Monte Nido

 

Nestled just inside the first ridge off the coast of Malibu in the Santa Monica Mountains, Monte Nido Valley is one of the few rural areas left within commuting distance to Los Angeles. A small community of homes is arranged among the Oak and Sycamore trees where creek beds and horse trails meander through the picturesque hillsides. Monte Nido means Mountain Nest and that is exactly what this area feels like. 

 

If you are coming from the city, you can trade the city lights for twinkling stars; tall buildings and congested neighborhoods for towering pines and ancient oaks; the abrasive sounds of traffic for the chirping of crickets and the croaking of frogs.

 

A water course named Cold Creek by the early settlers runs through the area collecting water shed on the northeast side of Saddle Peak Mountain. Cold Creek runs down through the Murphy Preserve at the upper regions, joins Dark Creek in the heart of Monte Nido and combines with Malibu Creek just past the small bridge on Piuma Road.

 

The shape of the mountains, along the deep canyon cut by Malibu Creek, brings a weather pattern to Monte Nido that is different from the San Fernando Valley. Summers are cooler by ten to fifteen degrees, as the canyon draws a cooling breeze from the ocean yet unlike the cold and foggy Malibu days of June and July.

 

Winters can be colder, too, with temperatures as low as eighteen degrees in the coldest winters. At night, frost will often appear from late October and perhaps into April.

 

Home to the Chumash Indians, and then the Spanish settlers. The Americans arrived to live in Monte Nido near the turn of the 20th century. With the advent of motion picture, Monte Nido became a weekend retreat for workers in the film industry, as movie moguls bought huge tracts of scenic land for the film studios - 20th Century Ranch and Paramount Ranch are the two closest. Gradually, development came, and by the 1950's, family-styled homes for teachers, firemen, policemen, as well as those still employed by the studios were built in Monte Nido.

 

This lovely pastoral valley is home to multitudes of wild creatures - red and gray squirrels, coyote, bobcat, cottontails, quail, blue jays, redtail and bartail hawks, deer, possum, raccoon are the most prevalent. It is a migratory pathway for hundreds of different birds in the Spring and Fall.

 

Old Monte Nido was subdivided in the late 1920's. It was made up of more than 400 small lots for mountain cabins and was advertised as being only one day's drive from Los Angeles. 

 

Later the Malibu Meadows, Malibu Oaks and Edenwild subdivisions were approved. These divisions, unlike Old Monte Nido, were on private roads and were maintained by the homeowners. From stone-age culture to million-dollar mansions, the Monte Nido Valley has seen its share of colorful history.

 

Come for a visit and you'll see what everyone is talking about!

 

The local lifestyle of Monte Nido is one of rural luxury. There is nothing else quite like this enchanting unincorporated community, which provides residents with unique natural surroundings close to affluent cities like Calabasas and Malibu. The community in this small town is tight-knit and welcoming to all. Residents are excited when new neighbors move in and are happy to share their little oasis in the mountains with newcomers.

 

Thanks to its premier location near the 101 Freeway, Monte Nido attracts professionals working at one of the city centers a quick drive away. Those who live in this town sing the praise of its luxurious lifestyle.

 

Even though it is rustic and rural within Monte Nido, it is only an eight minute drive to Malibu and less than a fifteen minute drive to the Calabasas Commons Shopping Center. 

 

 

 

Approximately 275 homes are in this valley which is surrounded and protected by the Santa Monica Mountains and several state parks. There are dedicated trails throughout the area for horseback riding and hiking and has direct access to the famous Backbone Trail, which is the longest trail in Southern California. The neighborhood is made up of a wonderful eclectic mixture of homes and families.