Mar Vista, Los Angeles, California
Encyclopedia
Mar Vista is a district on the West Side
of Los Angeles, California
.
. The city of Santa Monica
lies to the northwest, West Los Angeles
to the north, Palms
to the northeast, Culver City
to the east, Del Rey
to the southwest, and Venice
to the west. Its approximate boundaries are the city limits of Culver City
and the San Diego Freeway
(I-405
) on the northeast and southeast, Walgrove Avenue on the southwest, and the Santa Monica Municipal Airport and National Boulevard on the northwest. Major thoroughfares through the district include Washington Place; Palms, Venice, Sawtelle
, Inglewood, and Grand View Boulevards; McLaughlin, Barrington, Short, and Centinela
Avenues; and Beethoven Street. The district uses the 90066 ZIP code
, which also serves an adjacent part of Culver City.
The Westdale
area of northern Mar Vista — the area bounded by Sawtelle Boulevard, National Boulevard, Bundy Drive, and Palms Boulevard — is a neighborhood within the bounds of the Mar Vista Community Council.
By the early 1920s the community (then called Ocean Park Heights) was growing rapidly and saw the potential for becoming an incorporated city. In 1924, the name of the community was changed from Ocean Park Heights to Mar Vista. In 1926, Mar Vistans decided not to incorporate, but rather to be annexed to Los Angeles. Mar Vista was influenced by the fact that two neighboring cities had voted for annexation to Los Angeles
, based on concern about water, and growing populations. Venice was annexed to Los Angeles in 1925, and Barnes City joined the metropolis in 1927.
The name Ocean Park Heights came from the first tract of homes built along the Venice Short Line. The tract, and the train station that served it shared the Ocean Park Heights name. This was 1904. Until 1907, the City of Venice was the City of Ocean Park. The City Hall of Ocean Park - subsequently the City Hall of Venice - was on Venice Blvd., now the Beyond Baroque Theater. Until 1907, the back country of Ocean Park with its 200-foot hill, was appropriately called Ocean Park Heights. It wasn't until 1924, that the then inappropriate name, was changed to Mar Vista.
By 1924, there were a number of tracts along Venice Blvd., and the names of several of them were proposed to replace Ocean Park Heights. These included Walnut Glen, Del Mar, Roseboro, and Hillcrest. There was a new tract north of Venice Blvd. and west of Centinela Avenue called New Mar Vista. The nearest Red Car station was named Mar Vista. After much debate, Mar Vista was selected as the name to replace Ocean Park Heights.
In 1924 Ocean Park Heights became Mar Vista, and in 1927 Mar Vista became part of the City of Los Angeles. The area annexed to Los Angeles extended north from Washington Blvd. to Pico Blvd. and from Walgrove east to Overland. Most of this area was farmland. The major crop was lima beans, which could be dry farmed. Mar Vista became known as being in the Lima Bean Belt of the Nation.
By 1912, there were four large tracts that made up Ocean Park Heights. The original Ocean Park Heights tract included Ocean View, Grand View and Mountain View streets. The East Ocean Park Tract was south of Venice Blvd. between Centinela Avenue and Inglewood Blvd. The tract east of Inglewood Avenue, which includes the new fire station and extends east to McLaughlin was Tract 928. It is the Oval tract. West of Centinela on the south side of Venice Blvd. was the Del Mar Tract. Grand View was the widest street in Los Angeles County, and the first gated community. The wide street allowed horse drawn carriages to make a u-turn, as the street dead ended at Charnock Road. The top of the hill was a dump - a dump site with the grandest views in Los Angeles County.
Mar Vista is considerably less densely populated than neighboring Palms, as its homeowners' associations successfully fended off the 1950s up-zoning
that changed much of Palms and West Los Angeles from suburb
an areas to renter-dominated urban neighborhoods. It should be noted, though, that some 60 percent of the district's residents live in rental housing, owing to the density of apartment buildings on thoroughfares like Venice Boulevard and Barrington Avenue.
In recent years, the escalating cost of real estate (even a 1,500 square foot (140 m2) 1940s tract house may go for upwards of $800,000) has led to a rise in the number of newly constructed Mediterranean Revival
-inspired houses on Mar Vista Hill. Nearby UCLA
maintains a large graduate student housing complex along Sawtelle Boulevard near National Boulevard, as well as a smaller housing block along the north side of Venice Boulevard between Inglewood and McLaughlin Avenues.
Current Los Angeles City Council
member Bill Rosendahl
resides in Mar Vista. He was elected in 2005 on a slow growth platform, motivated in large part by the concerns of Mar Vista residents over traffic congestion and lost views resulting from the Playa Vista
project.
