Malibu may be a dreamland, known for bikinis, surfers, millionaires, and billionaires. The famous faces of A-list celebrities are seen on locations featured endlessly in films, magazines, newspapers, and on television. It's the place where you expect to see the rich and famous, driving exotic cars, and having it all in their mansions by the sea. The city may deliver on that star-studded vision, but it is also a very real southern California community where down-to-earth people live and work. It is also a destination for millions of tourists annually who come to see for themselves what Malibu is all about, and to enjoy the shopping, dining, recreation and entertainment.
Malibu History
The historical side of Malibu starts with the Spanish explorers of California, a heritage that continues to be expressed today in street and neighborhood names as well as architectural styles. The Spanish land owners were followed by American born individuals and families who loved the unique place nestled between the mountains and the sea. Today, Malibu is divided up into commercial and residential parcels of all sizes, but Malibu is still loved by residents and visitors alike for the same age-old reasons.
Malibu's Development Since 1991
Malibu changed fundamentally during the 1990s as new families moved in, with children. This was a trend that changed the politics of Malibu in the decade after the City was achieved. In 1990, there had been roughly 1,000 children in the Malibu public schools. By 1998, there were more than 2,200 children in the public school system, and the number was growing. What had essentially been a one-issue town -- development -- had now become a multi-issue town. Also, while the population of children was growing, so too was the population of seniors. Malibu began to fulfill facility needs, such as school seating, a teen center, a community center, a senior center and ballfields, all of which required funding from bonds, and compromises with developers.