The history of a neighborhood plays a vital part in the identity of its residents. If you have lived in the neighborhood for many years, the neighborhood history is a heartfelt reminder of days gone by. Taking its name from the nearby Del Rey salt marshes, the Westside community of Del Rey is bordered by Culver City to the east and north, Lincoln Boulevard to the west, and Jefferson Boulevard (as well as the emerging community of Playa Vista) to the south. The use of the name Del Rey dates back at least to 1903 when Department of City Planning maps identified Del Rey as one of nine divisions of the West Los Angeles Planning Commission. I In the early decades of the 20th century, Del Rey was an agricultural community, dotted by dairy farms and fields of produce, but Los Angeles' continual growth and the arrival of Hughes Aircraft in the 1940's contributed to the steady urbanization of the area. Today, Del Rey is a largely residential community, dominated by single-story homes built during the post-war boom of the late 1940s early 1950s. Locateda mere two miles from the beach, Del Rey is generally regarded as the most affordable neighborhood on Los Angeles' Westside. Alone among Westside communities, Del Rey has a Hispanic plurality. It is also one of the most ethnically diverse, containing East Indian, Fijan and Hawaiian communities within its borders. Del Rey is home to Mar Vista Gardens. Operated by the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles, the Gardens, with its 600 apartments, is the westernmost community in the HACLA system. Its largely Hispanic population is served by the Mar Vista Family Center, The Westside Children's Center and St. Gerard Majella Catholic Church, which holds community swap meets and fairs on a regular basic. A vibrant Janpanese-American community also contributes to Del Rey's multi-ethnic mix. After Worlld War II, the Venice Janpanese Community Center (located squarely in Del Rey in spite of its name) served as a relocation center for Japanese Americans returning from the internment camps. Today, the Center offers more than 30 clubs and classes ranging from traditional Japanese arts such as "ikebana: (flower arrangement) to contemporary, youth-oriented activities such as basketball. Ballona Creek is one of Del Rey's most distinctive physical features and the well-used bicycle path running alongside the creek provides local residents with easy access to the beach. Del Reyans have a second bike path they can and do enjoy- the Culver City Median path. Staring at McConnell Blvd. in the heart of Del Rey, the path heads east inot neighboring Culver City, ending at Overland Blvd. The Median path, which also includes a pedestrian walkway, provides the neighborhood with badly needed and greatly appreciated green space. While the name Del Rey predates the development of Playa del Rey and Marina del Rey, until recently relatively few locals used the term to identify their neighborhood. The U.S. Postal Service contributes to the problem. As far as the post office is concerned, more than one third of our residents - those with a 90230 zip code-- live in Culver City and must list that municipality as their address to receive mail. There is, however, a burgeoning sense of community identity within Del Rey. Close to the beach, close to LAX (but not too close), ethnically varied and relatively affordable, Del Rey May be the most interesting neighborhood most Angelinos have never heard of. We hope the installation of neighborhood signs will help give Del Rey the same name recognition as the adjacent communities of Venice, Mar Vista and Playa Vista. If you have just come to call the neighborhood home, it is a way to learn more about the new community you have joined. We would love nothing more than to be able to share the history of neighborhood name with all who reside there. If you are interested in writing a brief history of the neighborhood to share with the community, please contact us! |
- Del Rey HistoryTaking its name from the nearby Del Rey salt marshes, the Westside community of Del Rey is bordered by Culver City to the east & north, Lincoln Blvd. to the west and Jefferson Blvd. (as well as the emerging community of Playa Vista) to the south. The use of the name Del Rey dates back to 1903 when Department of City Planning maps identified Del Rey as one of the nine divisions of the West Los Angeles Planning Commission.
In the early decades of the 20th century, Del Rey was an agricultural community, dotted by dairy farms & fields of produce, but Los Angeles' continual growth & the arrival of Hughes Aircraft in the 1940s contributed to the steady urbanization of the area.
Today, Del Rey is a largely residential community, dominated by single-story homes built during the post-war boom of the late 1940s and early 1950s. Located a mere two miles from the beach, Del Rey is generally regarded as the most affordable neighborhood on Los Angeles' Westside. It is one of the most ethnically diverse, containing East Indian, Fijian, Japanese, Hispanic and Hawaiian communities.
Del Rey is home to Mar Vista Gardens. Operated by the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles, the Gardens, with its 600 apartments, is the westernmost community in the HACLA system. Its largely Hispanic population is served by the Mar Vista Family Center, the Westside Children's Center and St. Gerard Majella Catholic Church, which holds community swap meets and fairs regularly.
A vibrant Japanese-American community also contributes to Del Rey's multi-ethnic mix. After World War II, the Venice Japanese Community Center (located squarely in Del Rey in spite of its name) served as a relocation center for Japanese Americans returning from the internment camps. Today, the Center offers more than 30 clubs and classes ranging from traditional Japanese arts such as 'ikebana' (flower arrangement) to contemporary, youth-oriented activities such as basketball.
Ballona Creek is one of Del Rey's most distinctive physical features and the well-used bicycle path running alongside the creek provides local residents with easy access to the beach. Del Reyans have a second bike path they can and do enjoy- The Culver City Median Path. Starting at McConnell Blvd. in the heart of Del Rey, the path heads east into neighboring Culver City, ending at Overland Blvd. The Median path, which also includes a pedestrian walkway, provides the neighborhood with badly needed and greatly appreciated green space.
While the name Del Rey predates the development of Playa del Rey and Marina del Rey, until recently relatively few locals used the term to identify their neighborhood. The U.S. Postal Service contributes to the problem. As far as the post office is concerned, more than one third of residents- those with a 90230 zip code- live in Culver City and must list that municipality as their address to receive mail.
There is, however, a burgeoning sense of community identity within Del Rey. Close to the beach, close to LAX (but not too close!), ethnically varied and relatively affordable, Del Rey may be the most interesting neighborhood many Angelinos have never heard of. We hope installation of additional neighborhood signs will help give Del Rey the same name recognition as the adjacent communities of Venice, Mar Vista and Playa Vista.