The Pacific Electric Railway
"Red Car" streetcars ran along Venice and Culver Boulevards during the neighborhood's early years, but were shut down after World War II.
Mar Vista Tract, is designated as a Historic Preservation Overlay Zone
by the city of Los Angeles. This area, built immediately after World War II
, contains an abundance of excellently preserved mid-century modern
architecture.
In 2009, the Los Angeles Times
s "Mapping L.A." project supplied these Mar Vista statistics: population: 35,492; median household income: $62,611.
SPA 5 West Area Health Office serves Mar Vista.
operates Station 62, which serves a portion of Venice as well.
Los Angeles Police Department
operates the Pacific Division Police Station, serving the neighborhood.
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Residents are zoned to schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District
. The area is within Board District 4.
Elementary schools in the area include:
All residents are zoned to:
The area high school is Venice High School
.
Los Angeles Public Library
operates the Mar Vista Branch.
West Los Angeles (region)
The Los Angeles Westside is an urban region in western Los Angeles County, California, United States. It has no official definition, but, according to the Los Angeles Times, it comprises , encompassing 18 districts in the city of Los Angeles and two unincorporated neighborhoods, plus the cities of...
of Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
.
Geography and transportation
Mar Vista is near the center of LA's West SideWest Los Angeles (region)
The Los Angeles Westside is an urban region in western Los Angeles County, California, United States. It has no official definition, but, according to the Los Angeles Times, it comprises , encompassing 18 districts in the city of Los Angeles and two unincorporated neighborhoods, plus the cities of...
. The city of Santa Monica
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
lies to the northwest, West Los Angeles
West Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
West Los Angeles is a district in Los Angeles, California, within a larger region known as the "Westside."-Geography and transportation:...
to the north, Palms
Palms, Los Angeles, California
Palms is a community founded in 1886 in West Los Angeles, California, and was the oldest neighborhood annexed to the city of Los Angeles, in 1915. The 1886 tract was marketed as an agricultural and vacation community...
to the northeast, Culver City
Culver City, California
Culver City is a city in western Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 38,883, up from 38,816 at the 2000 census. It is mostly surrounded by the city of Los Angeles, but also shares a border with unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. Culver...
to the east, Del Rey
Del Rey, Los Angeles, California
Del Rey is a small district in the Westside of Los Angeles.-Geography and Transportation:Del Rey takes its name from the nearby Del Rey salt marshes, and sits on low ground on the banks of Ballona Creek...
to the southwest, and Venice
Venice, Los Angeles, California
Venice is a beachfront district on the Westside of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is known for its canals, beaches and circus-like Ocean Front Walk, a two-and-a-half mile pedestrian-only promenade that features performers, fortune-tellers, artists, and vendors...
to the west. Its approximate boundaries are the city limits of Culver City
Culver City, California
Culver City is a city in western Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 38,883, up from 38,816 at the 2000 census. It is mostly surrounded by the city of Los Angeles, but also shares a border with unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. Culver...
and the San Diego Freeway
Interstate 405 (California)
Interstate 405 is a major north–south Interstate Highway in Southern California. It is a bypass of Interstate 5, running along the western areas of the Greater Los Angeles Area from Irvine in the south to near San Fernando in the north...
(I-405
Interstate 405 (California)
Interstate 405 is a major north–south Interstate Highway in Southern California. It is a bypass of Interstate 5, running along the western areas of the Greater Los Angeles Area from Irvine in the south to near San Fernando in the north...
) on the northeast and southeast, Walgrove Avenue on the southwest, and the Santa Monica Municipal Airport and National Boulevard on the northwest. Major thoroughfares through the district include Washington Place; Palms, Venice, Sawtelle
Sawtelle Boulevard
Sawtelle Boulevard is a north/south street in Los Angeles, California of important cultural significance. Sawtelle Blvd's northern end is at Ohio Avenue adjacent to the Veteran Administration, and its southern end is at Overland Avenue, a few blocks past Sepulveda Boulevard...
, Inglewood, and Grand View Boulevards; McLaughlin, Barrington, Short, and Centinela
Centinela Avenue
Centinela Avenue is a street in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. It generally runs north/south, but also east/west, and is the prime thoroughfare for West Los Angeles, Mar Vista, and Culver City. Centinela Avenue is also a major road in Santa Monica, Ladera Heights, Baldwin Hills, and...
Avenues; and Beethoven Street. The district uses the 90066 ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
, which also serves an adjacent part of Culver City.
