The Palisades neighborhood that never left, in Monica Antola's own words
The Pacific Palisades Highlands sits in the Santa Monica Mountains above the village, reached by one road in and one road out. It was relatively untouched by the fire that began on January 7, 2025. Parts of the area were affected, but the neighborhood was largely undamaged, and people have been living there since right after the fires. Some residents never evacuated at all. Monica Antola describes a community that is already living and thriving rather than one waiting to come back. Day to day it is quiet and green: hiking and mountain biking trails, tennis and pickleball courts, community centers, pools, parks, wide streets, mountain and ocean views, and a microclimate that stays sunny when the coast is fogged in. At the base of the hill, Spruzzo, Moku, Starbucks and Vons are open. Housing runs from condos and townhomes to gated pockets, a retirement community, and large single-family homes.
The Highlands is a residential neighborhood in the Santa Monica Mountains above the heart of Pacific Palisades. In Monica's description, it "sits above the heart of the Palisades," reached by a road that is "one way in, one way out." That single point of access, and the elevation gain between the Highlands and the village below, are the two facts that shape almost everything else about living there.
The geography is also the source of the complaint Monica hears most often and disagrees with most firmly. "People complain that there's a long drive to get up here. It's not close to the village. I think that's ridiculous. It takes no time at all to get up here." Whether that trade is worth making is a personal call, and the comparison table further down this page is built to help you make it honestly rather than optimistically.
Within the Highlands are several distinct pockets, some gated, some governed by homeowner associations, each with its own rules, dues and amenities. Confirm the exact pocket, association, and governing documents for any specific address rather than assuming the neighborhood behaves as one unit.
Most of it. Monica is careful with the wording, and so is this page: parts of the area were affected, but the Highlands was largely undamaged by the fire that began on January 7, 2025. Her framing is that the coverage has focused on what burned, and that "it's important to focus on what didn't burn."
The practical evidence she points to is occupancy. "A lot of people are up here living again. A lot of people actually didn't even leave. I have friends who didn't even evacuate when the fires were happening." Her team member Erin Kyle, who lives in the Highlands, describes it the same way: "relatively untouched during the fires," and "since the fire, it's a place that people really want to come back to."
Monica's summary of the situation is the plainest version: "This isn't a neighborhood waiting to come back, it never left. The Highlands doesn't need a comeback story. It just needs people to pay attention."
What that does not settle: a general neighborhood description establishes nothing about a specific property. Condition, damage, smoke exposure, repairs, permits, insurance history and disclosures are address-level questions. Verify each one from exact property records, current disclosures and professional inspection before relying on it.
More variety than most Pacific Palisades buyers expect from one neighborhood. In Monica's words, "you have something for everyone." The mix she and Erin Kyle describe includes:
That range is why Monica frames the Highlands as an opportunity rather than a compromise: "There are large square footage of homes. There's great value. You can get condos. This is a place where I think is a great opportunity to buy in Pacific Palisades. After the fires, I think it's even a better opportunity."
Property type, ownership form and association obligations vary sharply across those categories. Confirm the source-defined property type, the association documents, dues, reserves and rules, and the exact parcel record for every candidate before comparing prices across them.
Outdoor, and unusually so. "This is quite the outdoor culture here up in the Highlands." Erin Kyle puts the fit test simply: "if you are an outdoors enthusiast, if you like hiking, if you like mountain biking, this is the place that you want to live." Monica adds Lake Shrine and "some of the best hiking in LA" to the list of what is within reach.
The built amenities follow the same pattern. There are tennis courts and pickleball courts, community centers, swimming pools and parks in the various pockets, and wide streets. Monica describes people "hiking, riding their bikes, walking around, talking with each other, going to the gym," and Erin describes pockets where "the kids all know each other."
One of the most concrete advantages of the elevation is weather. Erin Kyle: "you can have a June gloom socked in foggy day down at the beach where you're thinking, oh, it's going to be beautiful. And up in the Highlands, it's sunny and gorgeous." Monica confirms it "happens all the time." For anyone who has lived through a Westside marine layer summer, that difference is worth pricing into the decision.
The views are the other elevation dividend: "you have the mountains, you have the ocean views." And the tone people describe is consistent across all six videos: "it feels still quiet and beautiful and what made the Palisades the Palisades," and "once you get up here, it is quite the serene paradise."
