Point Dume, Malibu, CA

Point Dume is the rounded headland in western Malibu that pushes into the Pacific between Zuma Beach and Paradise Cove. It feels close to rural for a coastal city, with wide lots, very few sidewalks and quiet interior roads like Cliffside Drive where walkers share the pavement with the occasional car. The first houses out here were single-story ranches from the postwar decades, and plenty still stand with their low rooflines and big yards. Many others have been remodeled or replaced by much larger modern, coastal ranch and Spanish-style homes, so one block can hold several eras of taste. A short bluff trail through the Point Dume Natural Preserve climbs an old dune for views across Santa Monica Bay and, on clear days, Catalina. Errands mostly happen in Point Dume Village on Heathercliff Road. Pavilions covers groceries, Lily's Malibu turns out breakfast burritos heavy on refried beans, Le Cafe de la Plage is the easy coffee stop and SunLife Organics handles smoothies. Most trips beyond the village mean a car and Pacific Coast Highway, and the drive toward Santa Monica stretches out on summer weekends. Point Dume also keeps its quiet partly through tight parking rules near the preserve and the beaches, which frustrates beachgoers and sometimes residents' own guests. The ocean sits at the end of nearly every street here, and on a weekday morning the loudest sound on many blocks is surf working the cove below the bluffs.