I grew up in a small coastal town just south of Los Angeles, called Palos Verdes. We moved to Palos Verdes from La Canada in 1971 to escape the smog. My parents bought Fred Astaire's sons' home overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The floors were covered in wax and everyone used to joke that Fred had spent his days dancing there. I went to Palos Verdes High School - which was across the street from the cliffs - a favorite place to hang out for many years. The cliffs represented everything that was a little bit wild in PV - surfers, surfer chicks, drop outs and stoners. Ah.....the cliffs. This past week we went home for a few days and spent a good amount of time at the cliffs. I didn't see any of the old remnants of the past but it was a real eye opener to see the cliffs again.
Beautiful jagged edge rocks with crystal clear water below. Across the street from the cliffs were all sorts of new, over-the-top homes being built. The athelete's homes - my dad said. That made sense - who wouldn't want to grow up across the street from these cliffs? It's funny how you can spend so much time in such a beautiful place and not recognize it till much later in life. Going home does that I guess - makes you want to go back to being 15 years old again.
7 comments:
AWWW I love that coast!!! I grew up in the foothills northeast Los Angeles. I was a beach bum growing up and that is one of the few things I miss living far from home now.Although I do love where I live now in the burbs of Seattle! Loved seeing those great photos-thanks for sharing!
Glad you were able to go home for a bit and take it all in-how nice-lucky girl!
~Tam :D
What a beautiful place to grow up. It is always good to go home. Glad you had such a nice time.
Hi Kaari,
I grew up in Lunada Bay, PVE, and just went to my 35the reunion (only one I've ever been to)
My husband made the following very short youtube piece out of old home movie footage of a friend and me on a tandem in our graduation robes--I'm thinking you may have been at PV High with one of the younger siblings of my friend-who lived on Chelsea. The end shot of PV High's parking lot, with the sign missing letters is worth watching it for--just kidding
PV's cliffs rise above all those new megamansions, don't they? It's still one of the most beautiful places in California.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR1WnRwpIuc
That's my neck of the woods, too. I actally grew up in Manhattan Beach, but my family belonged to KHYC and a lot of my friends there lived in PV. My brother lives on Via Campesina now. I love those cliffs - always have! ::Jill
That's the way I felt when I came home for my 40th high school reunion last summer. I had taken the South Bay for granted for 40 years and now I regret leaving. But I took lots of pictures and one that I took looking out from Neighborhood Church is the background on my computer, so I can look at the beautiful view every time I turn on my computer! How fun to hear from others from our neck of the woods! I still hope I can move back to LA some day.
~Elaine
Oh...the memories those photos bring back. Love them!
You are lucky to have grown up in such a beautiful place.
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