Meet Topanga
A Los Angeles canyon oasis immersed in nature, Topanga has one way in and one way out, winding from the Pacific Ocean through the leafy, native shade and well-trod trails of the Santa Monica Mountains. “Topanga offers the perfect balance of having a private retreat while still being just minutes from everything Santa Monica and Malibu have to offer,” says Realtor Stephen Weir of Quality Properties. “It's really the only part of the Westside that offers this combination of seclusion and convenience in the roughly $1 million to $4 million range.”
Snaked north-south through the center by Topanga Canyon Boulevard, the 20-square-mile unincorporated Topanga community has long been a city escape for Bohemians seeking starry skies and painterly light, organic food, healing crystals and daily hikes. Here you're bordered south by the Pacific Coast Highway, west by Malibu, east by Pacific Palisades and north/northwest by Woodland Hills and Calabasas.
Houses with views
Single-family homes in Topanga range from showcase estates to rustic cabins and charming cottages, most with wide driveways, updated kitchens and hill, mountain or ocean views. Many have creative studios, working fireplaces and hot tubs, while some might have fruit trees, stone steps and eucalyptus trees, or livestock from chickens to goats or alpacas. Those $3 to $4 million estates range from midcentury modern to just about now, with roughly 4,200 square feet sprawling across a terraced hilltop acre, sometimes with a pool and often with waterwise plantings, wraparound decks and tons of windows. Built between the 1920s and ‘70s, cabins and cottages range from $875,000 to $2.5 million, set on quarter-to half-acre lots and featuring generous patios and hiking-path access.
Throughout the community, you’ll see plenty of land for sale, averaging roughly $190,000 an acre; lots become more plentiful as you near the coast. At the northern end of the canyon, a three-bed, two-bath 2006 condo in the Top ’O Topanga gated community costs $800,000 plus a $650 monthly HOA; and Woodland Park Estates Mobile Home Park, a unit of similar size and age costs $350,000 plus a $1,150 monthly HOA.
Topanga State Park and more
Like nature itself, recreation opportunities surround you here. Mile-long Topanga Beach is a popular spot for surfing, strolling and shelling; like most area beaches, though, no dogs are allowed. A slice of LA’s own national park, the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, wends its way across Topanga, carved with dirt-packed hiking and mountain biking trails like those within 1,255-acre Tuna Canyon Park, where you’ll see lots of lizards, a labyrinth of pebbles and from the top, panoramic views of the ocean. Red Rock Canyon Park is an LA anomaly, its huge sandstone outcroppings of red, tan and pale purple vibing more Southwest than West Coast. If one of your family members is a horse, you'll be pleased to find several stables and miles of equestrian trails.
Top-ranking high schools
Depending on where you live in the canyon, your kids might attend public schools that belong to one of two districts and have all received A ratings from Niche. Common Los Angeles Unified options are the local Topanga Elementary Charter, and in Pacific Palisades, both Paul Revere Charter Middle and Palisades Charter High; acceptance is subject to a lottery system. Especially sought-after Las Virgenes Unified options include Chapparal Elementary; Alice C. Stelle Middle; and Calabasas High. Private options include the local Manzanita School and Institute for Grades 1-12, and the nearby Westside Waldorf School for prekindergarten through Grade 8.
Topanga Village shopping
You won’t need to leave the neighborhood for every errand, or even a little nightlife. Near the post office and library, the Topanga Creek General Store stocks everything from hardware to housewares and booze to produce, and Country Natural Food stocks healthy groceries and prepared foods. You can start your day with fresh-made quiches, pastries, smoothies and espresso at Café Mimosa, then wind down the evening with French bistro cuisine, small-producer wines and live jazz at Canyon Bistro & Wine Bar. City folk and locals flock to the iconic Inn of the Seventh Ray for lingering lunches, candle-lit date nights and buffet brunches of creative, organic and locally sourced cuisine in a quiet, sun-dappled, creekside setting, and on the oak-rimmed stage at Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum, you can enjoy live performances of Shakespeare plays and traditional folk music.
Photography Contributed By
Josh Cavallo
