Playa Vista / Westchester

PlayaVista —

Born over the past 20 years, at the conclusion of decades-long disputes over the settlement of the Howard Hughes estate and the fate of the Ballona Wetlands.   In the end, the open property east of Lincoln was set aside to develop a completely new community, from scratch (Playa Vista), and the property west of Lincoln was protected and set aside as permanent wildlife wetlands.

The resulting town of Playa Vista built east of Lincoln is literally just completing this year, with hundreds of townhomes, condos and single family residences, along with its own village and business district securely within the center of all the new development.

This is one of the only areas on the “Westside” where one can purchase ‘new’ construction and is attracting many of the high-tech ventures moving to Los Angeles from Silicon Valley, thus earning the “Westside” the new nickname: “Silicon Beach”.

Westchester —

Just up the hill from Playa Vista, Westchester is home to Loyola Marymount University and, like Mar Vista, is one step less expensive than its neighboring communities, which makes Westchester a  ‘value choice’ for Silicon Beach execs wanting a little more home in exchange for a short drive and slight airplane activity (Westchester abuts LAX and very occasionally noticeable).

Schools

School district boundaries may modify annually.  Don’t rely on maps, neighbors, etc. go straight to the source, the school district. When you are excited about a specific property, call that school district directly and verify the property is indeed a section of their territory. Ensure that the particular schools you desire are exclusive for that exact home. Don’t depend on a map, which might be outdated.

Links to school district websites and national education sites:

Los Angeles Unified School District – Playa Vista  –  Los Angeles Unified School District – Westchester

Welcome to GreatSchools  –  Support Their Educational Journeys

Dining and Shopping

Searching for Sushi, Seafood, Italian, Spanish, or just a delightful family restaurant, maybe top it off with a specialty coffee?  Playa Vista and Westchester have it all and more…  Playa Vista Dining

What about the shopping – how about Westchester Town Center to start, then hit the boutiques in the area.  Westchester Town Center

Entertainment

Summer nights of concerts, movies, are just a few activities in the Playa Vista / Westchester area.  Click on the link for more information.  Events in the area.

Parks and Recreation

There are so many options to consider – Playa Vista Central Park, Westchester Skate Plaza. Westchester Kids Activities, or Westchester Recreation Center.  Let us not forget areas our favorite members of the family – Playa Visa Dog Park or Oberrieder Dog park, to name a few.