Culver / West

Culver West is a bit of an strait of a neighborhood extending out from Culver City, dividing Playa Vista and Mar Vista as it straddles Washington Blvd. Why someone would chose to extend a neighborhood out like this in a narrow band rather than sampling straighten out the borders between north and south right at the Blvd. is beyond me—but I guess Culver City was just not willing to give up this patch of territory.

I guess I can understand why. If you had cool gastropubs like Waterloo and City in your neighborhood, would you want to let it go without a fight? Or how about a lounge like the Alibi Room—worth the visit just for the name, but definitely for an upscale sort of a Gossip Girl kind of a feel. There is also Café Brasil, a great little authentic place. And for the actual café experience, you might try the nearby The Rumor Mill—the outside décor isnt’ inviting, and the inside is a little bit too sleek and washed to be really cozy, but with great coffee, a next door coin laundry and occasional live music, it definitely has its plusses.

As far as the housing and all that, it pretty much like the rest of Playa Vista and Mar Vista. (But don’t tell them, Culver City really wants to keep this stretch of gourmet heaven.)