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Less Than Three-Month Level of Inventory in Pacific Palisades

By
the Palisadian-Post
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By MICHAEL EDLEN | Special to the Palisadian-Post

As of December 31, 2024, 45 single-family Palisades residences were listed in the Multiple Listing Service. This inventory level is 10% higher than last year’s December 31 available inventory.

A total of 226 homes were sold in the Palisades in 2024, which about the same as the number of homes sold in 2023. Median sale prices were down 16% from 2023, and the price per square foot was 3% lower. The median list price is currently $6,195,000, which is a 12% increase over last year at this time.

At the current rate of buying in the Palisades, overall there is less than a three-month level of inventory. Below the $5 million range, we have less than a two-month inventory available as of January 1. As a reminder, the market will not be in relative balance between buyers and sellers until that level reaches five months.

The lowest-priced residence available is a four-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bath home on Calle De Sevilla, which is being offered at $2,299,000. The highest-priced available property is a seven-bedroom, 11-bathroom on Casale Road listed at $49.95 million.

The most affordable area in 2024 was the Lower Marquez/Bel-Air Bay Club neighborhood with a median price of $3,093,500. The Riviera had the highest median sales price ($9.5 million) with Huntington Palisades a close second having a median sales price of $9,085,000. The Riviera and Upper Marquez/Bienveneda neighborhoods currently have the largest number of homes (eight and six, respectively) for sale in the Palisades.

The lowest sale price for the fourth quarter of 2024 was on Chalet Terrace ($1,395,000). The highest sale ($32.3 million) was on Chautauqua Boulevard.

As of December 31, there were 13 condominiums/townhouses on the market, which is a 62% increase from the end of 2023. They range from a two-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bath on Sunset being offered at $950,000 to a two-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath on Palisades Avenue for $1,296,000

Sixty-five condominiums were sold in the Palisades in 2024 (6% fewer than 2023), ranging from a one-bedroom, one-bath on Sunset, which sold for $500,000, to a three-bedroom, three-bath on Palisades Drive, which sold for $2,824,000. The median sales price for condos at the end of the fourth quarter was $1,399,000, which is 7% lower than at the end of 2023’s fourth quarter.

There are currently 64 available leases (28% lower than last year) in the Palisades, starting at $2,990 per month for a one-bedroom, one-bath unit on Chautauqua Boulevard and asking as high as $450,000 per month for a furnished six-bedroom, 18-bath house on San Onofre in the Riviera.

There were 300 Palisades leases done in 2024 (a 14% increase over 2023), ranging from a guesthouse on Glenhaven, which leased for $2,200 per month, to a six-bedroom, eight-bath home on Amalfi Drive, which leased for $80,000 per month. The current median price for homes leased in 2024 was $11,400 per month—up 14% over 2023.

Michael Edlen, an agent with Coldwell Banker, has been keeping statistics of Pacific Palisades housing prices for the last 38 years.

Michael Leb

By
the Palisadian-Post
-

Michael (“Mike”) Leb, 72, passed away on December 29, 2024, surrounded by his family and closest friends.

Born in Miami, Florida, to Mickey and Sam Leb, he grew up in North Miami Beach enjoying his early years with his older brother Stephen, younger brother Robert and sister-in-law Wendy.

Mike was an extremely loving man of great devotion to everyone in his life. He first met his wife, Fran, when he was 12 years old and knew very quickly that he wanted to dedicate himself to making a wonderful life with her.

In 1972, at the ages of 19 and 20, they got married and spent 52 amazing years building that wonderful life together and, in 1987, made their home in Pacific Palisades. He always made it clear that he had no regrets and would not have changed a thing because if he had done anything differently, he might not have ended up with this perfect life with Fran.

Mike was a devoted father to his daughter, Lauren, and son, Alex, and later welcomed their spouses, Noah and Alaina, into the family with enthusiastic and open arms. In his last 11 years, he became “G” to his four grandchildren, Jack, Rhys, Lily and Blake, who will always remember him for the overpowering love and affection he showed them.

Devoting his working life to being an incredible OB-GYN, in 1987, Mike took over the only OB-GYN practice in Pacific Palisades before moving it to Santa Monica years later. Simultaneously, Mike ran a clinic focused on the most under-served communities in Los Angeles, which he would continue to do throughout the entirety of his career.

