What should you know about Marina del Rey, California

1. Geography

Marina del Rey is an unincorporated district of Los Angeles County, located in the center of Los Angeles’ Westside between Venice Beach and Playa del Rey, and just four miles north of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

The community has a population of over 8,000 and is bounded on all sides by the City of Los Angeles: west of Lincoln Boulevard, east of Via Dolce, north of Ballona Creek and south of Washington Boulevard/Oxford Basin, and the Pacific Ocean (which is the area situated closer to the marina waterfront and to the water’s edge).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city is comprised of 1.5 square miles (3.9 km2). Nine-tenths of a square mile (2.2 km²) is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km2) is water (40.91%).

The County of Los Angeles owns the entire land and water, and for that reason, it provides long-term leases to private residents.

The community’s harbor was constructed in the late 1950s by the Army Corps of Engineers, thanks to a project that was planned and funded by the Federal government, Los Angeles County and private developers. Today, the site is the largest man-made marina in the United States, with over 5,300 small-boat slips; surrounded by high-rise condominiums, hotels, apartments, restaurants and stores.

1.a Climate

Residents of Marina del Rey enjoy a moderate climate year-round. During the summer, temperatures reach highs in the upper 80’s and lows between 45 to 46 degrees in the winter.

The area gets 17 inches of rain per year, and the number of days with any measurable precipitation is 24.

On average, there are 286 sunny days each year in Marina del Rey. The July high is around 84 degrees and the January low is 46.

2. Economy

In order to measure the economic value that tourism brings to the community, the Marina del Rey Convention & Visitors Bureau conducted several economic impact studies over the last years. These studies corroborate the fact that tourism and hospitality are two major industries in Marina del Rey: in 2015 there were 2,673 jobs supported by tourism in the city, $382.2 million dollars in total economic impact to Marina del Rey, 451,000 overnight visitors stayed in the hotels situated here, $294 million dollars in total direct visitor spending, and there was a 21% increase in total economic impact for tourism from 2014 to 2015.

The community also houses several companies, including the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (a regulatory body for the Internet domain and address system); UCLA’s Marine Aquatic Center, USC’s Information Sciences Institute, AstroFlight, Gravity Interactive, Guidance, The Brain Technologies, and Exaltation of Larks.

3. Government

The County of Los Angeles governs and service Marina del Rey which is also managed by the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches & Harbors.

Citizens are represented by their elected local Supervisor, Don Knabe, to the Fourth District of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

Marina del Rey is in the 26th Senate District represented by Democrat Ben Allen, and in the 62nd Assembly District, represented by Democrat Autumn Burke.

In the United States House of Representatives, Marina del Rey is in California’s 33rd congressional district, represented by Democrat Ted Lieu.

4. Education

While there are no schools within the proper area of Marina del Rey, public education is provided by the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).

Students from the community attend nearby LAUSD campuses like Coeur d’Alene Avenue Elementary School, Marina del Rey Middle School, and Venice High School.

4.a Library

The Lloyd Taber-Marina del Rey Library, located at 4533 Admiralty Way, is a branch of the County of Los Angeles Public Library.

The library collections include: the Non-English Language Collection (Russian Books for Kids and Adults, Russian DVDs for Kids and Adults); Other Special Collections (Large Print and Nautical Collection), and the Online Collections which are available 24 hours.

The facility features 9 public computers, 1 Children’s computers, 2 early literacy computers, in person and telephone research assistance, a photocopier, free Wi-fi, a meeting Room with capacity for 25 people, children’s area and a book drop for returning items accessible also, 24 hours.

5. Infrastructure

5.a Transportation

The three-mile-long Marina Freeway (State Route 90) runs through Marina del Rey. This route links the town to Culver City and the 405 freeway to the east.

Lincoln Boulevard and Pacific offers easy access to the city from Santa Monica.

Between July 4 and Labor Day, a water shuttle service called the “WaterBus”, serves the community.

Six strips of land separate the 8 basins at the harbor. Each section of land has at least one street on it.

Washington Boulevard encloses the Marina to the northwest; Fiji Way borders its southeastern edge; Panay Way, Marquesas Way, Tahiti Way, and Bora Bora Way are all on the western side of the Marina, and all them end at Via Marina. On the west side is also Palawan Way, but it terminates at Washington Boulevard.

5.b Utilities

Southern California Edison, L.A. County Waterworks District #80, Verizon Telephone, Time Warner Cable, and Southern California Gas Company provide modern utilities to the community.

6. Point of Interest

The main attractions in Marina del Rey include:
A. The Fisherman’s Village, which is a waterfront mall located at 13755 Fiji Way – on the eastern bank of the main channel, featuring attractions such as live music concerts, restaurants, cafes, shops, a nightclub and a public water shuttle (harbor ferry) service.
B. Marina’s Mother Beach. This 12-acre lagoon is located at short distance from most of the Marina’s hotels and it is an ideal place for families because the beach has lifeguards during the busiest seasons, playground equipment, sheltered picnic tables and no surf.
C. Burton W. Chace Park located at 13650 Mindanao Way, offers one of the best vista points, and is perfect for picnics, BBQ’s, exercising or for just sitting back to watch the sunset.
Because of its beauty, the park is considered a crown jewel of the Marina.
On Thursdays and Saturdays from June to August, the Marina del Rey Summer Concert Series takes place in the park.
D. The Yvonne B. Bourke Park located at 4400 Admiralty Way (in the heart of the Marina), includes a free parcourse fitness circuit; and a great biking trail, known as the Marvin Braude Bike Trail, runs through the park.
E. Villa Marina Marketplace features a selection of distinguished restaurants and prominent retailers like Barnes and Noble, Sport Chalet, DSW Shoes, Gelson’s Market, Phenix Salon Suites, Wells Fargo Bank, Happy Nails, AMC Dine-In Theaters, ULTA, AMC Theaters, Pier 1 Imports and Equinox Fitness Center.
F. The UCLA Marina Aquatic Center, a waterfront recreation facility, offers recreational classes in small boat sailing, surfing, kayaking, windsurfing, rowing and stand-up paddle boarding to UCLA students.
Other tourist attractions nearby the city include: Playa del Rey Beach, Santa Monica Beach, Venice Beach, and Ballona Wetlands.
Outdoor activities like sport fishing, boat rentals, ocean excursions for whale watching, day trips to Catalina Island, or attending the annual Holiday Boat Parade and Festival are also part of the list of “things to do” in Marina del Rey.
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6 Reasons to Move to Marina del Rey, CA