Enough for normal life, which is the point Monica keeps returning to. "At the base, life is back. Spruzzo is open, Starbucks is pouring, and Vons is right down the street."
Erin Kyle's version adds the rest: "You've got grocery stores, you've got a Starbucks, you've got two amazing restaurants just down the hill, Spruzzo and Moku. You have a little shop for all of your, you know, bread and milk and items."
Palisades Village is a short drive further down the hill. For current news on the Village and the wider Palisades recovery, see the Pacific Palisades community page.
Confirm before you rely on it: business openings, hours and reopening status change. Check current status directly for any business that matters to your decision.
Monica is unusually direct about who should not buy in the Highlands, which makes the fit question easy to answer honestly. Use this table to check your own priorities against what the neighborhood actually offers.
| What you want | Fit in the Highlands | Why, in their words |
|---|---|---|
| To be walking distance from the sand | Not a fit | "If you're a person who wants to be super close to the beach, it's not going to be for you." |
| To be steps from Palisades Village | Not a fit | "If you're someone who wants to be close to the village, again, probably not for you because you are a little bit away." |
| An indoor, low-outdoor-activity lifestyle | Not a fit | "If you're someone who is not an outdoor enthusiast, forget about it. It is definitely probably not the place." |
| Multiple route options in and out | Trade-off to accept | "It's a one way in, one way out road, and it's up in the hills above Pacific Palisades." |
| A short drive up from the village | Trade-off to accept | "People complain that there's a long drive to get up here. I think that's ridiculous. It takes no time at all to get up here." |
| Hiking and mountain biking from your door | Strong fit | "If you like hiking, if you like mountain biking, this is the place that you want to live." Plus "some of the best hiking in LA" and Lake Shrine. |
| Sun when the coast is fogged in | Strong fit | "You can have a June gloom socked in foggy day down at the beach ... and up in the Highlands, it's sunny and gorgeous." |
| A range of housing types in one neighborhood | Strong fit | Condos, townhomes, gated pockets and HOAs, a retirement community, and "beautiful large single family homes." |
| Square footage and value within Pacific Palisades | Strong fit | "There are large square footage of homes. There's great value ... After the fires, I think it's even a better opportunity." |
| Courts, pools, parks and community centers | Strong fit | "There's also areas with some tennis courts and pickleball courts," plus "community centers, wide streets, real neighbors." |
| Quiet over scene | Strong fit | "It feels still quiet and beautiful and what made the Palisades the Palisades." "Once you get up here, it is quite the serene paradise." |
Three groups, and Monica names all three without hedging.
Beach-first buyers. "If you're a person who wants to be super close to the beach, it's not going to be for you." The Highlands is up in the hills. That is not a detail you can design around.
Village-first buyers. "If you're someone who wants to be close to the village, again, probably not for you because you are a little bit away." If the appeal of Pacific Palisades for you is walking to shops and restaurants, the lower Palisades is the honest answer and the main Pacific Palisades page is the better starting point.
Buyers who are not outdoor people. "If you're someone who is not an outdoor enthusiast, forget about it." The trails, the biking and the courts are the culture, not a bonus feature. A buyer who does not use them is paying for amenities they will not touch while accepting the access trade-off anyway.
Monica's counterweight, for everyone else: "once you get up here, it is quite the serene paradise."
Important: the figures below describe Pacific Palisades overall, not the Highlands. Highlands-specific medians are not broken out in this data. A market that includes cleared lots, fire-affected parcels and intact homes across every price band will not tell you what a specific Highlands condo or single-family home is worth. Use these numbers as time-bound context only.
| Metric | Pacific Palisades, last 30 days |
|---|---|
| Median sold price | $3,429,563 |
| Median new listing price | $8,847,500 |
| Median active list price | $8,297,000 |
| Sale to list price ratio | 97% |
| Median days on site, active listings | 60 |
| Homes sold | 7 |
| New listings | 28 |
| Active listings | 90 |
The gap between the median sold price and the median active price is the number worth sitting with. It reflects a market where what is closing and what is currently listed are two different sets of properties. Neither figure is a Highlands valuation, and neither substitutes for a comparative analysis on the exact address you are considering.