His dedication to his patients went so far as to spend his free time becoming fluent in Spanish to communicate better, and finding gifts to give to patients and their children. He was also dedicated to his employees, whom he considered family, working with some for as long as 35 years.

Mike also had many friends who became family. With them, he enthusiastically hosted and cooked, traveled around the world, and spent quality time inquiring about their lives and interests. He truly loved and thought the world of everyone that he called “friend” and would have done, and did do, anything for them.

Mike will always be remembered for his incredible sense of humor, great intelligence, awe-inspiring inquisitiveness, surprising artistic talent, and truly empathetic and genuine nature.

His family would love to welcome all to a memorial in his honor, which will take place at Kehillat Israel in Pacific Palisades on Sunday, January 12, at 2 p.m.

Nancee Enyart Cron

By
the Palisadian-Post
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1953-2024

Nancee was raised in West Los Angeles by her parents, Alvin and Audrey Greenwald. She and he first husband, Scott Enyart, raised their two children, Jamie and Shawna, in Santa Monica.

She moved to the Palisades in the ’90s and lived here for the rest of her life. She worked as the communications director at Kehillat Israel synagogue and was responsible for their public relations, including photographing the construction of the new synagogue.

She worked for several other businesses in the Palisades before landing her dream job as the grants and operations manager for the Herb Alpert Foundation. She spent the next 14 years in a pivotal role supporting the foundation’s grantmaking process and operations.

Her dedication and meticulous management of the foundation’s administrative needs and grantee relationships helped shape its impactful philanthropic efforts. Nancee’s work contributed to the foundation’s success and its mission to support the arts and arts education in the Los Angeles community and beyond. She left an indelible mark on the foundation and the many communities it serves. She retired from the foundation in 2020 to spend more time with her family.

Nancee spent the last 15 years of her life married to Steve Cron. They travelled the world together, especially enjoying the adventure of new places that were off the beaten path, such as Iran, Bhutan, Nepal, India, Turkey, Cuba, Southeast Asia and numerous countries in Eastern Europe.

Nancee left an indelible mark on everyone she met. She was enthusiastic, inquisitive and eager to embrace new people, experiences and cultures. She was quick to laugh and had an optimistic outlook on life that allowed her to always see the good in people.

Family was the most important part of Nancee’s life, and she maintained close relationships with her brothers, Paul and Randy Greenwald, and their wives, Isabel and Marni, as well as numerous aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews, as well as her children, Jamie and Shawna, her son-in-law Jamend, and her grandchildren, Madelyn and Caleb. She was also very close with Steve’s kids, Matt, Jenn and Julie Cron, and Matt’s wife, Val, and their children, Max and Zella.

Nancee will be deeply missed by her numerous friends, work colleagues and family. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, anyone who is so inclined send a donation to the UCLA Lung Transplant Program.

Mary Meanor Naef

By
the Palisadian-Post
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August 23, 1943 – September 30, 2024

Mary Meanor Naef was born on August 23, 1943, in Chicago, Illinois. Shortly after birth she was adopted from The Cradle society by Margaret and Edward Meanor of Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.

Mary Attended The Baldwin School in Bryn Mawr from kindergarten through high school. Her talent at drawing and sculpture was recognized early, and she participated in extracurricular art instruction from an early age. Mary also excelled at math but did not pursue that subject academically.

During the 1950s and 1960s she regularly traveled with her parents and older sister, Jane, to New York City for theater and art museum visits. During the winters they traveled to the island of St. Croix in the Caribbean Sea and in summers to Eaton’s Ranch in Wolf, Wyoming.

After Baldwin in 1962 Mary matriculated at Scripps College in Claremont, California. Leaving Philadelphia for California was evidence of Mary’s very adventuresome spirit. At Scripps College Mary pursued a major in fine art with a focus on sculpture.

In a Scripps College ceramics class, she met her future husband, Weston Naef, who was enrolled at Claremont Men’s College (now Claremont McKenna College), where he was pursuing pre-law studies, and taking classes in fine art and art history as electives.

Mary and Weston fell in love, were married and remained together for more than 60 years. In 1964 Mary persuaded Weston to drop law studies and to pursue an advanced degree in art history. Together they continued studies at Ohio State University, where Mary earned her B.A. degree in sculpture.

After OSU Mary enrolled at the Rhode Island School of Design, where she earned an MFA degree in sculpture. At RISD Mary’s sculpture evolved from figurative to abstract shapes carved in wood or stone.

