ALL ROADS LEAD TO CULVER CITY



Artwork in Culver City highlighting Hollywood

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CULVER CITY'S CHARACTER

Pendersleigh & Sons Cartography 's map of the Westside

Culver City neighborhoods sign

Downtown Culver City

NOT IN CULVER CITY

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ANCIENT HISTORY OF THE AREA

THE

SPANISH ERA

THE MEXICAN ERA

EARLY AMERICAN PERIOD



The first La Ballona School

HARRY CULVER AND THE DAWN OF CULVER CITY



Culver City in 1914

Culver City Main Street in 2013

THE RISE OF MOTION PICTURES



Triangle Studio in 1916 - Culver City's first film studio

The old Triangle Film Corporation studios today

The old MGM lot

Sony Pictures Entertainment and Tony Tasset's Rainbow

The Mansion - The old Ince Studios

Hal E. Roach Studios "near Los Angeles"

Leave 'em Laughing plaque

CULVER CITY SILENT FILMS

EXPLOSIVE GROWTH



The Washington Building -- begun in 1926 and designed by Arthur D. Scholz and Orville L. Clark





The Culver Hotel (right) and Pacific Culver Stadium 12 (left)

Culver City Speedway 1949 (image source: Auto Racing Memories )

Gateway Station Post Office (built in 1940 ) includes a mural by George Samerjan (left) and CityBus (right)

City of Culver City Transportation and Purchasing

The Citizen Building

THE GREAT DEPRESSION

The Art Deco Beacon Laundry -- built in 1930

Great Depression. The city adopted a municipal seal with the words "The Heart of Screenland" in 1936. In 1937 the city changed its slogan to "Culver City, Where Hollywood Movies Are Made." On 6 June, 1937 a measure was actually passed to change Culver City's name to "Hollywood" at which point Los Angeles responded by granting official recognition to and establishing official borders of the Hollywood neighborhood. There were also several other key industries established in and around the city. A greyhound racing track was opened by Culver City Kennel near Lincoln and Washington Boulevards. Nonetheless, after the boom of the 1920s, population growth slowed tremendously even with the annexation of McManus Park. Thanks in large part to the film industry and new developments, Culver City fared relatively well during the. The city adopted a municipal seal with the wordsin 1936. In 1937 the city changed its slogan toOn 6 June, 1937 a measure was actually passed to change Culver City's name to "Hollywood" at which pointresponded by granting official recognition to and establishing official borders of the Hollywood neighborhood. There were also several other key industries established in and around the city. A greyhound racing track was opened bynearand. Nonetheless, after the boom of the 1920s, population growth slowed tremendously even with the annexation of

Helms Bakery

Culver City Airport and Hughes Aircraft Plant

St. Augustine's Catholic Church

The Grotto at Holy Cross (image source: Death 2UR )

CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS



Chinese Elms planted in the 1940s

Al Jolson Memorial Shrine (image by David Horan for Paul Williams Project)

Kirk Douglas Theatre fka Culver Theatre

TRAINS OUT,

CARS

IN



Ships Coffee Shop at Culver Center

Veteran's Memorial Center and Film Strip-USA

CULVER CITY IN THE 1960s

Culver City Competition Motors (photographed by Julius Shulman)

MEDITATION AND MALLS

Kaizuka Meditation Garden



DECLINE AND

REDEVELOPMENT

Sony Pictures Plaza -- undoubtedly designed by Cylons

Coporate Point (image source: CoStar )

SONY - FILMED IN CULVER CITY



Culver City City Hall

Sony Pictures Imageworks

CULVER CITY IN THE 21st CENTURY



Construction of an Expo Line bridge and a Del Taco

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GETTING TO AND AROUND CULVER CITY

Culver City Station - Expo Line train and a recently-paved parking lot (what would Joni Mitchell think?)

Expo Line (left) and bike lane (right)

Ballona Creek and bike path

CULVER CITY EATS



What's the story with this clock?

