Playa del Rey, Los Angeles, California
Encyclopedia
Playa del Rey is a beachside community within the city of Los Angeles, California
. It has a ZIP code
of 90293 and area codes of 310 and 424. As of 2005, the district's population was estimated at 8,600.
) which slopes gradually uphill north to the Santa Monica Mountains
. The rolling hills are the result of ancient, wind-blown, compacted sand dune
s which rise up to 125 feet above sea level, with one prominent, steep dune running parallel to the coast, from Playa del Rey, all the way south to Palos Verdes
.
The community is bordered by the Pacific Ocean
to the west, Marina del Rey
and Ballona Creek
to the north, Playa Vista
to the northeast, Westchester
to the east, and El Segundo
to the south.
The northern part was originally wetland
s, but the natural flooding was halted by the concrete channel which contains Ballona Creek. Before 1824, the harbor was the mouth of the Los Angeles River, before its course shifted to its current outlet at San Pedro. A bridge between Playa Del Rey and the jetty between Ballona Creek and the Marina is accessible to foot traffic and bicycle traffic, but not to automobiles. Bikers, skaters and joggers probably have the best chance of traversing the sidewalks of the beaches north to Santa Monica, and to the South Bay, here at this bridge. Both UCLA
and LMU
have crew
teams that practice on the Ballona Creek channel.
In the 1870s, Playa Del Rey was the location of the first attempt at a dredged harbor in Santa Monica Bay. Under contract with the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad, Moye Wicks' syndicate spent $300,000 to dredge "Ballona Harbor", for shipping to the Orient. Within three years, winter waves brought flooding, but what remained of man's early efforts became the Playa Del Rey Lagoon, now a regional public park.
Development of Playa del Rey surged in 1928 with the building of the Del Rey Hills neighborhood in what is now the southern part of the community and move of then Loyola University
to nearby Westchester. The area was the last stretch of coastal land in the city of Los Angeles to be developed.
A large portion of Playa del Rey is now vacant, and homes were destroyed, after the expansion of Los Angeles International Airport
(LAX) brought increased flight traffic. The noise from the flights made it less desirable to live on the dunes above the ocean under the LAX flight path. LAX bought the southern section of Playa del Rey under the power of eminent domain
, eventually numbering 4,400 homes. Today one can see only barbed-wire fences protecting vacant land and old streets where houses once sat. Recent LAX rejuvenation plans call for the city to finally remove the old streets that still line the empty neighborhood once known as Palisades del Rey
. The condemned areas of the community are now a protected habitat of the endangered El Segundo blue butterfly
.
Playa del Rey in the 1950s and early 1960s was known as a great Los Angeles area "surfing
spot", but due to the many rock jetties
that were built to prevent beach erosion, the good surf is mostly gone. The beach at the northernmost end of Playa del Rey is still known as "Toes Over Beach", "Toes Beach" or just "Toes" by the local surfing community, a name derived from the toes over or Hang Ten
surfing maneuver. Most surfers now flock south of Dockweiler Beach
, to "El Porto
", the most northern part of beach in the city of Manhattan Beach
. The lifeguard and park services are uniform across the entire twenty-mile stretch of beach.
One danger for beachgoers is the uncontrolled water runoff from the creek, and the occasional overflow from the giant Hyperion treatment plant
to the south.
Locals refer to the small area of housing south of Culver Boulevard and closest to the beach as The Jungle, a nickname given to a group of closely built apartments built in 1956, within the bounding streets Trolley Place and Trolleyway Street on its east and west respectively, and including the streets Fowling, Rees, Sunridge and Surf. The small sidewalks between homes had/have deep green overgrowth, which added to the name.
In 2009, the Los Angeles Times
s "Mapping L.A." project supplied these Playa del Rey statistics: population: 9,755; median household income: $91,339.
According to data from the Los Angeles Times
s "Mapping L.A." project, the demographics are White (72.6%), Asian
(7.7%), African American
(3.9%), Latino
(10.0%) and Other (5.8%).
Station 5 (Westchester/LAX Area) is in the area.
Los Angeles Police Department
operates the Pacific Community Police Station at 12312 Culver Boulevard, 90066, serving the neighborhood.
The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services
SPA 5 West Area Health Office serves Playa del Rey.
. The area is within Board District 4. As of 2009 Steve Zimmer represents the district.
