and Trancas are places along the coast in Malibu. Point Dume forms the northern end of the Santa Monica Bay, and Point Dume Headlands Park affords a vista of stretching to the Palos Verdes Peninsula and Santa Catalina Island. Directly below the park, on the western side of the point, is Pirates Cove, named for rumrunners during prohibition who liked the secluded beach for offloading their cargo.[citation needed] Because of its relative seclusion, Pirate's Cove was previously used as a nude beach, but because nudity is now illegal on all Los Angeles County beaches, nude sunbathers are subject to fines and/or arrest. On the eastern side of the point is "Little Dume", a surf spot which is accessible only by an unmarked trail below Wildlife Drive which has a locked gate.[citation needed] Surfers often paddle out from Paradise Cove to the area when the waves are breaking.

Like all California beaches, Malibu beaches are technically public land below the mean high tide line. Many large public beaches (Zuma Beach, Surfrider Beach) are easy to access, but such access is sometimes limited in some of the smaller and more remote beaches. Some Malibu beaches are private, such as Paradise Cove, which charges an entrance fee to keep the crowds at bay.[24] Although access to most all Malibu beaches can be obtained after a bit of a walk, the issue of expanded public access is continuously addressed and debated by the City. Many Malibu homeowners[who?] favor limited public access expansions to some beaches, claiming that many visitors are less likely than residents to respect the beaches or private property.

Natural disasters

View from Malibu Bluffs State Park. Camera facing West toward Point Dume.

Malibu lies on the fringe of an extensive chaparral wilderness area, the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.[25] Various environmental elements collectively create a recipe for natural disasters: the mountainous and geologically unstable terrain; seasonal rainstorms that result in dense vegetation growth; seasonal dry Santa Ana winds; and a naturally dry topography and climate.

Wildfires

See also: California wildfires of October 2007

Malibu has seen dozens of wildfires over the course of its history, before and after incorporation. Notably: Malibu Times Article

