Park East, Culver City, CA

Carlson Park gave Park East its other name, and the small green square at the middle still sets the tone for this Culver City neighborhood between Overland Avenue and downtown. The land was a racetrack before it was a park, and a few streets around it still bend along the curve of the old speedway. Homes in Park East are mostly single-family Spanish Revival houses, Craftsman bungalows and some mid-century ranches, built in the decades after the track closed. Lots are modest, and the older facades give the blocks a consistent look. Carlson Park itself is under three acres, with a shaded picnic shelter, barbecues and open lawn instead of courts or fields. For a swim or a game of tennis, Veterans Memorial Park is just across Overland, and the creek bike path runs along the neighborhood's southern edge. Jackson Market, a longtime corner market and deli on Jackson Avenue, has a patio out back that many people walk past without noticing. For coffee there are two good choices. Super Domestic Coffee sits on Culver Boulevard, and the Conservatory on Washington roasts its own beans, stocks hundreds of teas and skips Wi-Fi on purpose. Everyday errands are a walk or short bike ride. Downtown restaurants, the Tuesday farmers market on Main Street and the E Line are all close enough to reach without the car, and Orchid Fever on Culver Boulevard is the local stop for plants. The park's size is the one limit. It is a place for picnics and a lap with the dog, so anything more active means heading to Veterans or down to the creek path. On a warm evening, the lawn at Carlson fills with blankets well before the play starts.