One visit to Playa Vista, California, and you’ll quickly understand why 90094 is the new area code gaining both local and international attention. Leading architects and urban planners have converged to create an active-lifestyle, environmentally friendly showpiece of modern, coastal California living; one that emphasizes recycling, conservation, convenience and, most of all, community.
As the first new community to be established on the Westside of Los Angeles in more than 50 years, Playa Vista offers an unprecedented opportunity for people from all walks of life in LA to live closer to where they work and play. Retail, commercial, and recreational spaces are strategically woven into the fabric of the landscape so that residents can accomplish their to-do list without the traffic, hassle, and stress that is all too common in a “leap frog” community setting.
Attend a Pilates class, meet friends for coffee, or plan a picnic lunch in the park via a network of paths, sidewalks and nature trails. If it’s surf and turf you are after, catch the free weekend beach shuttle that extends through Playa Vista to Marina del Rey and stops at the beginning of the Venice boardwalk.
Playa Vista already boasts more than 6,500 residents who have discovered the comforts and advantages that come with smart planning and innovative, sustainable design. “Playa Vista is no longer a secret,” admits The Agency’s Kofi Natei Nartey, Director of the Sports & Entertainment Division here at The Agency and resident of the neighborhood himself. “It is quickly becoming the model for comfortable living, with lifestyle and environmental sustainability at the forefront.”
In addition to being a leader in sustainable design, more than 750 acres (approximately 70 percent of the original Playa Vista Master Plan Site) are set aside for parks and open space, fostering an organic social experience that is lost in city life.
Featuring a vibrant collection of homes built by many of the nation’s leading builders, the housing options include lofts, condos, townhomes, and close to 4000sqft single family homes. Homeownership at Playa Vista automatically makes you a member of the CenterPointe Club, a 26,000 square-foot multi-purpose community center with two swimming pools, a huge outdoor sundeck, movie screening room, fitness facilities, business center, a boardroom and even a Resident Services Coordinator to assist residents. Catering to the active lifestyle, Playa Vista also features several parks, children playgrounds, off-leash dog runs, tennis courts, basketball courts, soccer fields, a baseball diamond, and even sand volleyball.
Families seeking a great education for their children will no doubt appreciate Playa Vista’s brand new K-5 public school, which opened this August for the 2012-2013 school year. It exclusively services the communities of Playa Vista and One West Bluff, and through a partnership with Loyola Marymount University, the school will be a Loyola Marymount University demonstration school that utilizes LMU’s Center for Math and Science Teaching (CMAST) curriculum. The school also will focus on environmental sustainability, with routine visits to the neighboring Ballona Wetlands Discovery Park.
“Having previously worked in education, I discovered that the three key elements to a successful educational experience are the students, teachers, and parents,” shares Nartey. “The parents in Playa Vista have already gone above and beyond to ensure the success of the school and it’s students.” That’s great news for the K-5 school and aligns with the town’s commitment to providing a kid-friendly environment that the entire family can enjoy. Consider the numerous playgrounds, soccer fields, dog parks, public library, and highly-anticipated “Summer Concerts In The Park”.
If you haven’t visited 90094, make a point of discovering this distinctive oasis of live, work, and play.
Photo Credit: Yoga Vista Studios
