Plane view? Not totally

Tourists are rarely spotted on Playa del Rey’s quiet beach, and the planes flying overhead are a constant reminder of its proximity to Los Angeles International Airport. But with views that take in the Santa Monica Pier, the mountains and the marina, plus the lagoon and wetlands, there is perhaps no other beach community quite like it in Southern California.

Beginnings

Playa del Rey -- Spanish for “King’s Beach” -- was so named when the Beach Land Co. purchased 1,000 acres, including a saltwater lagoon, to create a resort area. The area included a hotel, a bathhouse on the shore, a boat racing course and a three-story pavilion containing a restaurant, bowling alley and dance floor. The year was 1902.

The $300,000 pavilion and the $200,000 Hotel Del Rey, with its 50 guest rooms, were impressive for their time. Homes on the bluff would command at least $2,000, The Times reported that year, and developers were planning houses that would fetch as much as $10,000.

But the sea, a fire and fate had other plans. Flooding in nearby Venice affected the lagoon’s water level. The fishing pier collapsed twice. And in 1924, the hotel burned to the ground.

Despite this, Playa del Rey remained of interest to developers. Dickinson & Gillespie Corp. obtained a large portion of the hill south of the lagoon area and began building homes. The present-day community began to take shape.

Venice annexed Playa del Rey in 1911, then L.A. annexed Venice in 1925. Culver Boulevard was eventually fully paved, bringing more sunbathers, automobiles and potential buyers.

What it’s about

It is not hip, cool or funky like Venice. Nor does it have slick retail stores, major chains and a movie theater like its northerly neighbor Marina del Rey.

Truth is, little has changed here in 30 years. And Playa del Rey’s residents like it for that reason. Although houses now sell for as much as $4 million and Lakers players, film and cable TV execs call it home, Playa del Rey remains glitz-free. There is no pretense. No pressure. It’s just a community by the beach.

Insider’s view

“There’s no coolness about Playa del Rey. It’s just here,” says Tom Corte, manager at ERA Matilla Realty. “Nobody knows about Playa del Rey. They all turn left.”

Corte is referring to the many people who use his community as a shortcut to avoid the congestion along Lincoln and Sepulveda boulevards.

On Waterview Street, one can see the remnants of a neighborhood that, in the ‘60s and early ‘70s, was forced to make way for LAX. Nothing has been developed on this part of the hill since. More than 400 acres are fenced off; driveways and foundations have been taken over by weeds.

Just across the street stand million-dollar homes.

Good news, bad news

People here live outdoors. At the volleyball courts, at the lagoon and park, and of course, at the beach. Residents can almost always walk to what they need.

Like so many other areas around L.A., traffic can be a problem. In Playa del Rey’s case, people using surface streets to get to LAX exacerbate the traffic problem. Some mornings along Lincoln would test the patience of even the most devout yogi.

Housing stock

Older single-story homes stand next to contemporary, three-story houses with four-car garages. Mansionization has crept into some areas, mostly on the bluffs. Unlike other beach communities, the jet noise keeps the prices down, despite amazing sunsets and proximity to the coast. Homes currently on the market range from $1.1 million to $4.5 million, Corte says, depending on the size of the house and the view it offers.

A 1927 Spanish-style home with four bedrooms, three bathrooms and hardwood floors was built for actor Ronald Colman and designed by architect Wallace Neff. Realtor Jack Susser, owner of ERA First Choice Realty, says the home has had only three owners, which is why it has retained many of its original details. The 2,600-square-foot home is listed at $2.45 million and has views of Catalina. The house also features a circular floor plan and a wine cellar.

Report card

Playa del Rey is served by the Los Angeles Unified School District. Cowan Elementary and Paseo del Rey Natural Science Magnet received scores of 885 and 808, respectively, out of a possible 1,000, on the 2006 Academic Performance Index base report. Playa del Rey does not have public middle or high schools; many of the community’s students attend schools in neighboring Westchester. Loyola Village Elementary scored 802, Orville Wright Middle School scored 686 and Westchester High scored 600 on the API report.

Historical values

Residential resales:

Year… Median Price

1990… $230,000

1995… $160,000

2000… $225,000

2005… $520,000

2006… $524,500

* 2007… $510,000

* Year to date

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Sources: DataQuick Information Systems; api.cde.ca.gov; Tom Corte, ERA Matilla Realty; www.tomanddana.net; Los Angeles Public Library’s History & Genealogy Department; Los Angeles Public Library’s Westchester-Loyola Village branch.