In 1969 Mary and Weston relocated from Providence, Rhode Island, to New York City. Rather than live uptown where some of her Philadelphia friends chose to be, Mary decided a downtown location was more desirable, and she took on the challenge of transforming the fourth floor of an empty warehouse space into an unconventional residence that provided her with a studio in a neighborhood filled with artists that was soon called “Soho.”

In NYC Mary devised an entirely new way of creating sensuous abstract sculpture outside the traditional stone and marble materials. She stretched canvas over a plywood matrix to realize an entirely new system of shapes. When the stretched canvas-over-plywood was primed and coated with vinyl spray paint, the results had a look that was somewhere between hand- and machine-made.

Even more than her life in art, nothing was more important to Mary than her family. In 1975 a son, Edward, was born, and in 1980, a daughter, Ella.

After the arrival of children, Mary’s sculpture took a new direction. She committed herself to the task of giving shape to the lives of her offspring. In 1984 Mary and Weston relocated from NYC to Pacific Palisades.

The children were enrolled in St. Matthew’s Parish School, and Mary became active in matters pertaining to school, and Parish management and direction. She also became an active volunteer for the St. Matthew’s Thrift Shop for more than 20 years.

Mary loved to travel and was intensely curious. There was no trip without serious preparation for what to see and what to do. Art museums and galleries were a special interest when she visited new cities, and she rarely stayed in a new place less than a week.

Travel inspired a love of food, and when back home, she would add a dish or two to her culinary repertoire, which she was eager to share with family and friends.

Mary lived a life true to herself, not the life others expected of her. She was loved by all who knew her for her grace, generosity, intelligence and character.

Mary is survived by her husband, Weston, by her children Edward Naef (Jana) and Ella Naef (Lisa), as well as by her sister, Jane M. Hastings (Joe deceased), and by her niece, Elizabeth Block (Luke), and her nephews, Richard Hastings, William Hastings (Diane), and Robert Hastings (Alison).

Almost every day during her final months Mary visited online with her grandchildren, Natalia and David Naef, who live in Boston.

The family extends sincere thanks to those who remembered Mary in their prayers, to Patricia Eshaghian, M.D., and the doctors involved with her care, as well as the caregivers who comforted Mary during her final months: Marva, Saalma, Bridgette, Kristina, Amy and Michelle.

Fierce on the Floor

By
Steve Galluzzo
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Photos by Steve Galluzzo

Coach Mike Martin’s Palisades-Based Program Is Taking Southern California Youth Basketball Community by Storm

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

A blossoming youth basketball program is the talk of the town in Pacific Palisades: SoCal FIERCE. Headed by former collegiate and pro player Mike Martin, it is a comprehensive program offering high-level training, travel teams and mentorship for boys and girls ages 8 to 17, preparing them for success on and off the court.

Established in January 2021, FIERCE aims to raise the bar in the areas of athletic training, I.Q. development and coaching.

Sam Gibson takes a jump shot.
Shiloh Unger dribbles to the lane.

“Our mission statement is to advance student athletes in a safe  and positive learning environment so they can achieve their long-term improvement goals,” Martin explained. “We envision a future as leaders in youth basketball, creating opportunities for all aspiring athletes to thrive on the court, in the classroom and in life.”

The FIERCE approach has six tenets: F—Fundamentals; I—I.Q.; E—Effort; R—Repetition; C— Camaraderie; and E—Energy.

“We exist to provide an elevated sports experience that helps young athletes develop their love and respect for the game,” Martin added. “Through progressive coaching and our curriculum, we teach the game in a way that strengthens each player’s individual abilities while fostering the team’s success as fearless competitors. Cultivating a complete player begins with unlocking untapped potential. As players grow, they discover the meaningful connections between basketball and countless other opportunities and we emphasize preparing our kids for success at the high school level and personal growth beyond the court.”

James Cook drives to the basket.
Max Konecke makes a layup.

“My job is to make sure our FIERCE athletes reap all the benefits of my years of experience as a professional athlete and coach.”

Practices are held at Palisades Lutheran Church and the program is full of local players.

In early October, SoCal FIERCE won the Sol Fall Hoops Fest in San Diego, beating a team from Arizona in the finals. Later that month, FIERCE’s squad of Palisadian boys won the 13U Gold championship at Sports Academy.

