Playa Vista has become famous as the Southern California home of such tech giants as YouTube, Facebook and, very soon, Google.
But these aren’t the first innovators to thrive on this land. It was here in the 1940s that aerospace engineer and business tycoon Howard Hughes designed and built “the world’s largest flying boat” — the H-4 Hercules, nicknamed the Spruce Goose.
As of late, the ground south of Ballona Creek and east of Lincoln Boulevard has been fertile in other, more literal ways: Playa Vista is in the midst of a baby boom.
In this premiere issue, Brookfield Residential Executive Vice President Randy Johnson describes how the development of Playa Vista shifted from building mostly two bedroom homes to being more “bedroom-centric” — creating homes with three, four and even five bedrooms to accommodate the hundreds of babies born here over the last four years.
Jobs in tech first attracted people to Playa Vista, but our local elementary school has made it a more complete community in which to raise a family.
Google executive and Playa Vista mom Jennifer Vaden Barth, who teaches Playa Vista Elementary School students how to code and is also featured in our inaugural issue, talks about the importance of fostering tech-savvy creativity in our kids.
“So many beautiful things are possible,” she says. “Who knows what these kids could be inspired to create for the world?”
This isn’t the first time children have thrived near the Ballona Creek. As far back as 8,000 years ago, the Gabrielino-Tongva people raised families here too, sustained on the natural flora and fauna found in and around what we call the Ballona Wetlands. They wouldn’t recognize the technological advances being developed by local businesses like Belkin or understand the importance a YouTube channel plays in the career of
a young musician, but they would understand the importance of community. Their survival literally depended on it.
Playa Vista Direct aims to nurture community bonds in the modern village that is growing here so quickly.
In your hands every other month and online at playavistadirect.com, Playa Vista Direct is dedicated to telling stories about the people, places and events that define the Playa Vista experience. Think of us as a community mixer in your mailbox.
We’re excited to celebrate all the blessings of 21st-century living as creativity and community continue to thrive here in Playa Vista.
Shanee Edwards
Managing Editor · editor@playavistadirect.com
Well done, we needed a community magazine that wasn’t just ads or home sales. This is authentic and much appreciated.