Mar Vista

Mar Vista, “sea view,” was annexed to Los Angeles in the 1920s and filled with post-war housing for aircraft and defense workers in the 1940s and 1950s. Gregory Ain’s 1948 modernist tract on Meier and Moore streets is a historic preservation zone, and the neighborhood has kept a low-rise, residential character while the areas around it densified.

The neighborhood centers on Venice Boulevard and the Mar Vista Hill south of it, where the streets climb toward Palms and the views open toward the ocean and the Santa Monica Mountains. Grand View Boulevard, Centinela Avenue and Inglewood Boulevard are the main north–south streets.

Most streets carry 1940s and 1950s ranch houses and bungalows on lots of about 5,000 to 7,000 square feet. A large share have been expanded or replaced with new two-story homes, which has pushed prices well above what the original houses suggest. The Mar Vista Hill streets south of Venice Boulevard carry the highest prices for their views and larger lots.

Condos and apartments are concentrated along Venice, Washington and Centinela and near the 405. Buyers compare Mar Vista with Culver City and Westchester for value, and with Venice and Santa Monica for a quieter alternative.

Los Angeles Unified School District serves the neighborhood, with Mar Vista, Grand View, Walgrove and Beethoven elementary schools in or near the area, Mark Twain Middle School and Venice High School. Boundaries follow streets, so check a specific address with the district.

The 405 runs along the east edge and the 10 is a few minutes north, with Venice and Washington boulevards carrying traffic west to the beach and east to Culver City. The Expo Line stations at Bundy and Sepulveda are on the northern edge, and the Ballona Creek bike path runs from the southern edge to Marina del Rey.