  • 1929/10/26 - Malibu Colony, 13 homes burned.[26]
  • 1930 - "Potrero," Decker Canyon Road Corridor, 15,000 acres (61 km2), accidental blaze caused by walnut pickers in Thousand Oaks area.[26]
  • 1935/10/23 - "Malibu" or "Latigo/Sherwood," Kanan/Decker Corridor, 30,000 acres (120 km2).[26]
  • 1938/11/23 - "Topanga," Topanga Canyon, 14,500 acres (59 km2).[26]
  • 1943/10/20 - "Las Flores," Malibu Canyon, 5,800 acres (23 km2).[26]
  • 1943/11/6 - "Woodland Hills (Las Virgenes)," Kanan/Decker Corridor, 15,000 acres (61 km2).[26]
  • 1956/12/26 - "Newton," Kanan/Decker Corridor, 26,000 acres (110 km2), 100 homes, one death, Frank Dickover.[26]
  • 1958/12/2 - "Liberty," Malibu Canyon, 18,000 acres (73 km2), eight firefighters injured, 74 homes destroyed (17 in Corral Canyon).[26]
  • 1961/11/6 - "Topanga," Topanga Canyon, 8,000 acres (32 km2).[26]
  • 1970/9/25 - "Wright," Malibu Canyon, 28,000 acres (110 km2), 10 deaths, 403 homes destroyed.[27]
  • 1973/10/30 - "Topanga," Topanga Canyon, 2,800 acres (11 km2).[26]
  • 1978/10/23 - "Kanan," Kanan/Decker Corridor, 25,000 acres (100 km2), 2 deaths, 230 homes.[27]
  • 1982/10/09 - "Dayton," Malibu Canyon Corridor, 44,000 acres (180 km2), 15 homes in Paradise Cove destroyed.[28]
  • 1985/10/14 - "Piuma," Las Flores area, Topanga Canyon, 4,700 acres (19 km2).[26]
  • 1985/10/14 - "Decker," Kanan/Decker Corridor, 6,600 acres (27 km2). Both arson-caused; six homes destroyed; $1 million damage.[26]
Malibu incorporated as a city.
  • 1993/11/2 - "Old Topanga / North Malibu." In 1993, from November 2 to 11, Malibu experienced one of the largest fires in its history, which burned more than 16,516 acres (67 km2).[29] The 1993 fire storm was composed of two separate fires, one ravaging most of central Malibu/Old Topanga, and another, larger fire affecting areas north of Encinal Canyon. Three lives were lost and 739 homes destroyed in the central Malibu/Old Topanga blaze. 18,949 acres (77 km2) were torched in the north Malibu fire, with zero lives taken and few homes lost in the less densely populated region. Los Angeles County Fire Department officials announced suspicions that the fire was started by arson.[30] The fire and widespread damage to properties and infrastructure resulted in the City of Malibu adopting the strictest fire codes in the country.[31]
  • 1996/10/28 - "Calabasas," Malibu Canyon Corridor, Brush fire ignited by arcing power line, 13,000 acres (53 km2); 10 houses destroyed.[26]
  • 2003/1/06 - "Trancas", Trancas Canyon, 759 acres (3.07 km2).[32]
  • 2007/1/08 - On January 8, 2007 at approximately 5:00 p.m. a fire started in the vicinity of Bluffs Park, south of Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. The fire hit near the Colony area, burning down four houses on Malibu Road, including the oceanfront home of Step By Step star Suzanne Somers. Los Angeles County Fire Department officials announced that a discarded cigarette stub started the blaze.
  • 2007/10/21 - On October 21, 2007 at approximately 5:00 a.m. a fire started off of Malibu Canyon Road. As of 1:00pm there were 500+ personnel on scene. 1,200 acres (4.9 km2) burned with no containment. 200+ homes have been evacuated. Five homes confirmed to have been destroyed, with at least nine others damaged. Two commercial structures were completely destroyed. Castle Kashan and the Malibu Presbyterian Church have both been destroyed. Los Angeles County Fire Department officials announced that the fire is still under investigation.
  • 2007/11/24 - "Corral." On November 24, 2007, the Corral Fire destroyed 53 homes, damaged 35, and burned over 4,720 acres (19.1 km2), forcing as many as 14,000 people to evacuate. Damages from the fire were expected to reach more than $100 million. The blaze originated at the top of Corral Canyon, where a group of young people who were in closed parkland after dusk had started a bonfire despite the presence of high Santa Ana winds. The individuals responsible for starting the fire were later identified, and are the subject of ongoing civil and criminal litigation. [33][34]

Mudslides

One of the most problematic side-effects of the fires that periodically rage through Malibu is the destruction of vegetation, which normally provides some degree of topographical stability to the loosely-packed shale and sandstone hills during periods of heavy precipitation. Rainstorms following large wildfires can thus cause a phenomenon known as mudslides, in which water-saturated earth and rock moves quickly down mountainsides, or entire slices of mountainside abruptly detach and fall downward.

After the 1993 wildfire stripped the surrounding mountains of their earth-hugging chaparral, torrential rainstorms in early 1994 caused a massive mudslide near Las Flores Canyon that closed down the main coastal transport artery, Pacific Coast Highway, for months. Thousands of tons of mud, rocks, and water rained down on the Pacific Coast Highway like it was a sluicebox. The destruction to property and infrastructure was exacerbated by the narrow constriction of the road at that point, with beachside houses buttressing the highway with little or no frontage land acting as a buffer to the mudslide.[35] Another large mudslide occurred on Malibu Canyon Road, between the Pepperdine University campus and HRL Laboratories LLC, closing down Malibu Canyon for two months.[36] Yet another behemoth slide occurred on another main canyon road, Kanan-Dume Road about one mile (1.6 km) up the canyon from the Pacific Coast Highway. This last road closure lasted over a period of many months, with Kanan finally fixed by the California Department of Transportation (Cal-Trans)[37] over a year after the road collapse.

Mudslides can and do happen at any time in Malibu, whether or not there has been a recent fire or rainstorm, and Pacific Coast Highway, Kanan-Dume Road, and Malibu Canyon road (as well as many other local roads) have all been subject to many subsequent mudslide-related closures. During any period of prolonged or intense rain, Caltrans snowplows will patrol most canyon roads in the area, clearing mud rocks, and other falling debris from the roadways. Such efforts keep most roads passable, but it is nevertheless common for one or more of the major avenues in and out of Malibu to be temporarily shut down during the rainy season.

