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n the affluent enclave of Pacific Palisades, a once-cherished haven for Hollywood's elite has been ravaged by wildfires, leaving behind a trail of devastation and uncertainty. The area, where celebrities like John Legend and Kate Beckinsale once strolled along leafy streets with ocean views, is now a "toxic warzone" with thousands of rubble-strewn plots where multi-million-dollar homes once stood.
John Legend, who performed at the 2018 opening of Palisades Village shopping mall, has reportedly considered leaving the area. He's not alone; many residents are abandoning ship as the reality of rebuilding sets in. Jason Oppenheim, a top realtor to the stars and star of Selling Sunset, told the Daily Mail that an increasing number of residents are fleeing the once-charmed spot.
Exclusive drone photos reveal the true scale of the challenge facing the dwindling number of hardy residents who say they'll rebuild. Actor John Goodman's $4.6 million property, purchased in 2008, was reduced to a dirt lot and concrete remains after the fires. The before-and-after photos of Adam Brody and Leighton Meester's home are equally bleak; their $6.5 million beach chic farmhouse was burnt to the ground.
Only four permits to rebuild had been issued by the city as of April 1, and they were for people with pre-existing plans. Anyone wishing to remodel or expand their home will face a much longer process. The result is a slow, grinding slog to rebuild, with many residents weighing up whether to accept free debris removal from the Army Corps of Engineers or wait until their insurance agrees to pay for a private contractor.
"A considerable number don't want to engage in a protracted, multiyear process of finding a developer or architect, getting all the permits and so on," Oppenheim said. "A lot of people are moving elsewhere." Three months after the wildfires, 23,000 acres of Pacific Palisades are scorched and uninhabitable, with over 5,000 residences destroyed.
Families with children are searching for stability and schools; two elementaries and a high school were destroyed or rendered unusable. Retirees might not want the hassle of embarking on a new build, given the area's age – 23 percent of residents are aged over 65, versus 14 percent of the city as a whole.
Comedian Billy Crystal, 77, and actor Sir Anthony Hopkins, 87-years-old, may be considering cutting their losses and moving on. Oppenheim pointed out that Newport Beach is attracting attention from those fleeing LA's crime, homelessness, and mansion tax. "Newport Beach is the biggest overspill," he said. "It's clean, safe, with no mansion tax and moderate political policies."
Reality TV stars Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag are vowing to rebuild their beloved $2.5 million home, which featured in their show. Pratt has been promoting his wife's singing career online to raise funds for reconstruction. His parents' home also burnt down; they have reluctantly decided to sell up.
Laura Brau, a realtor whose own home burnt down in the fires, said she thought even famous faces would return to Pacific Palisades. "The Palisades is fresh air, waterfront, sunlight, ocean breeze – all those things will stay," she said. "There was a reason the celebrities were there in the first place: they were allowed to live normal lives, walking among us."
On Saturday, Walter and Alessandra Lopes began rebuilding their home in Pacific Palisades – the first people to do so. "It's amazing to see," he told NBC LA. "With good people doing good work together, we're finally seeing things coming up." The Lopes' home should be completed in 10 months, and Brau said she was hopeful for the future.
