There's exclusive and then there's a little place called Malibu.The seaside paradise is the kind of town where you might see Brad buying a teddy bear for baby Shiloh Nouvel at the toy store, Mel Gibson picking up some milk at the market or Britney out cruising with Sean Preston.The biggest Hollywood stars live and play in and on the 27 miles of beachfront property and for a few very good reasons.Sandy beaches, ocean front mansions and yes, those multi-million dollar views are all just a quick 30-minute drive from Hollywood.It's no wonder it's a celebrity fave. Just look at these testimonials…“The ocean is just tranquil and beautiful,” “Grey's Anatomy's” Ellen Pompeo told us.“It's a small town, almost like living in the country,” Lisa Rinna told us.“It's just cooler in the summer,” Julie Andrews said.“I thought I was going to move out to Malibu and just live on the beach!” Halle Berry laughed.
Halle's not the only one. Robert Redford, Dustin Hoffman, Demi, Bruce — all flocked to the seaside town.
So did Britney, Janet, Goldie and Kurt and the Spielbergs.
And if you've got to ask, “How much?” then you can't afford it.
Malibu homes are so coveted that the lowest-priced ones sell for around $3 million.
The highest? Nearly $65 million.
The ultra-chic Malibu Colony development, with 100 seaside mansions, is the place stars like Mel Gibson, Tom Hanks and Sting currently call home.
The colony is one of the three most-coveted areas in Malibu. The other two are Broad Beach and Carbon Beach — also known as “Billionaire's Beach” — and it's home to Jennifer Aniston and the Arquettes.
Most homes average $15 million.
Robert De Niro, Redford, Hoffman and Pierce Brosnan make the sandy backyard of Broad Beach their home.
Just eight miles north of town, past Zuma Beach, is Brad and Angelina's estate, with its own private stairway weaving all the way down to the surf below.
“I love all of Malibu,” Jamie Lynn Seigler told Access. “I always say that if I really was going to settle down in L.A., I'd have to live in Malibu, because it's so beautiful, and it's just out of the city. You still kind of, you feel like a little disconnected from L.A.”
Malibu's exclusivity isn't for everyone.
“I don't like Malibu!” Eva Mendes laughed. “It's too far out. I'm an Eastsider.”
But Malibu has a dark side too. And Access did a little digging to uncover it.
The paparazzi are synonymous with the town. But photogs are only one of the problems Britney and her neighbors have.
Malibu can be paradise lost, as every year, the mansions of Malibu are threatened by devastating floods, mudslides and out-of-control fires.
An 18,000-acre blaze took the $4 million estate of Sean Penn in 1993 and barely spared the homes of Mel Gibson, Richard Gere and Bruce and Demi.
The concentration of stars in the coastal community also attracts the obsessed.
“Any parent would be concerned about the security of those closest to them,” Mel told us.
Mel's stalker, Zack Sinclair, was sentenced to three years in prison and in 2002, another stalker got too close for Meg Ryan's comfort.
Both Jennifer and Pamela Anderson found unwanted intruders in their Malibu homes.
Sometimes Malibu's denizens make the headlines themselves.
Both Robert Downey Jr. and Tommy Lee are pretty familiar with the Malibu courthouse.
And Access also took a look at another place a lot of stars know well: Malibu rehab.
Nestled on a bluff with jaw-dropping views of the Pacific, “Passages” is a $10 million estate and the ultimate in rehab facilities.