Mar Vista Gardens

Springtime overnight rains runoff into La Ballona Creek in this picture taken from a kite. Mar Vista Gardens can be seen on the right as a cleanup crew works under the Inglewood Blvd. overpass.

Sunrise in Mar Vista Gardens.

Mar Vista Gardens is a housing project at 11965 Allin Street in the Del Rey district of southwestern Los Angeles, California, bordering Ballona Creek and situated near Culver City, California. It is operated by the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles. The complex has a "Culver City" mailing address but is not in the city of Culver City.

It is the westernmost large housing project in the HACLA system. It has 62 buildings and 601 apartments. Some of the apartments overlook Ballona Creek. In addition to housing units, the Gardens has athletic fields, a gymnasium and a community center. A part-time health clinic is located in the community center.

Mar Vista Gardens is the traditional home of the Culver City Boyz, an infamous Chicano street gang. By 2003, many Culver City Boyz had been expelled from the public housing due to strict rules. Many Westside gang members relocated to the city of Inglewood.

Zoned schools

Residents of the complex are zoned to schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

• Stoner Ave. Elementary School
• Braddock Drive Elementary School
• Marina del Rey Middle School
• Venice High School

Notable residents

• Tito Valenzuela (born 1957) owner of Tito's Tacos^{[citation needed]}
• Art Alexakis (born 1962) lead singer of the band Everclear^{[citation needed]}
• Yolanda del Río (born 1976) rancheras singer
• Todd Bridges (born 1964) actor