Culver City Farmers Market mural

CULVER CITY DRINKS

CULVER CITY MUSIC SCENE

Bratton Music Publishing Co. sheet music (image source: Songs in the Key of L.A. )





ART IN CULVER CITY (AND THE CULVER CITY ARTS DISTRICT)

Helms District and beyond, the strip of Arts District along Washington actually within Culver City

Harold L. Pastorius's Emerald Rings

De L'Espries The Path of Life (2001)







Rivers of the World mural





Postcards from Ballona





HELMS BAKERY DISTRICT

HAYDEN TRACT



The Hayden Tract

Eric Owen Moss's The Beehive (1998)

Eric Owen Moss's Gateway Art Tower (2010)

CULVER CITY PARKS





Culver City Park

OTHER SITES TO SEE

CULVER

CLUBS



Culver City Teen Center

God Bless America and Aloha - Guan Yu and the Virgin Mary in Culver City

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FOR FURTHER READING ON CULVER CITY, check out Julie Lugo Cerra's (Culver City's honorary historian) Culver City, Culver City Chronicles, Culver City: The Heart of Screenland, and Movie Studios of Culver City (the latter co-written by Marc Wanamaker). For current events there's the Culver City Times, Culver City Patch, Culver City News Blog, and Culver City Crossroads. For further viewing, look for check out's (Culver City's honorary historian), and(the latter co-written by). For current events there's the, and. For further viewing, look for Visiting... With Huell Howser "

(classic Huell begins around 12:40).





