If you really want to escape from the city all while watching dolphins frolic in the sparkling Pacific Ocean, then you better pack your bags and head to Malibu! Secluded, rustic yet breathtakingly beautiful, your heart will find a home where the mountains meet the shores.

Long a celebrity retreat, the city of Malibu is a very upscale beach town that dresses like summer year 'round. Situated at the juncture of the Santa Monica Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, the city itself is comprised of multi-million dollar beachfront properties, tucked-away estates, horse properties, wide-open hillsides, fantastic restaurants and high-end boutique shopping at places like the Cross Creek and Malibu Country Marts. Comfortable and chic at the same time, Malibu welcomes everyone from surfers to starlets. Malibu is also home to Pepperdine University, a small, private Christian university with highly esteemed business and law schools and its mascot is none other than Willy the Wave.

The advantages to living in Malibu are of course the beauty, luxury, privacy and exclusive waterfront real estate. Where else can you curl up on the sand to watch a blazing sunset and hike in the mountains all in one afternoon? A good drive up the coast, Malibu keeps its priviledged residents protected from the hustle and bustle of neighboring towns such as Santa Monica and the enclaves of the San Fernando Valley. That long drive up Pacific Coast Highway is precisely what helps Malibu maintain its uniquely secluded lifestyle. However, if a 30 minute commute into Santa Monica or through the canyons to the Valley isn't your cup of tea, then Malibu isn't the place for you.

Its own city, Malibu has its own mayor and a very active constituancy dedicated to protecting Malibu from over development and commercialization. You won't find any high rise hotels or condo buildings here in the near future if the locals have anything to do about it. Wide open spaces and limited commerical industry keeps Malibu feeling more like a small town and less a destination location.