Playa Vista is a planned mixed-use community between Marina del Rey and the Westchester Bluffs. Housing, offices, retail and parks occupy the former Hughes aircraft site, with RUNWAY on Millennium Drive and a public library on Playa Vista Drive.
The community’s published design information describes more than 6,000 homes, about 3 million square feet of offices and more than 200,000 square feet of retail. Its housing mix includes apartments, condominiums, townhomes, lofts and detached homes.
Schools
The LAUSD Resident School Identifier identifies assigned schools by residential address. Specialized programs and after-school providers have their own application and enrollment requirements.
Playa Vista Elementary School
Playa Vista Elementary School is an LAUSD public elementary school at 13150 W. Bluff Creek Drive. Its STEM demonstration-school partnership involves Loyola Marymount University. In California’s 2024–25 Smarter Balanced assessments:
70.79% of tested students met or exceeded the state standard in English Language Arts.
64.80% met or exceeded the standard in mathematics.
After-school programs
STAR Galaxy runs after school until 6 p.m., with homework support, recreation and enrichment. STAR Nova offers separate weekly classes in subjects such as science, robotics, sports and the arts; the school’s program page links the current offerings.
Katherine Johnson STEM Academy
The NCES 2025–26 school directory lists Katherine Johnson STEM Academy as an LAUSD school serving grades 6–8. Its 2024–25 California Smarter Balanced results were:
40.60% meeting or exceeding the ELA standard.
43.94% meeting or exceeding the mathematics standard.
The NCES directory gives the campus address as 8701 Parkhill Drive. The school’s current website provides school contacts and program information; a nearby home does not establish admission eligibility.
Parks and open space
Playa Vista lists 29 neighborhood parks, open to the public and privately maintained. They are distinct from the resident recreation clubs described below.
The CenterPointe Club and The Resort
The CenterPointe Club
The CenterPointe Club is approximately 26,000 square feet and includes pools, a spa, fitness facilities, a business center, meeting space and indoor and outdoor event areas.
The Resort
The Resort has indoor and outdoor fitness areas, swimming pools and spas. The community FAQ describes access to both clubs for resident homeowners and renters.
The community FAQ describes one shared access card for every three apartments in a building, checked out at the front desk. Ask the building about that procedure when renting. Club access is administered by Playa Vista Parks and Landscape Corporation; these are resident clubs, separate from the public parks.
RUNWAY: shopping, dining and everyday services
RUNWAY Playa Vista groups shops, dining and services around Millennium Drive. Its directory lists Whole Foods Market, CVS Pharmacy, Cinemark, Cedars-Sinai, Quest Diagnostics, cafés and fitness studios.
Playa Vista Farmers’ Market
The Playa Vista Farmers’ Market operates Saturdays, 9 a.m.–2 p.m., at 12775 Millennium Drive. The operator also lists a community compost hub and first-Saturday STEAM activities in the KidZone.
Playa Vista Branch Library
The Playa Vista Branch Library is at 6400 Playa Vista Drive, with public computers and Wi-Fi. Its October 2026 calendar includes English conversation, adult tutoring and a book club.
Nature and the Ballona area
The community’s 51-acre freshwater wetlands system comprises a 25-acre riparian corridor and a 26-acre marsh. Nearby Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve protects roughly 577 acres of coastal habitat; reserve access differs from access to neighborhood parks.
Ballona Discovery Park at 13110 Bluff Creek Drive has native plant gardens and interpretive displays about the wetlands. Friends of Ballona Wetlands lists dawn-to-dusk public access to this visitor space, which is separate from the protected reserve.
Housing and community charges
Zillow reported a typical Playa Vista home value of about $1.33 million, with data updated September 30, 2026. Its home-value index describes the neighborhood housing market, rather than the price of a particular condominium or detached home.
HOA fees, community assessments and special taxes
Some properties have building HOA dues and community assessments. Separately, the City’s Community Facilities District No. 4 covers Playa Vista Phase 1; its 2026–27 special-tax levy ordinance took effect July 21, 2026.
That district does not cover every property described as Playa Vista, and the levy is not one uniform neighborhood-wide charge. The parcel’s tax bill and building documents identify the taxes and assessments attached to a particular home.
Transportation
Local buses connect Playa Vista with rail stations and other Westside destinations. The services below have different operating days and trip patterns.
Culver CityBus Line 4
Culver CityBus Line 4 operates on weekdays and Saturdays, with no Sunday or holiday service. The eastbound stop list includes Jefferson at McConnell near RUNWAY, Campus Center at Millennium and Bluff Creek at Artisans Way, continuing to the E Line at La Cienega/Jefferson.
Metro Line 110
Metro Line 110 links Playa Vista and Bell Gardens along Jefferson Boulevard and Gage Avenue. Metro’s route timetable lists stops and service by day.
LADOT Commuter Express 437B
LADOT Commuter Express 437B serves Playa Vista Drive at Jefferson Boulevard on weekdays. It runs toward Downtown in the morning and returns in the afternoon and evening; it does not provide weekend service.
Proximity to LAX and aircraft noise
LAWA released a draft LAX Noise Exposure Map Update on September 17, 2026. The maps show noise exposure based on current and forecast aircraft operations; the draft’s public-comment period closes November 5, 2026.
The LAWA project page links the draft maps and explains the review process. A regional noise contour is different from the sound experienced inside a particular building.
Local crime information
LAPD’s Pacific Community Police Station serves Playa Vista and nearby Westside communities. The department’s Crime Mapping and COMPSTAT page provides incident-data tools. When checked October 18, 2026, it carried a notice about updates to its data feed; the reporting dates and coverage matter when interpreting results.
More neighborhood coverage
The Los Angeles neighborhood guide introduces other parts of the city. Separate guides cover Brentwood, Mar Vista, Porter Ranch and Cheviot Hills.
Sources and data notes
School results and the housing index were verified October 18, 2026. Community access rules, the market, library, transit, Phase 1 tax record, airport-noise update, NCES school directory and photo provenance were rechecked October 19. School percentages describe 2024–25; the NCES directory describes 2025–26 and the housing index was updated September 30, 2026.
Schools and enrollment
NCES Katherine Johnson STEM Academy directory — 2025–26 grades and address
Community, parks and services
Housing, taxes and transportation
Noise and safety
Photo credit
Playa Vista street photograph by Elena Takmakova, published March 26, 2024, under the Unsplash License. Archival photograph; current conditions may differ.