Imagine for a moment that you are a contestant on the game showand you were presented with the answer, "This community's slogans have included 'The Motion Picture Capital of the World,' 'The Heart of Screenland,' and 'Where Hollywood Movies are Made?'" If you're like me you'd probably ask, "What is Hollywood?" with some confidence. If you did, however,would make that slightly pained and disappointed expression and tell you that "the question we were looking for is "What is Culver City?" And again, if you're at all like me, you'd probably go, "Huh?" By the way, Jeopardy! has been filmed in Culver City since 1994.is, in fact, both currently and historically a major hub in the production of mainstream(you know, the ones usually referred to as "" films) but for whatever reason -- and despite the best efforts of many-- it has been far less successful than the Hollywood neighborhood in connecting its name to the entertainment industry in the global public's mind. In fact, I'd wager that more tourists andassociateandwith "Hollywood" film production than they do Culver City.I'm not really sure what makes a city a "Motion Picture Capital of the World." For years now, bothandand) have annually surpassed the entirein film production (and tellingly, as with, &c, signal their film-centricity by using a portmanteau that incorporates their own city or language with "Hollwood" and not "Culver City"). Meanwhile Culver City officials and other boosters continue to remind everyone of their city's place in the celluloid world at almost every conceivable opportunity. I even saw a sign for an apartment complex under construction which announced that it will be "debuting" rather than opening in 2014 (although "debuting" makes it sound like it's a teenage).Admittedly, even though I consider myself a fairly informed guy, it wasn't until researching this piece that I learned of Culver City's filmic importance. I've had a few friends that have lived in Culver City in the past and my impressions of the place had more to do with its small town atmosphere, its amazing diversity of restaurants, and the unpretentiousness of its populace rather than movie production. Then again, although I'm a film fanatic, the first thing I think of when I hear "Hollywood" isCulver City is by most definitions (a small group who live west of the 405 would beg to differ) a community in's(although likeit's its own city). Compared not just to other Westside communities butas a whole, the population of Culver City is highly diverse. As of 2010 the population was roughly 60%(primarilyand), 23%(primarily) of any race, 15%(primarily), 10%, and 1%Although the Culver City's area is only about 13 square kilometers, the fact that it's shaped something like a(the result of 42 strategic annexations) has resulted in its being neighbored by a large number of communities including(which is mostly located outside of Culver City),(not to be confused with the),, andCulver City is comprised of many neighborhoods of varying size. Their borders, names, and even status as neighborhoods isn't universally agreed upon. Some are descended from old tracts and others are little more than condominium developments. Anyway, in my research I found the following communities listed by at least once source as a neighborhood of Culver City:(akaaka),(aka),(a trailer court),(a gated community),, the, the(aka theaka the),(a gated community),(aka),), the(a gated community),(a gated community),(a gated community),(aka),(aka),(aka),, andMost of Culver City is comprised of low-profile residential neighborhoods comprised mainly of single family homes and most of what would likely of interest to visitors is likely located within and around, the, the, or adjacent but actually withinIf Culver City officials and others are unhappy that the community is widely overlooked for its contributions to cinema they seem to be just as happy to allow Culver City to be associated with a number of attractions that aren't actually within the city as they appear on tour maps and Culver City directional signs.(and),, most of the, the, theare all in Los Angeles -- not that that should preclude Culverites' promotion or enjoyment of them.It isn't known who the indigenous people of thewere nor what they called themselves. They may've been ancestors of theor speakers of alanguage. They probably arrived around 15,000 years ago. Some time later, around 8,000 years ago, they were displaced by or absorbed into a population whose ancestors migrated from the Sonoran Desert, a people who're today commonly referred to as. One of Tongva villages,, was located a little west of present day Culver City, near the mouth ofon. There were other, smaller villages located around the watershed as well.In 1542claimed what he believed to be thefor country of. In June 1769,embarked upon an overland expedition from, stopping near present-dayon the 3rd of August. It was the prelude to the Tongva and otherpeoples' subjugation within the California Mission System began its war of independence within 1810 and finally achieved it in 1821. That year the 12.65 km2was granted toand. To the east wasand. To the west wasandhad earlier been granted permission to graze cattle onin 1819, around which time the Machado built an adobe on the banks of the creek which soon flooded and washed away the structure (Ballona Creek was paved by thein 1935 to prevent further flooding). In 1821, Augustín's brotherand Felipe's soncame on board the operation. In 1834, Ygnacio Machado built thein what's nowAlthough theconqueredfrom Mexico in 1848, theensured that land holdings belonging to Mexicans would be honored by the victors. However, as early as 1857 the land began to change hands - first whenacquired a portion on foreclosure of an earlier loan to Talamantes. In 1849 Ygnacio had moved to(in). In preparation for the possibility of the thecoming to California,was established on the southern bank of Ballona Creek (nearand) and commanded by. In 1865,was built in what was by then called the-- and Augustín Machado died.