Storms

Malibu is periodically subject to intense coastal storms, although its Mediterranean climate means that such occurrences are relatively infrequent.

Friday, January 25, 2008, during a storm which was unusually large for the SoCal area, a tornado came off the shore and struck a naval base's hangar, ripping off the roof. It was the first tornado to strike Malibu's shoreline in recorded history.[citation needed]

Earthquakes

Malibu lies fairly close to the San Andreas Fault, and is subject to the same regional geological unrest as the rest of the Los Angeles Basin.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000,[38] there were 12,575 people, 5,137 households, and 3,164 families residing in the city. The population density was 244.4/km² (632.9/mi²). There were 6,126 housing units at an average density of 119.0/km² (308.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.91% White, 8.49% Asian, 0.90% African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 1.67% from other races, and 2.72% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.48% of the population.

There were 5,137 households out of which 25.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.4% were non-families. 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.86.

The age distribution was 19.6% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 32.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 97.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $102,031, and the median income for a family was $123,293. Males had a median income of $100,000+ versus $46,919 for females. The per capita income for the city was $74,336. About 3.2% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.8% of those under age 18 and 1.1% of those age 65 or over.

Government and infrastructure

Local government

Malibu is a general law city governed with a five-member City Council including the mayor and mayor pro tem. The City Council hires a city manager to carry out policies and serve as executive officer. Every even-numbered year either two or three members are elected by the people to serve a four-year term. Usually, the City Council meets in April and chooses one of its members as mayor and one as mayor-pro-tem. In 2006, this pattern was deviated from when the council decided to have a cycle of three mayors and mayor pro-tems in the coming two years.

Fire protection is served by the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) operates the Malibu/Lost Hills Station in Calabasas, serving Malibu under contract with the City.[39][40]

County, state, and federal representation

In the state legislature Malibu is located in the 23rd Senate District, represented by Democrat Fran Pavley, and in the 41st Assembly District, represented by Democrat Julia Brownley. Federally, Malibu is located in California's 30th congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of D +20[41] and is represented by Democrat Henry Waxman.

Malibu residents tend to be politically left of center, like much of Los Angeles County.[citation needed] 60% of Malibu voters chose presidential candidate John Kerry in the 2004 election, compared to 39% for incumbent President George W. Bush.

The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services SPA 5 West Area Health Office serves Malibu.[42] The department operates the Simms/Mann Health and Wellness Center in Santa Monica, serving Malibu.[43]

The United States Postal Service operates the Malibu Post Office at 23838 Pacific Coast Highway,[44] the Colony Annex at 23648 Pacific Coast Highway, adjacent to the Malibu Post Office,[45] and the La Costa Malibu Post Office at 21229 Pacific Coast Highway.[46]

Education

Schools

The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District serves Malibu with three elementary schools: John L. Webster Elementary School (grades K-5, located in central Malibu), Juan Cabrillo Elementary School (grades K-5, located in northwestern Malibu's Malibu Park district), and Point Dume Elementary School (grades K-5, located in northwestern Malibu's Pt. Dume district).

Private schools include: Calmont [3] Our Lady Of Malibu (Catholic)[4], Colin Mc Ewen High School, New Roads [5], and St. Aidan's School.

Malibu High School (MHS), a nationally-ranked school [6], provides secondary public education for both middle school (grades 6-8) and high school (grades 9-12). MHS is located in the northwestern region of Malibu.

Pepperdine University, a private college affiliated with the Church of Christ, which is located in central Malibu, north of the Malibu Colony at the intersection of the Pacific Coast Highway and Malibu Canyon Road. Malibu is also served by Santa Monica College, a community college in the neighboring city of Santa Monica to the south.

Library

Malibu Public Library, a 16,530 square feet (1,536 m2) branch of the County of Los Angeles Public Library, is in the Malibu Civic Center Complex. The branch has an adult reading area, a children's reading area, a 125 person meeting room, and free parking. The library opened in 1970. Prior to 1970 residents were served by a bookmobile.[47]

The Library is currently undergoing an extensive renovation, for the duration of which the library staff and a subset of its collections have been temporarily relocated to a small building on the opposite side of the Civic Center Complex from the main Library building.