The Westdale
Westdale, Los Angeles, California
Westdale is a West Los Angeles neighborhood, which is represented on and by the Mar Vista Community Council. Its boundaries are National Blvd on the north, Palms Blvd on the south, Inglewood Blvd on the west, and Sawtelle Blvd on the east. There is also a neighborhood called North Westdale....
area of northern Mar Vista — the area bounded by Sawtelle Boulevard, National Boulevard, Bundy Drive, and Palms Boulevard — is a neighborhood within the bounds of the Mar Vista Community Council.
History
George McCune a Mormon real estate developer, developed the area, giving streets names including Wasach and Boise, and named the area Mar Vista. McCune tried to have the Los Angeles Temple built in the area.By the early 1920s the community (then called Ocean Park Heights) was growing rapidly and saw the potential for becoming an incorporated city. In 1924, the name of the community was changed from Ocean Park Heights to Mar Vista. In 1926, Mar Vistans decided not to incorporate, but rather to be annexed to Los Angeles. Mar Vista was influenced by the fact that two neighboring cities had voted for annexation to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, based on concern about water, and growing populations. Venice was annexed to Los Angeles in 1925, and Barnes City joined the metropolis in 1927.
The name Ocean Park Heights came from the first tract of homes built along the Venice Short Line. The tract, and the train station that served it shared the Ocean Park Heights name. This was 1904. Until 1907, the City of Venice was the City of Ocean Park. The City Hall of Ocean Park - subsequently the City Hall of Venice - was on Venice Blvd., now the Beyond Baroque Theater. Until 1907, the back country of Ocean Park with its 200-foot hill, was appropriately called Ocean Park Heights. It wasn't until 1924, that the then inappropriate name, was changed to Mar Vista.
By 1924, there were a number of tracts along Venice Blvd., and the names of several of them were proposed to replace Ocean Park Heights. These included Walnut Glen, Del Mar, Roseboro, and Hillcrest. There was a new tract north of Venice Blvd. and west of Centinela Avenue called New Mar Vista. The nearest Red Car station was named Mar Vista. After much debate, Mar Vista was selected as the name to replace Ocean Park Heights.
In 1924 Ocean Park Heights became Mar Vista, and in 1927 Mar Vista became part of the City of Los Angeles. The area annexed to Los Angeles extended north from Washington Blvd. to Pico Blvd. and from Walgrove east to Overland. Most of this area was farmland. The major crop was lima beans, which could be dry farmed. Mar Vista became known as being in the Lima Bean Belt of the Nation.
By 1912, there were four large tracts that made up Ocean Park Heights. The original Ocean Park Heights tract included Ocean View, Grand View and Mountain View streets. The East Ocean Park Tract was south of Venice Blvd. between Centinela Avenue and Inglewood Blvd. The tract east of Inglewood Avenue, which includes the new fire station and extends east to McLaughlin was Tract 928. It is the Oval tract. West of Centinela on the south side of Venice Blvd. was the Del Mar Tract. Grand View was the widest street in Los Angeles County, and the first gated community. The wide street allowed horse drawn carriages to make a u-turn, as the street dead ended at Charnock Road. The top of the hill was a dump - a dump site with the grandest views in Los Angeles County.
Neighborhood
Mar Vista is an economically diverse neighborhood of apartment buildings and single-family homes. The hilly areas near its border with Santa Monica, whose spectacular ocean views give Mar Vista its name, hold some of the most expensive land in the community.Mar Vista is considerably less densely populated than neighboring Palms, as its homeowners' associations successfully fended off the 1950s up-zoning
Zoning
Zoning is a device of land use planning used by local governments in most developed countries. The word is derived from the practice of designating permitted uses of land based on mapped zones which separate one set of land uses from another...
that changed much of Palms and West Los Angeles from suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
an areas to renter-dominated urban neighborhoods. It should be noted, though, that some 60 percent of the district's residents live in rental housing, owing to the density of apartment buildings on thoroughfares like Venice Boulevard and Barrington Avenue.
In recent years, the escalating cost of real estate (even a 1,500 square foot (140 m2) 1940s tract house may go for upwards of $800,000) has led to a rise in the number of newly constructed Mediterranean Revival
Mediterranean Revival Style architecture
The Mediterranean Revival was an eclectic design style that was first introduced in the United States about the end of the nineteenth century, and became popular during the 1920s and 1930s...
-inspired houses on Mar Vista Hill. Nearby UCLA
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
maintains a large graduate student housing complex along Sawtelle Boulevard near National Boulevard, as well as a smaller housing block along the north side of Venice Boulevard between Inglewood and McLaughlin Avenues.
