Silicon Beach is the Westside region of the Los Angeles metropolitan area that is home to over 500 tech companies. Some are household names and others are startups.
While the definition is used quite loosely by Realtors these days, if you stick to the coastal strip north of LAX to Santa Monica and not too far inland, that’s what we’re talking about. Playa Vista is ground zero for the established companies such as Google, Yahoo! and YouTube. Startups can be found anywhere but Venice (think Snap) is very popular as is Santa Monica.
Depending on who you talk to, the region is considered the second or third hottest tech hub in the world.
Unlike the traditional definition of Silicon Valley (Menlo Park to Santa Clara) where the economy is overwhelmingly technology geared, Silicon Beach tends to have a more diversified economy whereby tourism, finance, or other industries also play a major role.
Workers trying to live close to their offices and avoid freeway commutes have pushed up housing prices and rentals even in Westchester and Playa Del Rey, further inland to mid city and to the South Bay.
Playa Vista
Playa Vista is one of the most in demand LA neighborhoods right now and for many considered ground zero of Silicon Beach which is itself the epicenter of tech startups in southern California. The Wall Street Journal highlighted Playa Vista as the perfect place for creative entrepreneurs.
None of this should be surprising because the ground below Playa Vista has a long history of engineering related innovation. The area was the headquarters of Hughes Aircraft Company from 1941 to 1985, and was the site of the construction of the Hughes H-4 Hercules "Spruce Goose" aircraft (for those who saw the movie The Aviator).
Playa Vista buyers are buying more than a place to call home. They are truly buying a lifestyle. Residents have two fitness centers, The Resort and The CenterPointe Club, for fitness and indoor or outdoor swimming. There are also 29 parks, dog parks, community gardens, a Farmer’s Market (if you can’t find what you want at Whole Foods), a library, school, movie theaters, restaurants and shops all within the community.
Don’t feel like driving? You can hop onto the Daily Shuttle or on the weekend take the Beach Shuttle to Mother’s Beach in Marina Del Rey or the Venice Pier.
And remember what I mentioned about the Spruce Goose? Well now Google has moved into the massive airplane hanger where it was built.
Venice
I once heard someone say you should live where you most feel like “you”. For me, that’s Venice CA.
Maybe it’s the artist bohemian vibe or because I was such a fan of the rock band the Doors back in the day. Or that I just love Abbott Kinney Blvd which GQ once called the "coolest block in America", even though it is actually it is a few blocks of super hip shops, restaurants, and art galleries.
When most people think of Venice, a few attractions also come to mind: the world famous Boardwalk, the Canals, Muscle Beach, and the the Skatepark.
The world famous 1.5 mile long "boardwalk" (which is actually concrete), is one of the best places in LA for people watching. You will often find dozens of street performers including musicians, mimes, fortune tellers, acrobats, you name it. And some are actually quite good. And then there’s the storefronts selling the usual assortment of t-shirts and souvenirs.
The 3 miles of beach are great for surfing, swimming, body boarding, roller balding, biking, playing volleyball or any other active beach activity you can think of. Bring your own toys or rent what you need from the many vendors
Westchester
Westchester is just north of LAX and considered part of the “Silicon Beach” phenomenon meaning the home prices have accelerated rapidly over the last few years due to the proximity of all the tech jobs found around Playa Vista and Venice.
Unlike many of the other neighborhoods I write about which have beach front, hipster stores, cool restaurants and ocean view properties, Westchester’s appeal is that it has none of that. Let me explain.
If you are looking for a Single Family Residence and have been priced out of other Westside neighborhoods, living here is a great option. The only downside to some homes in Westchester is that depending on the location, expect to hear either planes or cars (if you are too close to the 405).
Historically, the most expensive homes have been in the Kentwood neighborhood and the closer you get to the bluffs or Loyola, the more you might expect to pay. On the east side of Sepulveda Blvd, you’ll find Westport Heights. The neighborhood south of Manchester Blvd is the closest to the airport and homes there definitely sell at a discount.
Marina Del Rey
The Marina is actually the world's largest man-made small craft harbor with eight basins having a capacity for 5,300 boats. The Los Angeles Times said it is "perhaps the county's most valuable resource".
Well I’m not quite sure about that, but Marina Del Rey isn’t the forgotten neighborhood it was ten years ago. Wherever you look there has been revitalization, new construction and improvement.
Starting with the revitalization of the Waterside shopping center, then the retail on Maxella and the building of the hip arts / loft district around Glencoe, the lifestyle and face of the area has really changed. It has a much different vibe than years ago and there’s more to come.
If you like being on the water, try kayaking in the Marina. There’s a few vendors that rent kayaks and will even give you some instruction near Mother’s Beach. For the less adventuresome, you can always take one of the dinner cruises. From June through September hop on the Water Bus which conveniently makes 8 stops around the Marina. And guess what? It only costs $1 each way. What else can you do in LA for $1.
Playa Del Rey
While Playa Del Rey is not often considered part of Silicon Beach per se because there are not a lot of tech jobs here, it is just down the road from Playa Vista and has a great laid back beach feel.
Whether you are on the bluffs, closer to town, or steps from the ocean, you can find everything from entry level condos to multi million dollar ocean view homes.