Arts and culture

Getty Villa, an art museum that is part of the J. Paul Getty Museum, is located just outside the city limits in the adjacent Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles.[48] It is owned and operated by the J. Paul Getty Trust, which also oversees the Getty Center in West Los Angeles.[49] The Museum at the Getty Villa houses Getty's collections of antiquities, sculptures, art pieces and cultural artifacts of ancient Greece, Rome, and Etruria.

The Malibu Art Association, a non-profit organization to foster the arts in Malibu produces shows, demonstrations and workshops for its members, and offers art for public display throughout the community.[50]

The Malibu Arts Festival is held annually on the last weekend in July by the Malibu Chamber of Commerce.[51]

The Malibu Garden Club holds an annual garden tour of private, residential gardens.[52]

Malibu High School offers musicals every spring and instrumental and vocal musical concerts every winter and spring.[citation needed]

Smothers Theatre of Pepperdine University's Theatrical Drama Department offers concerts, plays, musicals, opera, and dance.[53]

Beaches, Parks, and other Attractions

The Malibu pier near the famous Surfrider Beach

Malibu's beaches are the main attraction, with Zuma Beach drawing over 800,000 visitors over Labor Day Weekend in 2007.[citation needed] Surfrider Beach, adjacent to the Adamson's House and Malibu Lagoon, with its long waves draws a steady beach and surfer crowd.

California State Parkland makes up a substantial proportion of the Malibu hills, and provide extensive horseback-riding, hiking, running, and mountain-biking options, affording many different views of mountains, canyons, the curve of the Santa Monica Bay, Santa Catalina Island, and the San Fernando Valley. There are many points of access to the Backbone Trail System scattered throughout the local canyons, as well as a variety of smaller, local trail-heads.

Pacific Coast Highway is popular with road cycling enthusiasts for its vistas. The route also has a reputation for being quite dangerous for cyclists, a fact which inspired the creation of the Dolphin Run, an annual community event commemorating local victims of reckless driving. The Dolphin Run was held each Autumn from 1990 to 2004.

Adamson's House, the unused homesite of the 19th century original owners of Malibu, the Rindge Family, draws some visitors.

In late June 2008, the Malibu Pier reopened after $10 million in renovations.[54]

There are several shopping centers in the Malibu Civic Center area including the Malibu Country Mart and the newly-opened Malibu Lumberyard, so named for the community Lumberyard that used to occupy that space. The Malibu Civic Center is well known for being frequented by paparazzi and tourists looking to catch a glimpse of local celebrities.

Chartered buses filled with tourists pass through Malibu infrequently. Unlike Beverly Hills or Hollywood, Malibu's celebrity homes are often in remote locations, inaccessible by bus.[citation needed]

Malibu Bluffs Community Park and Malibu Bluffs Recreation Area

The former Malibu Bluffs State Park ownership changed hands in 2006 after the California Department of Parks and Recreation transferred the park's 93 acres (380,000 m2) control to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy,[55] They established the Malibu Bluffs Recreation Area, an Open Space Preserve of 90 acres (360,000 m2) on the bluffs between the Pacific Coast Highway and Malibu Road, directly opposite Pepperdine University and Malibu Canyon Road. The 100-foot (30 m) bluffs rise above Amarillo Beach and Puerco Beach across Malibu Road. Five public stairways (which adjoin private property) lead down to the shoreline from the base of the bluffs. The trails begin from the spacious lawns in Malibu Bluffs Community Park

The Malibu Bluffs Recreation Area surrounds the 6-acre (24,000 m2) Malibu Bluffs Community Park, whose 10-acre (40,000 m2) parcel the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy sold to the city.[56] It consists of the Michael Landon Community Center, baseball diamonds, and soccer fields. Home of the Malibu Little League[57] (MLL), once the largest youth team sports organization in Malibu. (That honor was wrested in the 1990s by Malibu AYSO,[58] a youth soccer organization that shares park space (practice fields).) For over 20 years, the State Parks had tried to kick out Malibu Little League's baseball diamonds and tall baseball fences, with the intention of returning the land to its native wetlands and vegetation.[59] A rider to a California state law was written specifically in the 1950s to allow baseball, with its attendant field accoutrements, to continue being played in the state park.[60] Several generations of Malibuites worked to keep Malibu Bluffs Park for baseball and soccer.