Area schools include
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...
. It has a 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...
of 90293 and area codes of 310 and 424. As of 2005, the district's population was estimated at 8,600.
Geography
Playa del Rey lies beneath the Del Rey Hills, also known as the Westchester Bluffs on a flood plain (until 1824, the mouth of the Los Angeles RiverLos Angeles River
The Los Angeles River is a river that starts in the San Fernando Valley, in the Simi Hills and Santa Susana Mountains, and flows through Los Angeles County, California, from Canoga Park in the western end of the San Fernando Valley, nearly southeast to its mouth in Long Beach...
) which slopes gradually uphill north to the Santa Monica Mountains
Santa Monica Mountains
The Santa Monica Mountains are a Transverse Range in Southern California, along the coast of the Pacific Ocean in the United States.-Geography:...
. The rolling hills are the result of ancient, wind-blown, compacted sand dune
Dune
In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by wind. Dunes occur in different forms and sizes, formed by interaction with the wind. Most kinds of dunes are longer on the windward side where the sand is pushed up the dune and have a shorter "slip face" in the lee of the wind...
s which rise up to 125 feet above sea level, with one prominent, steep dune running parallel to the coast, from Playa del Rey, all the way south to Palos Verdes
Palos Verdes
Palos Verdes is a name often used to refer to a group of coastal cities in the Palos Verdes Hills on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, within southwestern Los Angeles County in the U.S...
.
The community is bordered by the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
to the west, Marina del Rey
Marina del Rey, California
-Demographics:-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Marina del Rey had a population of 8,866. The population density was 6,094.6 people per square mile...
and Ballona Creek
Ballona Creek
Ballona Creek is an waterway in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, whose watershed drains the Los Angeles basin, from the Santa Monica Mountains on the north, the Harbor Freeway on the east, and the Baldwin Hills on the south...
to the north, 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...
to the northeast, Westchester
Westchester, Los Angeles, California
Westchester is a suburban neighborhood in western Los Angeles, California, United States. It is home to Los Angeles International Airport , Loyola Marymount University , and Otis College of Art and Design.-Geography:...
to the east, and El Segundo
El Segundo, California
El Segundo is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located on the Santa Monica Bay, it was incorporated on January 18, 1917, and is one of the Beach Cities of Los Angeles County and part of the South Bay Cities Council of Governments...
to the south.
History
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
s, but the natural flooding was halted by the concrete channel which contains Ballona Creek. Before 1824, the harbor was the mouth of the Los Angeles River, before its course shifted to its current outlet at San Pedro. A bridge between Playa Del Rey and the jetty between Ballona Creek and the Marina is accessible to foot traffic and bicycle traffic, but not to automobiles. Bikers, skaters and joggers probably have the best chance of traversing the sidewalks of the beaches north to Santa Monica, and to the South Bay, here at this bridge. Both 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...
and LMU
Loyola Marymount University
Loyola Marymount University is a comprehensive co-educational private Roman Catholic university in the Jesuit and Marymount traditions located in Los Angeles, California, United States...
have crew
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
teams that practice on the Ballona Creek channel.
In the 1870s, Playa Del Rey was the location of the first attempt at a dredged harbor in Santa Monica Bay. Under contract with the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad, Moye Wicks' syndicate spent $300,000 to dredge "Ballona Harbor", for shipping to the Orient. Within three years, winter waves brought flooding, but what remained of man's early efforts became the Playa Del Rey Lagoon, now a regional public park.
Development of Playa del Rey surged in 1928 with the building of the Del Rey Hills neighborhood in what is now the southern part of the community and move of then Loyola University
Loyola Marymount University
Loyola Marymount University is a comprehensive co-educational private Roman Catholic university in the Jesuit and Marymount traditions located in Los Angeles, California, United States...
to nearby Westchester. The area was the last stretch of coastal land in the city of Los Angeles to be developed.
A large portion of Playa del Rey is now vacant, and homes were destroyed, after the expansion of Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport is the primary airport serving the Greater Los Angeles Area, the second-most populated metropolitan area in the United States. It is most often referred to by its IATA airport code LAX, with the letters pronounced individually...