Current Los Angeles City Council
Los Angeles City Council
The Los Angeles City Council is the governing body of the City of Los Angeles.The Council is composed of fifteen members elected from single-member districts for four-year terms. The president of the council and the president pro tempore are chosen by the Council at the first regular meeting after...
member Bill Rosendahl
Bill Rosendahl
William Joseph "Bill" Rosendahl is an American politician. He is serving on the Los Angeles City Council, representing Council District 11. He is a member of the Democratic Party.-Biography:...
resides in Mar Vista. He was elected in 2005 on a slow growth platform, motivated in large part by the concerns of Mar Vista residents over traffic congestion and lost views resulting from the Playa Vista
Playa Vista, Los Angeles, California
Playa Vista is a neighborhood located located on in the northern section of Westchester in the western area of Los Angeles, California, north of LAX...
project.
The Pacific Electric Railway
Pacific Electric Railway
The Pacific Electric Railway , also known as the Red Car system, was a mass transit system in Southern California using streetcars, light rail, and buses...
"Red Car" streetcars ran along Venice and Culver Boulevards during the neighborhood's early years, but were shut down after World War II.
Gregory Ain Mar Vista Tract
A portion of north-central Mar Vista, the Gregory AinGregory Ain
Gregory Ain was an American architect active in the mid-20th century. Working primarily in the Los Angeles area, Ain is best known for bringing elements of modern architecture to lower- and medium-cost housing.- Biography :...
Mar Vista Tract, is designated as a Historic Preservation Overlay Zone
City of Los Angeles' Historic Preservation Overlay Zones
The city of Los Angeles, California has been hailed by historic preservation advocates for its pioneering Historic Preservation Overlay Zone program, which designates not just buildings but entire neighborhoods or districts as worthy of historic preservation...
by the city of Los Angeles. This area, built immediately after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, contains an abundance of excellently preserved mid-century modern
Mid-century modern
Mid-Century modern is an architectural, interior and product design form that generally describes mid-20th century developments in modern design, architecture, and urban development from roughly 1933 to 1965...
architecture.
Demographics
Including the small portion of Culver City within its boundaries, ZIP 90066 had a population of 55,194 as of the U.S. Census of 2000. Racial composition was 60.8% white, 4.1% black, 1% Native American, 13.5% Asian or Pacific Islander, 15.2% some other race, and 5.5% two or more races; 33.2% of respondents of all races claimed Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. Per capita income was $26,532 and median family income was $51,822; 9.7% of families and 13.9% of individuals were below the federal poverty line.In 2009, the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
s "Mapping L.A." project supplied these Mar Vista statistics: population: 35,492; median household income: $62,611.
County, state and federal representation
The Los Angeles County Department of Health ServicesLos Angeles County Department of Health Services
Health services to over 10 million residents in the Los Angeles County are provided by the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Mental health services are provided by the County Department of Mental Health...
SPA 5 West Area Health Office serves Mar Vista.
Parks and recreation
The Mar Vista Recreation Center has an auditorium, barbecue pits, an unlighted baseball diamond, lighted indoor basketball courts, lighted outdoor basketball courts, a children's play area, an indoor gymnasium without weights, an outdoor roller hockey rink, picnic tables, a lighted tennis court, an outdoor pool and a lighted volleyball court.Other
- The Mar Vista Philharmonic - the band of Arthur BarrowArthur BarrowArthur Barrow is a multi-instrumental musician, best known for his stint as a bass guitar player for Frank Zappa in the late 1970s and early 1980s.-Early life:...
, Frank ZappaFrank ZappaFrank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
alumni.
Emergency services
The Los Angeles Fire DepartmentLos Angeles Fire Department
The Los Angeles Fire Department is the agency that provides fire protection and emergency medical services for the city of Los Angeles....
operates Station 62, which serves a portion of Venice as well.
Los Angeles Police Department
Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
operates the Pacific Division Police Station, serving the neighborhood.
Education
Los Angeles Unified School District
Los Angeles Unified School District is the largest public school system in California. It is the 2nd largest public school district in the United States. Only the New York City Department of Education has a larger student population...
. The area is within Board District 4.
Elementary schools in the area include:
- Beethoven Elementary School
- Grand View Boulevard Elementary School
- Mar Vista Elementary School
- Walgrove Elementary School
All residents are zoned to:
- Mark Twain Middle School
- Daniel Webster Middle School
The area high school is Venice High School
Venice High School (Los Angeles)
Venice High School is a public high school located in western Los Angeles, California within the Los Angeles Unified School District . The school contains a Foreign Language and International Studies Magnet, Bilingual Business and Finance Academy and a New Media Academy...
.
Los Angeles Public Library
Los Angeles Public Library
The Los Angeles Public Library system serves the residents of Los Angeles, California, United States. With over 6 million volumes, LAPL is one of the largest publicly funded library systems in the world. The system is overseen by a Board of Library Commissioners with five members appointed by the...
operates the Mar Vista Branch.
External links
- Mar Vista profile at Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....