Palisades Village facts for kids

Imagine a cool outdoor shopping spot that looks like a classic American town! That's Palisades Village, found in Pacific Palisades, California. It's a special place with shops and restaurants, named after the "Village" area it's in. A developer named Rick Caruso created it, and it first opened its doors in September 2018. Sadly, a big fire called the Palisades Fire caused a lot of damage nearby in January 2025. Because of this, Palisades Village has been closed for repairs. It is expected to welcome visitors back in summer 2026.

What is Palisades Village?

Palisades Village is an outdoor shopping center that feels like a friendly main street from a classic American town. It has many smaller shops and fancy boutiques. Most of these stores are unique, with only a few locations, and many are owned by women. Even some bigger brands, like Sephora Studio and Chanel Beauty, have smaller, special shops here.

History of Palisades Village

How the Village Began

Back in 1923, when the community of Pacific Palisades was first being built, a small park was planned. This park, now known as the Village Green, was placed right in the middle of the town. Famous architects, the Olmsted Brothers, helped design the whole area. They created the business center that would become the downtown for this new community.

Building the New Shopping Center

Before Palisades Village was built, the shopping area in Pacific Palisades was a bit old and worn out. People even said it looked like a quiet Midwestern town where small shops had closed. Actor Billy Crystal, who moved there in 1979, remembered it had "faded and faded" over the years.

In the 2010s, Rick Caruso decided to bring new life to the area. He planned Palisades Village to make the commercial district exciting again. Big stores like Trader Joe's and Whole Foods were considered for the new center. The city officially approved the project on June 21, 2016. This allowed old buildings to be taken down and construction to start.

Los Angeles City Councilman Mike Bonin said that Palisades Village would "revitalize downtown Palisades." He believed it would give the neighborhood the "thriving community center it deserves." The construction took more than two years and cost over $200 million.

Grand Opening Fun

In March 2018, Amazon Books announced it would open a store in Palisades Village. This was exciting because it was the first bookstore in the area since Village Books closed in 2011.

On September 20, 2018, a fancy party was held to celebrate the grand opening. Many famous people attended, including John Legend, Charlize Thereon, Mindy Kaling, and Michael Keaton.

Special Events (2019-2024)

On August 15, 2019, Amazon Studios hosted an event at Palisades Village. It was to promote their TV show, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Shops offered special deals with "1959 prices" for one day. For example, Hank's sold Reuben sandwiches for only $0.85! McConnell's ice cream shop sold a scoop for just $0.25.

The 2025 Fire and Closure

In January 2025, a large fire called the Palisades Fire caused a lot of damage in the downtown area. While Palisades Village itself was not destroyed, it closed down. In May 2025, it was announced that the village is expected to reopen in summer 2026. This will happen after many repairs and renovations to the center and nearby buildings. Elyse Walker plans to move her main store there when it reopens.

How Palisades Village Looks

The buildings in Palisades Village were designed by different architects. This means no two buildings next to each other look exactly alike, just like in an old downtown area. The design team studied famous shopping streets in places like San Francisco and Boston. They looked at how deep and wide storefronts were and how different buildings looked together.

They also got ideas from the "California Coastal" style of the Pacific Palisades neighborhood. This helped them create a shopping village with pretty balconies and open patios. All the paths in Palisades Village are made with brick pavers, which was a first for the Los Angeles area. Even the street lamps were inspired by lamps seen in St. Tropez!

Eco-Friendly Design

Palisades Village was the first business area in California to earn a "LEED Gold" certification for being eco-friendly. During construction, a huge amount of soil (120,000 cubic yards) was reused to create the Village Green park.

The parking garage uses special LED lights that save 90 percent of energy. It also has charging spots for 30 electric cars, with room to add more. Systems like Permavoid and biofiltration clean rainwater for later use. This helps the village use very little water. A large solar array on the village roofs creates about 800,000 watts of power every day. This power goes back into the local electricity grid.

The Village Green Park

The Village Green is a small, private park right in the middle of Palisades Village. It has benches, a fountain, and a grassy lawn. Volunteers and donations help keep it beautiful. The park is surrounded by trees and has 77 different kinds of plants. It also hosts community events, like art shows.

This park is on the same spot as the original public park from 1923. For a while, it was even a gas station! Local residents worked for years to bring the park back. In 1972, a group called "The Village Green Committee" started raising money. They raised almost $70,000 in less than three months!

Most of the money bought the land, and the rest paid for designing the park. The idea was to create a place for people to enjoy, with walkways, benches, trees, and flowers. The Village Green officially opened on August 17, 1973. It is still owned and managed by a volunteer board from the community. Palisades Village was built around this special park.

Shops to Explore

As of 2021, here are some of the shops that had a location in Palisades Village:

Places to Eat

As of 2021, here are some of the restaurants and eateries that had a location in Palisades Village:

Past Shops

General Porpoise Doughnuts

General Porpoise, a Seattle doughnut shop, opened its first location outside Seattle in Palisades Village. They sold delicious filled doughnuts, like their famous roasted lemon curd one. However, the shop closed on March 26, 2019, because sales were lower than expected.

Famous Visitors

Since it opened, Palisades Village has been a popular spot for celebrities. People like Adam Sandler, Jennifer Garner, John Legend, Kevin Nealon, Billy Crystal, and Kate Beckinsupp have been seen shopping there.

See Also

• Brentwood Country Mart
• The Grove at the Original Farmer's Market
• Rodeo Drive
• The Americana at Brand
• Westfield Century City