From Monica's channel · April 2026 · 0:37
The Highlands was largely undamaged on January 7 and many residents never left or are back living there. Monica explains why the quiet is one of its best features for people who want to live in the Palisades rather than just talk about it.
Nobody's talking about the Highlands, and I'm going to tell you why. Because that might be one of the best things about it. So, the Highlands has been a really interesting place since the fires because, you know, while parts of it were affected, it was largely undamaged by the fires that happened on January 7th.
And a lot of people are up here living again. A lot of people actually didn't even leave. I have friends who didn't even evacuate when the fires were happening, which is a very interesting story, but it's not really being talked about.
If you're someone who actually loves to live somewhere in Pacific Palisades and not just post about it, DM me because the Highlands is probably for you.
From Monica's channel · April 2026 · 2:00
Monica visits the Highlands with team member Erin Kyle, who lives there. They cover the neighborhood's mix of townhomes, condos, gated pockets and large single-family homes, the trails and courts, the microclimate that stays sunny while the beach is fogged in, and the Spruzzo, Starbucks and Vons at the base of the hill.
So I'm here in the Highlands in Pacific Palisades, which was relatively untouched during the fires. And Erin Kyle, who just joined my team, actually lives up in the Highlands. So I thought it would be a great time to actually have her kind of give a little bit of her insight on what it's been like to live here since the fires.
You know, the Highlands is a really special community. People here look out for each other. And you know, since the fire, it's a place that people really want to come back to.
It's still beautiful. You have the mountains, you have the ocean views, you have these great little pockets where you have swimming pools and parks and you know, the kids all know each other. And it's a really special place and it feels still quiet and beautiful and what made the Palisades the Palisades.
And it's been great being back up here. Yeah, I mean, I work up here right now and it's the most beautiful warm sunny day. And that's one of the things that's such an interesting thing about the Highlands is that you can have a June gloom socked in foggy day down at the beach where you're thinking, oh, it's going to be beautiful.
And up in the Highlands, it's sunny and gorgeous. And oh, comes a full day. Happens all the time.
You change it because of the weather and most of the time it's sunny and beautiful like this and you have tons of nature and beautiful trails and you can really have a spectacular day up here. Yeah, the Highlands is definitely a place that if you are an outdoors enthusiast, if you like hiking, if you like mountain biking, this is the place that you want to live. There's also areas with some tennis courts and pickleball courts, I believe.
Right. you know, there's lots of different pockets up here that are really great, especially for families. It's really wonderful.
Yeah, and it's definitely got something for everyone. You know, there's the town homes, the condos. There's actually a retirement community that was built not too many years ago.
And then there's obviously some beautiful large single family homes. There's some gated little pockets and HOAs within the Highlands area that, you know, really brings a lot to everyone. still really close.
You've got grocery stores, you've got a Starbucks, you've got two amazing restaurants just down the hill, Spruzzo and Moku. You have a little shop for all of your, you know, bread and milk and items. It's really It's a special place to live.
Great. Well, I appreciate your insight, Erin. And that's why I brought you on my team.
From Monica's channel · May 2026 · 0:49
Above the heart of the Palisades, the Highlands has hiking, Lake Shrine, community centers and wide streets, and people have lived there since right after the fires. Monica's point: this neighborhood does not need a comeback story, it needs attention.
While everyone talks about what the Palisades lost, there's a neighborhood that's been living, thriving, and proving that this community is far more resilient than people give it credit for. The Highlands sits above the heart of the Palisades. Some of the best hiking in LA, Lake Shrine, one of the most beautiful, peaceful places on the Westside, community centers, wide streets, real neighbors, and at the base, life is back.
Spruzzo is open, Starbucks is pouring, and Vons is right down the street. People have been living here since right after the fires. This isn't a neighborhood waiting to come back, it never left.
The Highlands doesn't need a comeback story. It just needs people to pay attention. I'm Monica Antola, and this is the Palisades neighborhood that you're going to wish you knew about sooner.
From Monica's channel · May 2026 · 0:41
Monica argues the coverage has focused on what burned instead of what didn't. The Highlands has large homes, condos and a retirement community, and people are out mountain biking and hiking rather than waiting for a recovery.
So, everyone seems to kind of be focusing on what actually burned in Pacific Palisades, but I think it's important to focus on what didn't burn. And the Highlands is actually one of those places that is pretty magical. Just leave it at that.