Malibu Legacy Park Project

Adjacent to the Malibu Country Mart was a vacant, 20-acre (81,000 m2) plot of land owned by billionaire Jerry Perenchio and sold to the City of Malibu in 2005 with strict deed restrictions prohibiting any further commercial use.[61][62]

This site is now home to Malibu Legacy Park, an ongoing restoration project undertaken by the City, with broad community support. The City hopes that a state-of-the-art water treatment plant already built will use stormwater runoff that accumulates in the park, making it into an environmental cleaning machine that will end the City's stormwater pollution contribution to Malibu Creek, Malibu Lagoon, and the world-famous Surfrider Beach. The Malibu Legacy Park Project responds to critical issues: (1) bacteria reduction by stormwater treatment, (2) nutrient reduction in wastewater management, (3) restoration and development of riparian habitats, and (4) the development of an open space area for passive recreation and environmental education. In addition, the Project will be linked by a “linear park” to neighboring Surfrider Beach, Malibu Pier, Malibu Lagoon, and Malibu Bluffs Park.[63]

The park is located east of Webb Way, and between Civic Center Way on the north and PCH to the south. It was the site of the annual Labor Day Weekend Kiwanis Club Chili Cook-Off from 1982-2009 (the fair will be moved to nearby streets and parking lots in 2010, the city says). Further back, it was agricultural land, planted in geraniums, other flowers and vegetables by the Takahashi family since 1924.[64]


Businesses and organizations

HRL Laboratories LLC, formerly known as Hughes Research Laboratories, the research arm of the former Hughes Aircraft Company, was established in 1960 in Malibu. Among its research accomplishments was the first working laser. Despite aerospace industry downsizing in the 1990s, HRL is the largest employer in Malibu.

Established in 1937 in south-central Los Angeles, Pepperdine University moved to its Malibu campus in 1972. However, when Malibu incorporated as a city the boundaries were drawn to exclude Pepperdine, at the college's insistence.[citation needed]

The Surfrider Foundation was formed in 1984 by a group of surfers gathered to protect 31 miles (50 km) of coastal waters from Marina Del Rey through Malibu to Ventura County, and represent the surfing community.[65]

Heal the Bay, a non-profit organization for environmental advocacy, was formed in 1985 to protect Santa Monica Bay, which extends from Malibu's Point Dume along the entire coastline of Malibu past Santa Monica to the Palos Verdes Peninsula.

Events

The Malibu International Film Festival is held every year showcasing new films and filmmakers from around the world.[66]

The Malibu Chili Cookoff, held every Labor Day weekend, is sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Malibu. Proceeds benefit children and youth organizations.[67]

The Malibu Nautica Triathlon is held every September. In 2007, it raised $718,000 to benefit Children's Hospital Los Angeles.[68]

The Polar Plunge (Los Angeles) is held each year in February at Zuma Beach to help raise funds for the Special Olympics in Southern California.[69]

National Get Organized Month is Provided by Bee Organized[70]

Malibu International Marathon is a half and full marathon race held every November.

Filming location

Malibu has been used as a location or setting for many films, television programs and music videos.

Surfrider Beach was home to Gidget, and surfing movies of the 1960s. Important scenes in the Planet of the Apes series were filmed at Point Dume. For an entire summer during the filming, the scale replica of the Statue of Liberty from the famous closing scene lay buried at the Southern end of Pirate's Cove. The hero's trailer in The Rockford Files was parked by the Paradise Cove Pier. Love American Style and The Mod Squad are among many TV series and commercials filmed in Paradise Cove. A 1978 film starring Suzanne Somers was entitled Zuma Beach.[71] In the 1990s and 2000s it was the setting for MTV Beach House, Malibu's Most Wanted, and Nickelodeon's Zoey 101. In the Coen Brothers 1998 motion picture The Big Lebowski, the fictional chief of police describes it thus: "We've got a nice, quiet beach community here, and I aim to keep it nice and quiet." In the 2008 movie Iron Man, Tony Stark's home is located in Malibu.

