Now, I think we can all acknowledge that certain real estate pipelines exist in Topanga. The Venice to Topanga pipeline is certainly the most common, closely followed by New York to Topanga. But there’s another shift that happens—one that takes place after you’ve gotten settled in the canyon. It’s quieter, less acknowledged and seems to creep up on canyon dwellers without them even realizing it. Let’s call it Topangafication.
As real estate agents, we hear these phrases everyday: “Oh, I want to live on the coastal side of the canyon, like Fernwood or Entrada so I’m closest to west LA. All my favorite things are in Santa Monica.”
We discretely exchange knowing glances. Just you wait.
Let’s say, hypothetically, that you’re a new Topanga homeowner, former west-sider, and diehard Santa Monica Farmers Market goer. One Friday you stop by the Topanga Farmers Market. The coffee is perfect. There’s a rainbow. Or maybe a hawk overhead. You say hi to neighbors. You pick up some of the best fruit and veggies you’ve ever tasted. You’re converted.
The next month you try out a new local restaurant on a date night. 10 minutes from home. Incredible food. Free parking. Sold.
Then comes grocery stores, doctor’s appointments, gym visits….things slowly begin to shift to Topanga and the more convenient, nearby valley.
You exist for a time, unaware (or in denial) of your changing habits, until one day a birthday party invite from a city friend lands in your inbox. You’ve just been invited to an 8pm dinner at a restaurant in Mar Vista.
Fun, you think, as you hit RSVP. But as the day approaches, symptoms of Topangafication begin to appear. Intrusive thoughts start playing out: What if you DIDN’T go? You laugh it off, thinking a night on the town might be just what you need.
But the canyon has already started to work its spell on you. At first it’s subtle. You check the address again. You zoom out on Maps just to get a sense of traffic. You examine route options like battle plans. 101. 405. The Sepulveda gauntlet. All equally offensive.
“It’s an 8 pm dinner,” you say out loud, as if someone might intervene on your behalf. “That’s….kind of late to go out, right?” No one answers, but frogs in the nearby creek, croaking their assent.
By 4 pm you’re suddenly very interested in being cozy. The idea of putting on your “city clothes” feels wrong. They feel unfamiliar, like costumes from a previous life.
At 6 pm, the canyon makes its closing argument: the wind shifts, the light softens, and suddenly not going feels like the most rational decision any human has ever made in recorded history. You call and cancel, offering your apologies and mumbled excuses.
This is the true nature of Topangafication—it doesn’t make you avoid the world. It convinces you the world has slowly… moved too far away.
At 7 pm your phone buzzes. A friend in Topanga.
“Want to meet for pizza and wine down the road at Endless Color?”
You smile, slip on your well-worn Birkenstocks, and head out the door….but thankfully not too far out the door.
Freddi Swanson (DRE#02246293)
and Sophie Zeiler (DRE#01993809)
Real Estate Team at Snyder Sutton Real Estate
@sophieandfreddi
By Freddi Swanson &
Sophie Zeiler
