Mar Vista, Los Angeles, CA

Mar Vista in Los Angeles runs uphill from Venice Boulevard toward Grand View Boulevard, and on Sundays the corner where those two streets meet turns into the neighborhood's farmers market. It sits between Venice, Palms and Santa Monica, with the 405 along its eastern edge and Culver City to the south. Homes in Mar Vista divide along Venice Boulevard. To the north, mid-century houses fill the streets, including the Gregory Ain Mar Vista Tract on Moore, Meier and Beethoven streets, a set of modernist homes protected as a historic preservation zone. South of Venice, apartment buildings are far more common, and the blocks feel denser. The Mar Vista Recreation Center on Woodbine Street is the main park, with an outdoor pool, tennis and basketball courts, volleyball and soccer fields and an auditorium. It sits near the middle of the neighborhood, so many houses are a short walk away. The Sunday market runs from 9 to 2 at Grand View and Venice and brings California farmers, meat and seafood vendors and prepared-food stalls. Chez Mar on Venice Boulevard runs a weekend raw bar with crudo, and Electric Bleu on Centinela is known for its roast chicken and fries dusted with chicken salt. Venice Boulevard is the main street, lined with most of the local shops and restaurants, and Whole Foods and Ralphs sit on National Boulevard near the eastern edge. The beach in Venice and downtown Culver City are both a short drive or bike ride. Venice Boulevard is a busy arterial, so homes near it hear steady traffic, and parking gets tight on market Sundays. Walking the Ain tract on the way to the market is a quick lesson in postwar modern design, with the low houses still lined up along Moore and Meier streets.