In December, FIERCE took part in the inaugural Holiday Ball at Da Vinci School in El Segundo and played a fill-court game against the LA Kings. FIERCE prevailed 68-50 with a roster full of Palisadians: guards Shiloh Unger (Corpus Christi), Sam Gibson (St. Matthew’s), Max Konecke (Paul Revere), James Cook (Windward) and Will Horowitz (Windward); and forwards Max Miller (St. Matthew’s), Rowan O’Donnell (Corpus Christi) and Eli McCune (Paul Revere). Other local athletes in the program include William Reierson, Davis Kripk and Tate Jennison. The winter season starts in early December and ends March 1. For more information or to join the program, email Martin at socalfierceball@gmail.com.

Kickers Win Winter Classic

By
Steve Galluzzo
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Jack Spirito dekes a Fairfax defender in Palisades’ 2-0 loss at Stadium by the Sea.
Photos by Steve Galluzzo

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

Every soccer player dreams of scoring the game-winning goal for their team and Diego Zambronna got his chance to be the hero December 30 in the championship match of the South East Winter Classic at Los Angeles City College.

Palisades led Paramount 4-3 heading into the final round of penalty kicks, meaning Zambronna could clinch the win by converting his kick from the penalty spot 12 yards from goal. He did just that, drilling the ball by the Pirates’ diving goalkeeper to set off a wild celebration. Teammates rushed the field to congratulate the star of the night, but the victory was a team effort as the Dolphins’ first four shooters also made their kicks and junior goalkeeper Dodge Drageset lunged to his left to make a critical save in the third round to pave the way for Palisades’ 5-3 shootout victory. It was vindication for returning players who remember being bounced out of the tournament by Fremont in the semifinals  last season at Gahr. This time, they would not be denied.

Christopher Garcia

The Dolphins opened pool play in the 32-team bracket by shutting out Camino Nuevo 6-0 and Bernstein 3-0 on Dec. 26.  The next day saw the Dolphins defeat Jefferson 1-0 and outscore Hawkins 4-1 to advance to the quarterfinals. There, Palisades edged Marshall 1-0 to advance to the semifinals Dec. 28 against tournament host South East. Hudson Weinberger scored late in the first half to tie the game 1-1 and he buried his penalty kick moments before teammate Max Bedolla netted the deciding goal in a 3-1 shootout win that earned the Dolphins a spot in the final against a Pirates side riding a seven-game unbeaten streak and coming off an impressive 2-0 semifinal triumph over Lakewood.

Landon Zappaterreno

 

Palisades got on the scoreboard first when it was awarded a penalty kick after a foul in the box and Weinberger blasted home the try early in the first half. Paramount pressed for the equalizer and finaly capitalized with four minutes left in regulation. Neither team could find the net again before the final whistle and the score remained 1-1 going to a shootout.

There was no All-Tournament team but if there had been one, Weinberger surely would have been the Most Valuable Player. He paced the Dolphins with nine goals in seven games, several of them coming at key stages. 

Sonny Gethin takes a shot in the Dolphins’ Western League opener against Fairfax.

On Monday, the Dolphins returned home to beat Bell 4-1—giving them eight wins in a row since a 5-0 setback at City favorite Birmingham on Dec. 13. Under new head coach Josh Figueroa, who took the reins from Marvin Lemus, Palisades is getting healthy and is ready to make a run at its second City title, having won its only section crown in 2016 under former pilot Dave Suarez, now the school’s boys and girls golf coach.     

Palisades lost its Western League opener to Fairfax 2-0 on Dec. 4 at Stadium by the Sea but rebounded to blank Hamilton 4-0 two days later.

The Dolphins went 8-0-4 in league last season and made it to the City Division I quarterfinals, losing to El Camino Real 2-1 in overtime. The Royals then upset top-seeded Granada Hills before losing to West Valley League rival Birmingham 2-0 in the City Division I final at Valley College.     

AYSO Boys Extra Squad Second in Champions Cup

By
Steve Galluzzo
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Right: Palisades senior defender Ava Walker takes a shot on goal.
Photos by Steve Galluzzo

The Palisades Strikers, an AYSO Region 69 Extra team, finished second out of 41 teams in the U11 BX playoffs, which covers most of Southern California. It was an amazing run for the Strikers, who were seeded eighth and a wild card for the two-week tournament in La Habra in December.