(born inin 1880) began work as areal estate developer in 1910, in the employ of. Van Nuys founded a community named after himself in thein 1911. In 1913 Culver announced his plan for his "Culver City" to be located at the intersection of threelines (the, andlines) and "3 splendid boulevards" (, and).The planned community -- situated in the middle of nowhere but between, and-- was promoted with the slogan "All Roads Lead to Culver City." Ironically, Culver City's-- filed in 1913 -- was then reportedly the shortest such road in the world.In 1914 Culver started the. By then the instant community already boasted a train depot, cyclecar plant, and a macaroni factory. Culver City was incorporated on 20 September, 1917 with a population of just 530 residents -- all white -- as the now diverse community was at its inception a whites-only "sundown town."In the late, Culver City arose as one of the biggest centers of film production on the west coast (rivalingand) with the establishment of three major studios --and their successors -- as well as smaller ones (such as). Two of the three studio facilities still exist and one was torn down and replaced with light industrial buildings.Harry Culver met producer-directorwhen he was filming a western near Ballona Creek for(who'd opened west coast studio in Edendale) and persuaded him to set up a new operation in fledgling Culver City. In July 1915, Ince -- in partnership with, and filmmakersand-- founded Culver City's first motion picture company,. Thealmost immediately after published an article titledBy 1917 producerhad taken control of the studio, which then becameIn 1919 it was sold it to. In 1924, hisstudios became the property ofToday thecolonnade still stands although behind it is(and). In 2012, a 30 meter high metal rainbow sculpture was added that's visible from outside the lot.In 1918 Ince purchased a new lot nearby and establisheddesigned the building that now houses-- astructure that was nicknamedIn 1922, Ince Studios merged with. In November, 1924, Ince was invited aboard's yacht, the, to celebratehis birthday on a trip fromto. Other guests included actorsand others. Ince was initially delayed due to his finalizing a production deal with Hearst'sand the boat set sail without its guest of honor. After concluding business, Ince took a train to San Diego where he boarded the yacht. Three days after his 42nd birthday he was dead. The official version was that he'd grown ill on the yacht and been taken home where he died of a heart ailment but the rumor mill immediately began churning out variations on a story involving infidelity and murder (or accidental shooting). The story was the basis for's film,After his death, Ince's widowtook over Ince Studios for a short time. The Mansion later housed(thewas added in 1927),, andTo give a since of The Mansion's importance in film -- it was there thatandmade the highest grossing film of all time --(1939) andfilmed what's often considered to be the best film of all time,(1940). When it was Desilu its soundstages were used to filmseries includingand, among others.Due to Los Angeles zoning laws,couldn't expand his studio operations and so moved to movie-friendly Culver City in 1919. His new studio, nicknamedwas located on-- just south of the modern dayof the. The studio employed one of Culver City's first professional musical acts -- the. Hal Roach, of course, famously "created" the comedicduo. To this day, a local branch of the Sons of the Desert ) meet weekly at the Culver Hotel.Duringthe facilities were used to produce training films and it came to be nicknamedIt was demolished in 1963 and is now memorialized with a plaque (Culver City has more historical plaques than I've seen in any other exploration).Films made in Culver City during the great era ofinclude:(1916);, and(all 1919);, and(all 1920);, and(all 1921);and(both 1922);, and(all 1923);, and(all 1924);, and(all 1925);, and(all 1926);and, and(all 1927).Culver City is still very active in film production. Normally I try to mention all of the films shot within a community but, at well over 11,000 there are far too many for a blog entry. If you'd like to peruse thelist (sorted by date),To further emphasize how important Culver City's contribution has been I'll list just a few films made in Culver City have helped define, erm, Hollywood, including:(1933),(1934),(1937),(1937),(1939),(1940),(1946),(1952),(1955),(1955), and(1956). It's also where TV shows likeand many others were filmed too.Today Culver City is home to, the community's largest employer. It's the birthplace of film figures including, and. Finally, it's also home to many production companies, talent agencies, studios, distribution companies, consulting firms, &c all having to do with film production.Thewere the time of Culver City's greatest population growth -- the population increased over 