But the thing that's amazing is that you have something for everyone. There's large, beautiful, good-sized homes. There is condos. There's actually a retirement community that's up here. So, you know, people are living actually up in this area. It's thriving. People are out mountain biking and hiking and doing all these great things that really make coastal Los Angeles living a place that you want to be.
So, if you really want to know more about the Highlands, shoot me a DM. Love to tell you more.
From Monica's channel · May 2026 · 0:41
Monica takes on the complaint that the Highlands is a long drive from the village, and makes the case for square footage, value and condo options. Her view is that after the fires the opportunity is better, not worse.
So, the Highlands has always been in my personal opinion, an undervalued community in Pacific Palisades. People complain that there's a long drive to get up here. It's not close to the village. I think that's ridiculous. It takes no time at all to get up here.
There are large square footage of homes. There's great value. You can get condos. This is a place where I think is a great opportunity to buy in Pacific Palisades. After the fires, I think it's even a better opportunity.
So, if you're looking to get into the Palisades where there's a community, where it's vibrant, people are living, there's community centers, people are hiking, riding their bikes, walking around, talking with each other, going to the gym, this is your place in Pacific Palisades. Can't recommend it enough.
From Monica's channel · May 2026 · 0:39
The honest disqualifiers: buyers who want to be steps from the beach, buyers who want to be in the village, and anyone who is not an outdoor enthusiast. Monica names the one way in, one way out road directly rather than working around it.
So, who shouldn't be buying in the Highlands? I'm going to break that down for you. I think if you're a person who wants to be super close to the beach, it's not going to be for you. It's a one-way in, one-way out road, and it's up in the hills above Pacific Palisades.
Also, if you're someone who is not an outdoor enthusiast, forget about it. It is definitely probably not the place. This is quite the outdoor culture here up in the Highlands.
And I think if you're someone who wants to be close to the village, again, probably not for you because you are a little bit away, but once you get up here, it is quite the serene paradise. If you want to learn more about the Pacific Palisades Highlands, shoot me a DM. I'd love to talk to you more about it.
Start by deciding which of the housing types you are actually shopping for, because condos, townhomes, HOA pockets and large single-family homes behave differently on price, financing, insurance and association obligations. A single Highlands search that mixes all of them will produce a price range that means nothing.
Then work each candidate at the address level rather than the neighborhood level:
Supporting resources: the Antola Coastal Group guides to California home-insurance considerations and the true monthly cost of a Pacific Palisades home help organize the questions. Neither is a carrier commitment, an official record, or a substitute for professional review.
Results cover Pacific Palisades as a whole, not the Highlands alone. Confirm each address, property type, source-defined status, price, condition and availability before relying on a result, and check whether a given address is actually in the Highlands.
No. Parts of the area were affected, but the Highlands was largely undamaged by the fire that began on January 7, 2025. Monica Antola reports that people have been living there since right after the fires, and that some residents did not evacuate at all. Confirm the condition, records and disclosures for any specific property before relying on a general neighborhood description.
The Highlands sits in the Santa Monica Mountains above the heart of Pacific Palisades, reached by a single road in and out. It is above the village rather than near the beach, which is the trade-off that defines the neighborhood.
The Highlands includes condos, townhomes, gated pockets with homeowner associations, a retirement community built in recent years, and large single-family homes with substantial square footage. Confirm the source-defined property type, ownership form and association documents for each candidate.
At the base of the hill, Spruzzo and Moku are open, Starbucks is pouring, Vons is down the street, and a small shop covers everyday items such as bread and milk. Palisades Village is a short drive further down the hill. Business hours and reopening status change, so confirm current status before relying on it.
Probably not. Monica is direct about this: if you want to be super close to the beach, or steps from Palisades Village, the Highlands is not for you. It is up in the hills on a one way in, one way out road, and it suits people who want an outdoor, trail-oriented, quieter setting.
No. Highlands-specific medians are not broken out. The figures on this page are for Pacific Palisades overall, drawn from the Antola Coastal Group iHomeFinder market widget on September 21, 2026 for the prior 30 days, sourced from CRMLS via iHomeFinder. Treat them as time-bound context, not as a Highlands valuation.
Tell us which housing type you are shopping for, your budget, timing, financing context, condition questions, insurance concerns, and whether the access trade-off works for how you actually live.
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