Community Spotlight — Our Culver City Pardee Picks

With so much history in moviemaking and aviation paired with buzzing dining and nightlife to match, what’s not to love about Culver City? This Westside neighborhood offers a range of cultural highlights along with cozy local hangout spots while being centrally located. A great neighborhood for families and young professionals alike, Culver City is gaining more and more popularity each day. We love it for all it has to offer!

Community Highlights + Fun Facts

Hayden Tract: Consisting of formerly abandoned industrial warehouses that are now creative and tech studios, Hayden Tract is close to Downtown Culver. Los Angeles architect Eric Owen Moss built a collection of experimental buildings called Conjunctive Points, which occupies a large portion of the tract.
The Culver Hotel: The Culver Hotel was built by the founder of Culver City, Harry Culver, in 1924. This historical landmark hosted stars for film production and both the exterior and interior have been featured in films, television shows, and commercials. Fun fact — all of the munchkins from the Wizard of Oz stayed there during filming!
Culver Center: One of Southern California’s first shopping malls, Culver Center on Venice Blvd near Overland Avenue, was completed in 1950.
Culver City: Culver City is known as “The Heart of Screenland”. Movies that have been produced on Culver City’s studios include The Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, King Kong, E.T., and the Tarzan series.
Desilu Productions: Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball, co-owners of Desilu Productions, served as honorary mayors of Culver City in 1958.
Culver City Airport: The Culver City Airport was originally located on Sepulveda Blvd by Jefferson Blvd when it first opened in 1927 as Baker Airport. The L-shaped airport (with runways in two directions) was then closed in 1951 where it became a Mayfair Market and Sunkist Park housing.
Racetrack: In the late 1920s Culver City became the home of its first of two racetracks, designed by engineer Art Pillsbury. The wooden track’s inaugural event was held on February 28, 1920.
Hughes Aircraft: Hughes Aircraft opened in 1941 and built the H-4 Hercules transport (also known as the “Spruce Goose”. This company was an active World War II subcontractor and assisted with the development of parts for loading machine guns on B-17 aircrafts, producing more ammunition belts than any other American manufacturer.
Helms Bakery: Helms Bakery, built in 1931, is a historic landmark that originally operated as a bakery but has been repurposed for shops and restaurants.
Julian Dixon Library: Culver City Julian Dixon Library: With free classes, guest speakers, clubs, music events and more, this is the third busiest library in the LACounty public library system.
Metro Goldwyn Mayer: The highly celebrated film studio Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) was built in Culver City in the 1920’s; however, the first studio in Culver City was built in 1918 by Thomas Ince. In the late 1960’s MGM’s back lot acreage was sold. Today the studio is now Sony Pictures, but the back acreages aka the “back forty” or the Hayden Industrial Tract, has been converted to a subdivision with and shopping center known as Raintree Plaza.
Kirk Douglas Theatre: The Kirk Douglas Theatre in Downtown Culver City was originally built in 1947 as a movie palace in the Art Moderne style. The theatre has since been renovated but most of its exterior has been preserved including the box office and signature mezzanine tile.
The Rollerdome: The Rollerdome on the corner of Washington Place and Bentley Avenue was very popular in the 1940’s; people came from all over LA to skate there. Former mayor Harry Culver believed in quality family time and wanted to provide a place for parents and their children to enjoy together. Today that site is Tellefson Park, a bicentennial dedication in 1976.