(LAX) brought increased flight traffic. The noise from the flights made it less desirable to live on the dunes above the ocean under the LAX flight path. LAX bought the southern section of Playa del Rey under the power of eminent domain
Eminent domain
Eminent domain , compulsory purchase , resumption/compulsory acquisition , or expropriation is an action of the state to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or seize a citizen's rights in property with due monetary compensation, but without the owner's consent...
, eventually numbering 4,400 homes. Today one can see only barbed-wire fences protecting vacant land and old streets where houses once sat. Recent LAX rejuvenation plans call for the city to finally remove the old streets that still line the empty neighborhood once known as Palisades del Rey
Palisades del Rey, California
Palisades del Rey is a former settlement in Los Angeles County, California. It lay at an elevation of 135 feet ....
. The condemned areas of the community are now a protected habitat of the endangered El Segundo blue butterfly
El Segundo blue butterfly
El Segundo Blue is a butterfly local to a small dune ecosystem in Southern California that used to be a community called Palisades del Rey, close to the Los Angeles International Airport . It is a federally designated endangered species. The El Segundo Blue Butterfly Habitat Preserve next to LAX...
.
Playa del Rey in the 1950s and early 1960s was known as a great Los Angeles area "surfing
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
spot", but due to the many rock jetties
Jetty
A jetty is any of a variety of structures used in river, dock, and maritime works that are generally carried out in pairs from river banks, or in continuation of river channels at their outlets into deep water; or out into docks, and outside their entrances; or for forming basins along the...
that were built to prevent beach erosion, the good surf is mostly gone. The beach at the northernmost end of Playa del Rey is still known as "Toes Over Beach", "Toes Beach" or just "Toes" by the local surfing community, a name derived from the toes over or Hang Ten
Hang Ten
Hanging Ten is a surfing maneuver and is considered one of the most impressive and iconic stunts one can perform with a surfboard. Hanging ten is when the surfer positions the surfboard in such a way that the back of it is covered by the wave and the wave rider is free to walk to the front of the...
surfing maneuver. Most surfers now flock south of Dockweiler Beach
Dockweiler State Beach
Dockweiler State Beach is a Los Angeles beach protected under the state park system. Part of the park is located directly under the flight path of the immediately adjacent Los Angeles International Airport. Additionally, it is one of the few beaches in Los Angeles County where bonfires are permitted...
, to "El Porto
El Porto, Manhattan Beach, California
El Porto is a beach community that is part of Manhattan Beach, a city in the South Bay area of Greater Los Angeles in Southern California.The boundary of El Porto is 45th Street on the north side, which is the border with El Segundo, and its Chevron oil refinery, to 38th Street, which was the old...
", the most northern part of beach in the city of Manhattan Beach
Manhattan Beach, California
Manhattan Beach is the wealthiest beachfront city located in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, USA. The city is on the Pacific coast, south of El Segundo, and north of Hermosa Beach. Manhattan Beach is the home of both beach and indoor volleyball, and surfing. During the winter, the...
. The lifeguard and park services are uniform across the entire twenty-mile stretch of beach.
One danger for beachgoers is the uncontrolled water runoff from the creek, and the occasional overflow from the giant Hyperion treatment plant
Hyperion sewage treatment plant
The Hyperion Wastewater Treatment plant is located in southwest Los Angeles, California, next to Dockweiler State Beach on Santa Monica Bay. The largest wastewater treatment facility in the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area, Hyperion is operated by the City of Los Angeles, Department of Public Works,...
to the south.
Locals refer to the small area of housing south of Culver Boulevard and closest to the beach as The Jungle, a nickname given to a group of closely built apartments built in 1956, within the bounding streets Trolley Place and Trolleyway Street on its east and west respectively, and including the streets Fowling, Rees, Sunridge and Surf. The small sidewalks between homes had/have deep green overgrowth, which added to the name.
Demographics
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 Playa del Rey statistics: population: 9,755; median household income: $91,339.
According to data from 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, the demographics are White (72.6%), Asian
Asian people
Asian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...
(7.7%), African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
(3.9%), Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
(10.0%) and Other (5.8%).
Economy
The vast majority of land in Playa del Rey is zoned for residential purposes only. Only portions of Manchester Blvd, Pershing Drive and Culver Blvd have businesses—mainly restaurants and a pharmacy—and offices mixed in with residential buildings.Government and infrastructure
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....
Station 5 (Westchester/LAX Area) is in the area.
