Welcome to West Los Angeles
Containing the sunny areas of Brentwood, Santa Monica, Venice, and Marina del Rey, the greater West Los Angeles area has so much to offer its residents. Those in the know live along the residential streets between Santa Monica and Pico boulevards, placing them close to the iconic Apple Pan, a beloved diner around since 1947, shopping in Santa Monica, Venice Beach, and more.
With a personality ranging from eclectic (Venice) to casually elegant (Santa Monica), West Los Angeles is just busy enough, with conveniences at your fingertips, yet with a decidedly relaxed atmosphere. This is where many celebrities come to live, particularly in Venice and Brentwood, a place where life away from the set can feel peaceful.
What to Love
World-class museums, dining, and shopping
- Proximity to the beach
- Suburban feel close to city conveniences
- Close-knit community
Local Lifestyle
When you’re talking about West Los Angeles, you’re talking about several communities. Let’s break it down. Brentwood is the place to be for a community feel. Loyal residents and families flock to the neighborhood’s small, local businesses and even a few high-end restaurants and lounges.
If it’s the beach you’re after, join your neighbors in Santa Monica or Venice. As LA’s premier beach community, Santa Monica boasts a fun and festive ocean pier, an artsy ambiance, and the pedestrian-friendly Third Street Promenade, brimming with shops and restaurants. There’s a bit of both chaos and beauty here in one of LA’s most affluent communities, where you can shop for high-end fashion, then head into tucked-away eateries like Cha Cha Chicken. Venice boasts the Ocean Front Walk, where you’ll find skater teens, fortune tellers, street musicians, pick-up basketball games, dive bars, and exciting restaurants.
Care to go a bit quieter? Consider Marina del Rey, just south of Venice. This upscale waterside neighborhood has its own man-made harbor for small craft and therefore offers a wide array of boating opportunities, from fishing trips and harbor tours to dinner cruises and private sailing charters.
Dining
With several communities comprising West Los Angeles, you’ll find the taste you’re craving on any given night. We love A.O.C., a pioneering wine bar opened by James Beard Award-winning chef Suzanne Goin and celebrated restaurateur Caroline Styne. Pair a glass of excellent wine with market-driven small plates such as the farmer’s plate (roasted veggies, muhammara and chickpea puree, burrata, and grilled toast) or the charcuterie board of pork rillettes and assorted salumi. Save room for the apple fritters.
Head to Gjelina’s in Venice for pizzas, pasta, vegetables, charcuterie, and Mediterranean-influenced meat dishes. Do not leave without trying the rich and buttery mushroom toast, one of the most beloved and uniquely Gjelina items on the menu. Get your fill of kabobs and other skewered meat at Taste of Tehran - chicken, lamb, beef or just get the Tehran plate special and try them all!
Rustic Canyon grew from a series of dinners the founder held in his family’s tree-nestled home in its namesake canyon. These monthly gatherings to enjoy food, wine, and each other extended into today’s Michelin-starred, neighborhood eatery. The menu changes often to reflect market-inspired dishes with the best ingredients sourced from local farmers, ranchers, and fishermen. Save room for dessert – pastry chef Erika Chan was named Michelin’s Outstanding California Pastry Chef in 2021.
Things to Do
Shop? Hit the beach? Attend a music festival? Hike? Do it all or pick your favorite when you live in West Los Angeles. Spend a leisurely Saturday biking The Strand in Santa Monica. The bike path starts at Will Rogers State Beach and travels through all of the South Bay beach communities, as well as past Marina del Rey harbor and King Harbor at Redondo Beach. As you pass through Santa Monica, hop-off and discover the pier, one of LA’s most enduring landmarks, or meet the sea creatures at the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium.
In a neighborhood where there’s always something going on, the annual Abbot Kinney Festival in Venice is one of the perennial favorites. World-famous Abbot Kinney Boulevard has been called the coolest block in America by GQ Magazine, and it’s easy to soak up its splendor as you peruse eclectic boutiques, dine at artisanal eateries, stop for a spell at the beer gardens and let the kids giggle over carnival rides and games. It takes place every September on the last Sunday of the month.
Join friends at the Annenberg Beach House, with beautiful views, a splash pad, a playground, beach courts and fields, community and cultural events, a historic summer swimming pool, and more. Get outside at Will Rodgers State Park, where you can go horseback riding, hike on one of eight pretty hiking trails, catch a polo game, watch a movie in the park or tour the ranch house.
Schools
West Los Angeles is home to several excellent schools. Top educational opportunities include:
- Nora Sterry Elementary School, K-5, highly rated public elementary school
- New West Charter School, 6-12, highly rated public charter school
- Citizens of the World Charter School Mar Vista, K-8, highly rated public charter school
