“It’s a smile, it’s a kiss, it’s a sip of wine. It’s summertime,” the Kenny Chesney song goes. To me this perfectly describes summer in Playa Vista. As spring rolls into summer, the Playa Vista community can look forward to happy beach days with smiling kids, romantic evenings under the bluffs, and some of the […]
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Community
Runway Redesign Groundbreaking @ Runway Road
A colorful, life-sized car piñata was the last “automobile” to park on the short stretch of Runway Road that runs through the heart of Runway at Playa Vista. On May 9, across from Healthy Spot, DJM Capital Partners Chief Retail Officer Stenn Parton and several associates donned hard hats for an enthusiastic bashing of the […]
Summer Fun!
Home
Living by their Own Design
Creators of digital imagery Albert and Meiko Mizuno can’t picture themselves anywhere else Story by Brian Marks | Photos by Zsuzsi Steiner Flip through the pages of a glossy national magazine and you’ll see ads for everything from designer handbags to space-age vacuum cleaners. One thing you may not notice: many featured images aren’t really […]
Food
HomeState Goes West
Briana Valdez recalls the comfort food from her childhood to create the best Tex-Mex restaurant around Story By Lawrence Yee | Photos by Zsuzsi Steiner When self-proclaimed “Tex-pat” Briana Valdez moved from her native Texas to California, she never imagined she’d open a restaurant, let alone three. “I’m a terrible cook but I love food,” the […]
Events
Events Calendar
Thursday, June 13 ChamberFest LAeXpo 4 to 7 p.m. @ CenterPointe Club This annual business expo features dozens of local businesses and includes tastes from many restaurants and hotels for guests to sample. 6200 Playa Vista Drive. Visit business.laxcoastal.com for details. Friday, June 14 to Saturday, June 20 Silicon Beach Film Festival 10 a.m. to […]
People
Passion on Demand
Tosca Musk’s digital streaming platform turns up the heat for lovers of romance Story By Shanee Edwards | Photos by Maria Martin Tosca Musk is a romantic at heart. She’s made a career of writing, directing and producing films in the romance genre, but her current infatuation is with digital entrepreneurship. Forward-thinking and tech-savvy, the […]
Kids Fashion Gets a Second Life
Earth-friendly startup thinks inside the box to make dressing kids more affordable and sustainable Story by Shanee Edwards | Photos by Zsuzsi Steiner Each year Americans throw away 13 million tons of clothing, according to EPA estimates — that’s roughly 80 pounds per person ending up in a landfill. Many of us donate our used […]
Living the Dream
“Late Night” director Nisha Ganatra chats with YouTube star turned real-life late night host Lilly Singh Story By Christina Campodonico | Photo courtesy of Film Independent Golden Globe-winning film and TV director Nisha Ganatra intimately knows how fickle the wheel of Hollywood fortune can be. After the success of her first feature film “Chutney Popcorn” […]
Scream Flavor, Whisper Health
Chef Alejandra Schrader wants to help omnivores eat more plant-based foods while keeping meals delicious By Jessica Koslow “I’m known for my big flavors!” says chef Alejandra Schrader, whose light-up-the-room smile is equally as grand. “My recipes are mouthwatering, colorful and easy to make.” These days, the Playa Vista resident is delightfully busy in the […]
The Show Must Go On
Tribute band Queen Nation brings the music of Queen to a new generation The first time Gregory Finsley witnessed celebrated rock band Queen perform was in 1977 in Ft. Worth, Texas. He was instantly hooked. A New Orleans native, Finsley spent years carefully studying Queen lead singer Freddy Mercury’s vocal style, and now performs as […]
Healthy
Doctor, ‘Mover,’ Renaissance Man
Jae Pak is an emergency medicine physician and gifted engineer who combats hair loss with artistry Story By Brian Marks | Photo by Zsuzsi Steiner As common as hair loss is, it can fill many men (and some women) with dread. Two-thirds of men will experience it by age 35, and about half of all […]
News
For Everybody’s Kids
Playa Vista Elementary took the teachers’ strike to Jefferson Boulevard Story By Shanee Edwards | Photo by Zsuzsi Steiner Morning commuters honked in support as teachers, parents, students and one Vietnamese potbellied pig took to Jefferson Boulevard on Jan. 18 in support of the LAUSD teachers’ strike. While it was day five of the strike, […]
A Very Special Delivery
Elon Musk pays a surprise visit to Playa Vista By Shanee Edwards Financial planner Devin Scott was excited to finally go pick up his customized Tesla 3. When he got a call saying that the car would instead be delivered to his Playa Vista home, he didn’t think too much of it. But when Scott […]
Spotlight
A Perfect Fit
Film producer Sonia Machado-Hines says yes to the Renaissance dress Every bride agonizes over finding the perfect wedding dress, but rarely does a bridal gown inspire a movie. For filmmaker and Playa Vista resident Sonia Machado-Hines, one dress did just that. She produced the short documentary “Dressing a Renaissance Queen,” about the painstaking recreation of […]