1000% from just 503 to 5,669 during the decade., which lasted between 1919 and 1933, was somewhat ignored around Culver City and supposedly the race tracks, speakeasies, and nightclubs alongwere the reason Culver City annexed the area in 1924. During the Prohibition era Culver City was home to a thriving nightlife based around(which becamewherebegan his career with),(established in 1924),, and. As a result, Culver City (along withand) acquired a reputation as quite a happening and slightly lawless place.finally took action to prohibit gambling in 1928.In 1924 the six-story flatiron skyscraper (the sky was lower in those days)was completed. Although no longer the tallest building in Culver City, it's still widely visible and is the most iconic structure in the community.At some point early on it was re-named the. From 1924 until 1933 it housed Harry Culver's offices. It was later owned byand in the past housed many movie stars including, and. Before it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997, it was actually in danger of being demolished.From 1924 until 1927, thehosted auto races at a facility located nearandwas opened in 1924 byand(who combined their family names to create the theater's name). The first film shown at thehosted premier was's film,. It closed in 1983 and was demolished the following year -- replaced with a shopping plaza.was founded along within 1928 -- they're the oldest municipal transit companies in the state. In 1997 a new(with big urn sculpture in front) opened.At 2011's, Culver CityBus was voted the 5th best fleet in. The regular fleet buses are green and the rapid buses are gray. In addition to Culver City its seven lines serve, and-- covering an area of almost 70 km2.opened in 1928 at the present location of. An organ was added in 1929 and the house organist was. It was demolished in 1970.was constructed in 1929 (the same year the oldermerged with). It served as the new home of, first established inin 1923 bybefore relocating to Southern California. The building, which mixes elements ofandwas designed byand is eye-catching if a bit difficult to do justice to with photographs (on account of trees and traffic). In 1987, the Citizen Building became the first structure in Culver City to be placed on the. Donvan's paper,, actually ran a contest to rename Culver City. Entries includedandbut obviously, Culver City's name remained the same after Hollywood and Culver City buried the hatchet at'swas established on the border of Culver City and Los Angeles (in what's now known as the Helms Bakery District) in 1931. In 1932, during the Olympics, Helms Bakery supplied bread to thein. For more than forty years its fleet of delivery drivers brought bread "daily at your door" until 1969, when bakery closed shop. In October, 2013 it was announced that chefsandplan to revive the bakery later in the fall.From 1932 to 1985 thewas established just outside of Culver City. Though technically located within Los Angeles; the name, proximity, and jobs it provided for Culverites make it worthy of a mention here, I think.In 1883, the Figueroa family donated land for the construction of, the first church in what became Culver City. It was completed in 1887. The newchurch was dedicated 1936.Theopened in 1939. An area known asis, as they say, the final resting place of many celebrities including:, andamong others.Thesaw both increasing diversity within Culver City's population and at the same time, the population growth rate began to increase again -- although it nonetheless nearly reached 20,000 by the decade's end. Prior to the, mostAngelenos had lived in thein neighborhoods like, and. Toward the end of that decade and into the 1940s, many moved west toand especially the. Culver passed away on 17 August, 1946 -- two years before thebanned segregation, which even more radically changed Culver City's complexion although restrictions against multiple-family housing helped retain an economic segregation.opened in 1941 just beyond the borders of Culver City. It was renamedin 1950.was designed by great Los Angeles architect,, in 1954. The cemetery was annexed by Culver City in 1964. It contains the earthly remains of, andamong others.The beautiful, 1,1640-seat,opened in 1946. At some later point it was regrettably divided into a three-screen theater before being gutted in 1994. In the years since it's been renovated and transformed into a performing arts center and playhouse known now as theopened in 1948. It was featured in several films includingand. It was closed in 1993 before being demolished in 1998 and redeveloped asand. (To read about still extant SoCal drive-ins,).Thewere a decade of increasing development. Passenger rail service ended in 1953 with the discontinuation of the Pacific Electric Railway line and at the same time car dealerships proliferated -- as did bowling alleys. In 1951, the annualbegan -- an outgrowth of the earlierfestivities which had begun in the 1930s. In 1953, theopened to serve the community's growing Jewish population.Theshopping center opened in 1950, one of Southern California's first malls. In its honor,was renamed. The firstcoffee shop opened there in 1956. Fearing that Culver Center's growing dominance could spell the end for Culver City's smal downtown, the city council refused to allowto open a shop in the mall.also opened in 1950, a year afterwas renamed. Its most eye-catching feature was its, which offered tourists a glimpse