Zuma and Malibu Park, Malibu, CA

Zuma and Malibu Park covers the broad, gently sloping shelf above Zuma Beach in western Malibu, and it still carries the feel of the ranch country it grew out of. The oldest homes are low ranch houses from the 1950s through the 1970s, set on big lots with room for horses or orchards. Up Zuma Canyon to the north, a small group of estates spreads across multi-acre parcels along the creek. Zuma Beach is the big public beach at the foot of the neighborhood, a long, wide stretch with lifeguard towers and steady surf. The Zuma Ridge Trail climbs straight into the Santa Monica Mountains from the top of the neighborhood, and the creekside trails of Zuma Canyon are close by for shorter hikes. Trancas Country Market on PCH works as the town square for this end of the city. Vintage Grocers is the everyday grocery, and Malibu Brewing Company pours its own beer on the patio. Pavilions in Point Dume Village is a short drive for a bigger shop. Nearly everything requires a car, and most streets have no sidewalks. Summer weekends bring beach traffic and a hunt for parking along PCH near the Zuma lots. The brushy hills behind Zuma and Malibu Park also mean fire preparation is part of owning a home here, from clearing brush to hardening older roofs and vents. A normal morning might start with a look at the surf from a yard above the beach and a ride out on the trails before the beach lots fill.