The Neighborhoods of Palos Verdes Estates - Margate
The Neighborhoods of Palos Verdes Estates-margate
Palos Verdes Estates has five neighborhood names – Malaga Cove, Monte Malaga, Valmonte, Lunada Bay and Margate. Malaga Cove is a name derived from Southern Spain’s Costa del Sol port town Malaga. Combined with Monte, in Spanish meaning hill or mountain, the name Monte Malaga is formed. You may wonder if the other neighborhood names were gleaned from far away seaside locations.
Margate is a seaside town in Thanet, Kent, South East England. In 1264 it was a fishing village where pools of water were large enough for swimmers to jump in. Originally known as Meregate, from mere meaning pool and gap in a cliff or gate. In 1299 the name changed to Margate. In the mid-eighteen century it became one of the first English seaside resorts, when sea bathing became popular. So today it is known as a traditional holiday destination for Londoners drawn to its sandy beaches.
A historic footnote is the Battle of Margate, March 24 to March 25, 1387. This was the last battle of the Caroline War phase of the Hundred Years War.
There is a seaside resort in New Jersey named Margate City, the name is a nod to the English resort town. Established in 1909 it was a borough of South Atlantic City on Absecon Island. Over the years; as the Jersey Shore grew in popularity as a summer hot spot, Margate City grew from the many visitors that descended on the little city by the bay. Today it remains a popular Jersey Shore destination.
Frank A. Vanderlip, Sr. purchased land from the Bixby family in 1913 with the idea to build a planned, residential community on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Part of the new community lay out included a seaside resort at Bluff Cove. And the name given to the adjacent neighborhood is Margate. City archives contain the proposed site renderings of that grand complex situated below the shoreline bluffs. The grand plans for a resort were not realized for various reasons, one being the stock market crash of 1929. If the project at Bluff Cove had been completed the unstable conditions along the bluff would have ruined it over time. By leaving the area available for the residential development that followed, another type of seaside recreation prevailed in Margate.
Map shows a portion of Lower Margate
Some key features of the neighborhood can be found on a partial Map of Lower Margate. At the bottom of Margate Canyon, near Apsley Road and Palos Verdes Dr. West, there is an open space to the parkland on Paseo del Mar. The parkland is a place where many enjoy a daily routine of fun and exercise. The city planners named the open space Margate Parkway. Basically, this is a small footnote in the history of the neighborhood. The most important outcome of not completing the resort in Margate is that Bluff Cove, and the coastal bluff area, has been left undeveloped.
First ridden in 1929 Palos Verdes Cove, A.K.A Paddle Board Cove, is a birthplace of California surfing. The surf break at The Cove is very reminiscent of waves found at Waikiki Beach, Hawaii. The seaside resort project was cancelled, but the access road to the shoreline below the bluffs remained. It allowed easy access for cars loaded with paddleboards. Palos Verdes Surfing Club was founded by John “Doc” Ball and Adolph Bayer in 1935. These surfers and many others say it is the original California surf spot.
Russell Caterson - Long Time Palos Verdes Resident