Malibu is setting for the television series Two and a Half Men. The television series So Little Time (2001) portrayed two Malibu teens (Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen) who attend the fictional school West Malibu High. Fictional teen star Hannah Montana / Miley Stewart (portrayed by Miley Cyrus) and her father Robbie Ray Stewart (portrayed by Billy Ray Cyrus) live in Malibu on the Disney Channel Original Series, Hannah Montana. In the Fox TV series, "The O.C.", both the Cohen house and the Cooper homes were actually located in Malibu.[72] Malibu Shores, a teen drama that aired on NBC, was set in Malibu. Some scenes from The Even Stevens Movie were filmed on Westward Beach in Point Dume. The small hit TV show Summerland was also filmed and set in Malibu.

Girls Aloud filmed their video "Call The Shots" on the beach at Malibu. In spring 1999, Britney Spears shot the video for the song "Sometimes" directed by Nigel Dick on the pier at Paradise Cove. Also in late 1998, Madonna shot her video for "The Power Of Good-Bye" near Silver Top mansion.

In 2006, Bravo television aired Million Dollar Listing, a real-estate related show based on million dollar listings in Malibu, as well as Hollywood, including real-life Malibu agents such as Chris Cortazzo, Scotty Brown, Madison Hildebrand, and Lydia Simon.[73]

The MTV reality show Buzzin' (TV Series) starring Shwayze and Cisco Adler is mostly filmed in Malibu, at locations including Westward Beach, Malibu Courthouse, Pacific Coast Highway, Point Dume Trailer Park, Malibu Inn, and the outside of PC Greens.

Malibu was the setting of the 52nd installment in the Goosebumps series of books: How I Learned to Fly, it was also the setting of Alex Duval's Vampire Beach series.

There are also many music videos filmed on Malibu's beaches. Music videos for "Survivor" by Destiny's Child, "Sunshine" by Lil Flip,, "Natural" by S Club 7, "Feel It Boy" by Beenie Man featuring Janet Jackson, and many others were filmed on Westward Beach.

Local media

Malibu's local news television station, TV-26, broadcasts from Pepperdine University to the surrounding area.

Malibu's local radio station, KWVS 101.5 FM, and Z100 on 100.3 also broadcasts on cable channel 6.

Malibu has three local newspapers: The Malibu Times, founded in 1946, the Malibu Surfside News, and Pepperdine University's student newspaper, the Graphic.

There are also three magazines in Malibu: Malibu Arts Journal, Malibu Magazine, and Malibu Times Magazine.