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 Community Police Station at 12312 Culver Boulevard, 90066, serving the neighborhood.
The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services
Los 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 Playa del Rey.
Education
Playa del Rey is within the Los Angeles Unified School DistrictLos 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. As of 2009 Steve Zimmer represents the district.
Area schools include
- Paseo del Rey Natural Science Magnet (K-5)
- Choice of Loyola Village Elementary School or Kentwood Elementary School and (1-5)
- Orville Wright Middle School (6-8)
- Westchester High SchoolWestchester High School (Los Angeles)Westchester High School is a public high school in the Los Angeles Unified School District, Local District 3.It is located in Westchester , USA, a suburban neighborhood adjacent to Los Angeles International Airport and bordered by Playa Vista to the north, Inglewood to the east, El Segundo to the...
(9-12) - St. Bernard High SchoolSt. Bernard High School (Los Angeles, California)St. Bernard High School is a four-year coeducational Catholic high school located in Playa Del Rey, California, which is in the West Los Angeles area...
is a private school in the area. Del Rey Christian Children's Center is a private preschool.
Notable residents/natives
- Mel BlancMel BlancMelvin Jerome "Mel" Blanc was an American voice actor and comedian. Although he began his nearly six-decade-long career performing in radio commercials, Blanc is best remembered for his work with Warner Bros...
, voice actor, comedian, and musician. In the 1940s he resided on Ellen Ave., now absorbed by LAX - Jerry BussJerry BussGerald Hatten "Jerry" Buss Ph.D., M.S. is an American businessman, real estate investor, and a former chemist. He is the majority owner of the Los Angeles Lakers professional basketball team along with other professional sports franchises in Southern California...
, owner of the Los Angeles Lakers - Dawn RobinsonDawn RobinsonDawn Robinson is an American R&B/soul/Dance-pop singer best known for her work as a member of hit Urban/Dance-pop group, En Vogue....
, original member of supergroupSuperGroupSuperGroup is a 2006 reality show on VH1 that follows five well-known hard rock and heavy metal musicians over a 12-day period where they live together in a Las Vegas mansion in order to create, plan and perform a live show together...
En VogueEn VogueEn Vogue is an American female R&B vocal group from Oakland, California assembled by music producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy.The group has won more MTV Video Music Awards than any other female group in MTV history, a total of seven, along with four Soul Train Awards, six American Music...
. - Phil JacksonPhil JacksonPhilip Douglas "Phil" Jackson is a retired American professional basketball coach and player. Jackson is widely considered one of the greatest coaches in the history of the National Basketball Association . His reputation was established as head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 1989 through 1998;...
, former coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. - Anissa JonesAnissa JonesMary Anissa Jones was an American child actress known for her role as Buffy on the CBS sitcom Family Affair. She died from combined drug intoxication at the age of 18.-Early years:...
actress - Tara ReidTara ReidTara Donna Reid is an American actress. Reid has acted on television shows such as Saved By The Bell: The New Class, Days of our Lives, California Dreams, and Scrubs....
actress - Carmen TwillieCarmen Twillie (actress)Carmen Twillie is a studio singer and actress. She is a long time friend of Tommy Morgan and has appeared as guest soloist with Morgan's choir. She is best known for singing the Elton John and Tim Rice song "Circle of Life" in the 1994 Disney animated feature The Lion King...
, actress/singer - Donda West, late mother of hip-hop artist Kanye WestKanye WestKanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
. - Anthony Michael HallAnthony Michael HallMichael Anthony Hall , known professionally as Anthony Michael Hall, is an American actor, film producer and director who starred in several teen-oriented films of the 1980s. Hall began his career in commercials and on stage as a child, and made his screen debut in 1980...
actor - Benny MardonesBenny MardonesBenny Mardones is an American pop singer and songwriter who is best known for his hit single "Into the Night", which hit the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart twice, in 1980 and again in 1989.-Career:...
, singer songwriter
External links
- Playa del Rey Neighbors http://groups.google.com/group/PDRN
- Los Angeles' Ghost Town
- http://www.amazon.com/Beach-King-History-Westchester-California/dp/1449984177
- http://www.amazon.com/Playa-Del-Rey-California-Dukesherer/dp/145051524X/ref=pd_sim_b_2
- http://www.playa.ws