of the nearby studio's back lots and pretty stunning views -- although its been closed to visitors for several decades now. The currentwas then home to the. In front of the center is a fountain and sculpture titled, dedicated in 1984 to what the plaque calls "The Motion Picture Capital of the World."Even less recognized than Culver City's contribution to film is its contribution to reality programming -- although it likewise should be otherwise. In 1954, the great (if obscure)debuted on. It wasn't the first reality show -- that would bewhich debuted in 1948. But whereas the latter was nothing more than the sort of silly prank show still popular around the world, the latter was something more interesting. Night Watch was developed and hosted by Culver City police reporterat a time when audiences were leaving radio for TV and radio responded by offering realism (and perhaps voyeuristic exploitation) that the family boob tube couldn't. Each episode involved Reed riding withfrom 6:00 pm till 2:00 am and recording everything. It ended its short run in 1955 but all 48 episodes still exist and are fascinating glimpses of Culver City life in the 1950s. You can listen to them allIn the, although Culver City continued to annex more territory (including, notably,), the population growth rate again dropped, as it has in most of the decades since. In 1964 Culver City established its firstrelationship with. Though Culver City remains comprised mostly of single family homes it was during this time that the first apartments and condominiums were constructed. The first condo complex,, was completed in 1965. In the next decade, more studio properties would be sold off and redeveloped into residential complexes and shopping centers.In 1961 entrepreneur and race car enthusiasthiredto design the new headquarters for hison in Culver City.was responsible more than any other individual for popularizingin the US. Consider this -- whereas in 1953 there had been no American dealers of the car, by 1962 von Neumann alone had opened 57 Volkswagen dealerships in the country. By 1964 Competition Motors moved out, having outgrown the facility. I'm not sure when it happened but it Williams's beautiful building was demolished.I'm sure a great deal more of note happened in Culver City in thethan what I'm writing about but that's all I've got for now.In 1974, another of Culver City's sister cities,, created a meditation garden in front of the. On the day that I visited it I discovered that the garden it's relatively inaccessible due its being surrounded by a fence. What's more, no water was running in the stream and the mill wheel was motionless. Further encumbering any efforts at meditation was the loud and seemingly endless stream of traffic behind me on. Meanwhile the interior of the, as it's now known, proved much more peaceful.opened in 1975. The-designed mall was the first three-story shopping complex to open in California. It was purchased byin 1998 and renamed(The "Shoppingtown" was dropped in 2005).wrote aof its "dining terrace" (food court) for theshortly before leaving that publication. It's currently officially known asThewere marked by theand the. It almost proved to be too much for the city that had weathered the Depression with comparative ease. The city's hopes for renewal were pinned on the destruction of The Meralta theater and the replacement of it with theoffice building.In 1986, thewas completed (now) -- another of several projects helmed by thewithin a short period. The pink granite pyramid-ish atrium portrayed theoffices on TV's. Interested visitors can, with daily tours starting here.In 1989, the three tower complex ofwas completed -- the tallest building is twelve stories and its construction prompted slow growth advocates ro react by successfully lowering Culver City's height limit to just 56 feet in 1990.Culver City's comeback continued in thebought's old studio in 1990 and established itself as the dominant economic force in town. Beginning with 1991's filmsand, Sony films shot in Culver City stated in their credits that they wereA newwas dedicated in 1995, behind the mock facade of the original city hall -- meant to suggest a film set.opened in 1992. This is where the visual effects and digital animation that characterize mainstream American film happens.In 2003,moved to Culver City. The-styled (at least the exterior)multiplex opened in 2003. Thereturned rail service and developers clamored to construct mixed-use transit-oriented developments. Around the same time a tribe of people calling themselves "foodies" starting visiting it. In 2009 it won's-- basically their annual community popularity contest.As already mentioned, Culver City is home to the excellentsystem. In 2012, after 60 years without it, passenger rail service returned to Culver City (and the Westside) with the arrival of the(which I explored both theof, and theof, for mycolumn,). Before too long the train will go all the way to the(although it shouldn't be confused with thewhich is scheduled to take several decades to get there).Parallel to the Expo Line along most of its length is a bike path. There's also thethat runs about eleven kilometers from near the eastern edge of Culver City to thealong Santa Monica Bay. Finally, there's the 3.4 kmand of course, bikes can ride on all city streets as well.Additionally, Culver City is served by twolines (and), and Santa Monica's. And if you're the walking time, as I am, it's