Lunada Bay
Cliffside living with world-class surf breaks
About Lunada Bay
I moved to Palos Verdes not knowing a soul, and Lunada Bay is where I finally understood why everyone calls this place "the Hill." It's not the elevation — it's the feeling. You park your car, walk the plaza, grab a coffee, wave at three people you know, and realize you haven't left your neighborhood all day. That's Lunada Bay.
The streets are hilly and winding, most homes were built in the '50s through '70s, and the lots are generous by LA standards. You'll see ranch-style homes next to mid-century moderns next to full tear-down rebuilds with walls of glass. It's not cookie-cutter — every block has its own personality.
About 4,500 people live here. It's families, mostly — the kind of community where the elementary school parking lot is the social hub and everyone ends up at the farmers market on Sunday morning.
Real Estate
The median home price landed around $2.38 million in early 2026, though the average sale price for 2025 was closer to $3.18 million. Sixty-one homes sold last year, up from 45 the year before. If you're looking at Lunada Bay, know this: inventory is tight, the best homes move fast, and the ones with ocean views rarely need open houses.
Schools
Let me be direct: the schools are what close the deal for most families considering the Hill. Lunada Bay Elementary feeds into Palos Verdes Intermediate, then into Palos Verdes High School. That's the pipeline, and it's a strong one. Both my kids went through PVPUSD and I can tell you what the stats miss: it's the extracurriculars, the parent network, and the fact that the district genuinely invests in keeping things excellent.
Lunada Bay Elementary
K-5. GreatSchools 8/10, Niche A-. ~336 students. 77% math proficient, 82% reading. Gifted & Talented program. Small campus with strong parent involvement.
Palos Verdes High School
Grades 9-12. GreatSchools 10/10, Niche A+. Sea Kings. 97% graduation rate, avg SAT 1330, ACT 29. GPA 3.69. Top-ranked in California.
Palos Verdes Intermediate
Grades 6-8. Feeder school from Lunada Bay Elementary. Feeds into Palos Verdes High School.
Where to Eat & Shop
Every great neighborhood has a gathering spot, and this one has the plaza. Lunada Bay Plaza sits at Yarmouth and Palos Verdes Drive West, and it's the kind of place where you can handle Saturday morning in one stop: coffee, hardware store run, quick haircut, maybe sushi for lunch.
Black Bamboo Sushi
Seven tables and a bar — tiny but the rolls are enormous and impeccably fresh. Alaska Roll is a local favorite. Dog-friendly patio.
mon-sat: 11:30am-2:30pm, 4:30pm-9:30pm
Java Wave
NewIntelligentsia coffee, small plates, and pastries. Opened Aug 2025 by Beth Parwar, a former local art teacher. Popular with cyclists, surfers, and the before-school crowd.
sat: 8am-3pm · sun: 9am-2pm · mon-fri: 7am-4pm
Lunada Creamery
Bespoke soft serve with rotating creative flavors. Opened by Julie and Jason Anthony because they wanted their kids to walk to a treat shop.
sun: 12-7pm · fri-sat: 12-9pm · mon-thu: 12-8pm
Lunada Kitchen
Scratch-cooked brunch, local coffee, and a patio where you can see Catalina on a clear day. Open daily until 4pm.
daily: 7:30am-4pm
Lunada Market & Deli
Grab-and-go sandwiches, juices, and artisan boards. The neighborhood grocery.
Salsa Verdes
Regional Mexican in the courtyard. Crab enchiladas are the move. Firepits outside, the owner knows your name by your second visit.
Beyond the plaza, you're ten minutes from some of the best dining on the peninsula.
What's Happening
PVPLC Lunada Canyon Volunteer Day
9am-12pm · Lunada Canyon Reserve
Habitat restoration in Lunada Bay. Monthly volunteer days run by the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy.
Lunada Bay Summer Concert Series
Evening · Lunada Bay Park
Summer concerts at Lunada Bay Park, sponsored by LBHOA. Bring a blanket and a bottle. Typically starts June/July.
Lunada Bay Diwali Celebration
Evening · Lunada Bay Park
Community Diwali celebration — Indian cuisine, Bollywood DJ, neighborhood gathering. Annual Oct/Nov event.
Community Pulse
The coastal access question is settled. PVE resolved the Lunada Bay access litigation — public access to the bay is ensured. The old surf localism issues are gone.
PVE runs quiet and well. Goat grazing for fire safety (yes, really — it works), a new police transparency map, and the General Plan Safety Element is in public review.
The Peninsula Center Library is getting a renovation — groundbreaking was March 6, completion expected by June 2026.
The Lunada Bay HOA is active and community-focused. They sponsor the summer concerts, maintain neighborhood communications, and organize events like the annual Diwali celebration at Lunada Bay Park.
Further Reading
Lunada Bay isn't the flashiest neighborhood on the Hill — that's part of what makes it work. The bluffs, the plaza, the schools, the fact that you can walk to dinner and ice cream and a hardware store without getting in your car. I've watched families move here planning to stay five years and still be here twenty years later. There's a reason for that.
— Angelique Lyle, Compass · 310.751.8335 · CA DRE# 01475592