Notable residents

Main article: List of people from Malibu, California

See also

References

  1. ^ "Incorporation Dates of California Cities". Retrieved 2007-01-18.
  2. ^ "Malibu: Meet The Council". Retrieved 2010-01-29.
  3. ^ "Malibu city, California - Fact Sheet - American FactFinder". Retrieved 2007-01-18.
  4. ^ "USPS - ZIP Code Lookup - Find a ZIP+ 4 Code By City Results". Retrieved 2007-01-18.
  5. ^ Length of City of Malibu (Malibu before incorporation was 27-miles (43.5 km) from the City of Malibu's website
  6. ^ Malibu Bluffs Park (local) from the City of Malibu's website
  7. ^ Malibu Legacy Park (local)
  8. ^ Leo Carrillo SB
  9. ^ Pt. Mugu SP
  10. ^ Robert H. Meyer Memorial SB
  11. ^ Humaliwo: An Ethnographic Overview of the Chumas in Malibu
  12. ^ Adamson House
  13. ^ Malibu Lagoon State Beach
  14. ^ Malibu Pier
  15. ^ Rindge House sold to Franciscans from serraretreat.com
  16. ^ Serra Retreat
  17. ^ http://malibuca.org/
  18. ^ Celebrities living in Malibu Colony from seeing-stars.com
  19. ^ Malibu to RPV: Queen's Necklace from trails.com
  20. ^ Dr. Maiman's laser, the world's first from seattlepi.nwsource.com
  21. ^ HRL's FastScat from the HRL Laboratories website
  22. ^ SOBLE, ANNE (November 29, 2007). "Malibu Surfside News". Retrieved December 1, 2009.
  23. ^ Sheen "elected" Malibu mayor from The New York Times
  24. ^ Review of Paradise Cove Retrieved November 5, 2009. [dead link]
  25. ^ Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area from the National Park Service website
  26. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Malibu Fires, MalibuComplete.com
  27. ^ a b Let Malibu Burn: A political history of the Fire Coast Mike Davis, by repost publish in LA Weekly 1996 Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2007, Los Angeles Independent Media Center
  28. ^ [1]
  29. ^ 1993 Fire, LACFD official report
  30. ^ Malibu: Public Safety from coastal.ca.gov
  31. ^ Malibu Lessons from National Public Radio
  32. ^ [2]
  33. ^ http://www.malibutimes.com/articles/2008/08/28/news/news5.txt
  34. ^ Malibu gossip from monstersandcritics.com
  35. ^ Mudslides in Malibu, etc.
  36. ^ Malibu Mudslides from noaa.gov
  37. ^ Cal-Trans official web site
  38. ^ U.S. Census, Malibu, CA from the U.S. Census website
  39. ^ "Malibu/Lost Hills Station." Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Retrieved on January 21, 2010.
  40. ^ "Calabasas city, California." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on January 21, 2010.
  41. ^ "Will Gerrymandered Districts Stem the Wave of Voter Unrest?". Campaign Legal Center Blog. Retrieved 2008-02-10.
  42. ^ "About Us." Los Angeles County Department of Health Services. Retrieved on March 18, 2010.
  43. ^ "Simms/Mann Health and Wellness Center." Los Angeles County Department of Health Services. Retrieved on March 17, 2010.
  44. ^ "Post Office Location - MALIBU." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on December 6, 2008.
  45. ^ "Post Office Location - COLONY ANNEX." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on December 6, 2008.
  46. ^ "Post Office Location - LA COSTA MALIBU." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on December 6, 2008.
  47. ^ "Maliby Library." County of Los Angeles Public Library. Retrieved on March 17, 2010.
  48. ^ Getty Villa. Retrieved August 28, 2008.
  49. ^ About the J. Paul Getty Museum. Retrieved August 28, 2008.
  50. ^ Malibu Art Association website
  51. ^ Malibu Arts Festival
  52. ^ Malibu Garden Club, Tour
  53. ^ Smothers Theatre, Pepperdine
  54. ^ Groves, Martha (June 28, 2008). "Reopening marks new chapter in Malibu Pier's history book". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2008-06-29.
  55. ^ Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy website
  56. ^ MLL's 50th year from the Malibu Times
  57. ^ Malibu Little League's official website
  58. ^ Malibu AYSO official website
  59. ^ Bluffs Park under local control from the Malibu Times
  60. ^ 20-yr conflict over Malibu Bluffs Park from the Malibu Times
  61. ^ http://www.malibucomplete.com/mc_people_wealthy_perenchio.php
  62. ^ "#85 A Jerrold Perenchio". Forbes.
  63. ^ http://www.annenbergfoundation.org/news/news_show.htm?doc_id=635503
  64. ^ http://www.malibucomplete.com/mc_history_malibucity_chilicookoffland.php
  65. ^ History from the Surfrider Foundation website
  66. ^ http://www.malibufilmfestival.com
  67. ^ Malibu Chili Cookoff from malibukiwanis.com
  68. ^ Malibu Nautica Press Release from nauticamalibutri.com
  69. ^ Polar Plunge (Los Angeles) from sosc.kintera.org
  70. ^ Bee Organized from beeorganized.la
  71. ^ http://imdb.com/title/tt0078531/ imdb.com
  72. ^ The O.C. Filming Locations from seeing-stars.com
  73. ^ http://www.bravotv.com/Million_Dollar_Listing//index.shtml bravotv.com
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