quite walkable. Walkscore gives Culver City a score of 79. The 90232 zip code, which includes most of the city's attractions, gets an 84 -- only one point lower thanand-- the current #1 and #2 on the list.If you want to stay overnight in Culver City there's of course the famous and highly-ratedas well as (in descending order of currentratings), andOne of my absolute favorite things about Culver City is the diversity of the restaurant scene. There are restaurants serving, andcuisine, among others.Oddly, on the day that I explored for this blog entry and despite the amazing choices available, every single person I saw at every single sidewalk café was grazing on salad. At first I thought it was some sort of special holiday or maybe I'd walked onto the set of a commercial for lettuce or something but I think it was actually an indication of the importance of "the Industry" actually; these people were quite likely "doing" lunch (in the parlance of schmooze).There have been a couple of hiccups with the food explosion. Until 2011 there wasand thewhich may or may not return after permits are sorted out. In the past I've enjoyed meals at, andI have also heard a lot of raving (and almost just as much dissent) about-- but have yet to check it out -- suspecting (even though I should know better) that its fans may never have crossed theto the Eastside.If you'd like to learn how to cook, you can attend Culver City's. You can get restaurant supplies from, which has been around since 1937. Thetakes place downtown every Tuesday from 3:00 to 7:00. It was actually setting up as I left the area and headed west, stopping at and enjoying a lunch at(East).Other restaurants include:, andFor the thirsty, there are a few places to wet one's whistle in Culver City including, andThere have been at least a couple of "city songs" composed for Culver City. In 1967,composedIn 1985,composed,Thehas performed since 2000. It was also formerly home to(see below)Culver City is the birthplace or home base of several performers including (I think) include(of, andand. I'm not sure if he was born there but's DJis widely associated with Culver City.Local music stores include(who host the),(which offers music lessons), and. Furthermore,'s headquarters are there, thetakes place there, andfeatures live music and poetry open mic nights. There are also almost certainly several music studios although the only one that I noticed wereandIn a 2007piece titledthe writer refers to Culver City as a "nascent Chelsea" -- comparing Los Angeles to New York is the paper's highest honor. Anyway, the article mentions, and-- not one of those happens to be actually in Culver City, mind you. That's right, the arts area often referred to as the Culver City Arts District is almost entirely located within Los Angeles and not Culver City.The narrow strip of the Arts District along Washington that actually is within Culver City is home to quite a few galleries such as, andOther art galleries that I'm pretty sure are in Culver City include, and. To see a map of galleries in the(both within and without Culver City)There's plenty of public art too -- maybe too much. In 2009, construction workers mistook'sfor construction materials and removed it. In my travels I noticed's, and's(plus a lot of murals).to see a map of public art in Culver City orto see's piece on a Culver City public art scavenger hunt.closed in 1969 and in 1974 it was purchased by. It's now home to several restaurants and home décor places. It also hosts thein which local artisans peddle their wares. The old bakery actually straddles the Culver City and Los Angeles border. At the southern end,andare in Culver City. At the northern end,is not. The distinction isn't totally obvious from street level althoughbecomes the pedestrian-onlyas it enters Culver City. The Helms District has also hosted-- one of the region's increasingly popular night markets -- and thesumer outdoor film screenings.One of the other interesting neighborhoods of Culver City is the, the city's former industrial district. Now most of them are home to offices by and studios for architects, graphic designers, new media types, software engineers, &c. Some of the newer and altered buildings in the area serve as calling cards for their creators (especially, who should be proclaimed the Hayden Tract's honorary mayor) such as the, the, the, the, the, the, and the. It's one of the most eye-catching collections ofbuildings inCulver City is home to several parks. On oneI went with some friends toor. From up on the hill we could see the entire Westside and noticed that nowhere were there any fireworks. Thoroughly nonplussed a couple of us headed what turned out to be south, discovering in South LA that yes, there are people west ofwho like fireworks displays. Culver City is also home to, andIf you like museums there's the(focused onmemorabilia) and the(focused onandart). There are several book stores including, and. Culver City is also home to(a barbershop and lounge), the(a children's space), and.(an environmental education and wildlife rescue center).If you want to get involved in Culver City, there have been a great deal of civic organizations and clubs.seems to be inactive but the(established in 1920),(established in 1921),(established in 1923),(established in 1930),(established in 1944),(established in 1980),, andseem to all still be around (as are many others). Teens can utilize the(with a parent's signature).