Consisting of Cabe Talt, Dylan Morrow, Tate Dore, Merritt Levin, Wesley Hom, Josh Ahdoot, Owen Tyler, Jace Hansen, Isaac Soppe and Stephen Sandbo and guided by co-coaches by Jenny Morrow and Taylor Talt, the Strikers qualified for the State Cup.

Ella Kraynak takes a free kick.

The local squad advanced to the quarterfinals of the knockout round and edged prevously-undefeated Culver City, 2-1. In the semifinal round, the Strikers took on Aliso Viejo and trailed 2-1 at halftime before rallying for two late goals to win 2-1 and earn a spot in the Champions Cup final against rival Santa Monica.

Though the Strikers lost they enjoyed a magical fall they will not soon forget, ending up as the No. 2 team in Southern California.   

Lagway Stars for Titans

By
Steve Galluzzo
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Demonnie Lagway
CS Fullerton Athletics

Palisades High basketball alum Demonnie Lagway is having a stellar junior season at Cal State Fullerton. The 5-10 junior guard has started all 14 games for the Titans and is tied for second on the squad with 128 points, an average of 9.1 per contest.

She also has 40 rebounds, 23 assists, 10 steals and three blocks heading into tonight’s Big West matchup with UC Davis.

Lagway played in 30 games as a sophomore, averaging 16 minutes and 5.5 points. She saw action in 29 games her freshman year, averaging 2.7 points and one rebound, and was named to the All-Big West Freshman Team. She is pursuing a degree in marketing and business.

A 2022 Pali High graduate, Lagway helped the Dolphins claim three City titles and a Southern California Regional title. She was Western League MVP and shared City Player of the Year honors with teammate Alexis Pettis as a junior in 2020-21.     

Pali High Girls Soccer Suffers First Setback Versus Granada Hills, 2-0

By
Steve Galluzzo
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Elisse Larsson dribbles upfield.
Photo: Steve Galluzzo

Palisades High’s girls soccer team is off to one of its best starts in years under head coach Christian Chambers and after opening with six straight victories the Dolphins  were shut out 2-0 by Granada Hills last Saturday at Stadium by the Sea, both goals coming in the first half.    

The teams had not faced each other since the Highlanders won in a shootout in the City Division I final at Valley College in 2020. Palisades has lost in the semifinals each of the last four seasons­­—two times to El Camino Real and twice to Cleveland, both rivals of Granada Hills in the West Valley League. The Dolphins outscored their first six opponents 39-2.

Following a season-opening rout of Larchmont Charter when Mae Durkin and Harper Given each had three goals and three assists and CeCe Tierney added two goals and two assists, Mechal Green had two goals and an assist in a 7-0 league win at Fairfax. Green had a goal and four assists  the next day in a 6-1 home victory over Taft and scored three times in a 6-0 league triumph at Hamilton on Dec. 6. Maya Hively scored off an assist by Green in the first half for the only goal and goalkeeper Maria Knierim stood tall in net in a nonleague affair versus visiting Birmingham one week later.

On Friday, captain Leila Jafari had three goals and Green added a goal and three assists as Palisades defeated GALA 7-1 on home turf.           

Green entered Wednesday’s league contest at Westchester with a team-high eight goals and 10 assists, Jafari and Harper Given had six goals apiece and Stella Robinson had five.

Knierim and fellow goalie Scarlett Bocaccio each had four saves.

Andrew Rhames Wins Post Football Contest

By
Steve Galluzzo
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The season winner of the annual Palisadian-Post Football Contest was decided on the final week as Andre Rhames prevailed via the tiebreaker, correctly predicting the Seahawks would defeat the Rams  and the teams would score a combined 54 points. Seattle won 30-25 on Sunday, the last day of the NFL regular season. It was fifth time in 18 weeks that Rhames won the pool, making him this year’s champion. He also won in Weeks 2, 5, 15 and 16. Richard Olsen won four times (Weeks 1, 3, 11 and 13 to finish second and Tom Zaret was third with three wins (Weeks 8, 9 and 17). Charles Ryan and James Ryan each won twice while Eamon Rowe and Griffin Rowe each one once. More than 40 people participated in this year’s contest, sponsored by The Yogurt Shoppe. There were no perfect scores this season, but Griffin Rowe (Wk 14) and Rhames Wk 16) came close with nine out of 10 correct picks. Below is a list of week-by-week winners:

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