Westchester (California)

Westchester includes Los Angeles International Airport, whose runways and service facilities, along with the associated hotels and travel services, dominate the southern portion of the neighborhood. In contrast, the northern half is largely residential and retail. It is also home to Loyola Marymount University and the Otis College of Art and Design.

Thousands arrive in Westchester through LAX every day, but residents and visitors to Westchester, as in much of Los Angeles, typically travel by car. The primary connection to the freeway system is Route 405. This freeway experiences heavy daily congestion during commute times, and locals will sometimes opt for Sepulveda Blvd., Lincoln Blvd. (California Route 1), or La Cienega Blvd. as alternate access routes from the north and south.
Being home to LAX ensures a significant number of travel options are available to Westchester. The Los Angeles County MTA, Santa Monica Big Blue Bus, and Culver City Bus systems all have connecting routes to the airport and surrounding areas. Flyaway Shuttles, a bus service operated by LAX, provides a non-stop connection to the airport from Downtown Los Angeles, Westwood, and San Fernando Valley.
Neither Westchester nor the airport, strangely, have a direct connection to the Los Angeles Metro light rail system (though several solutions have been proposed). An airport shuttle service to the nearest metro station is available (see LAX for additional information).

• Ben Maltz Gallery

  phone: +1 310 665-6800
  address: 9045 Lincoln Blvd
  An art gallery focusing on contemporary art and design at Otis College. Also features a lecture series on design topics that is open to the public.

• AMF El Dorado Lanes

  phone: +1 310-670-0688
  address: 8731 Lincoln Blvd
  Open until midnight or later every day of the week, the 32 lanes are the place to go when you need to get your disco-bowl on. The attached KJ's restaurant serves proper bowling alley food (sandwiches, burgers, chili dogs), and there is a full bar for those who need adult beverages when wearing rented shoes. Parking is limited in the front lot, but there is a large garage located in the rear.

• Westchester Recreation Center

  phone: +1 310 670-7473
  address: 7000 W. Manchester Ave
  A large public park and multipurpose complex featuring a public pool and sports fields near Loyola Marymount University. Reservation required for picnic and barbeque areas.

• Westchester Golf Course

  phone: +1 310 649-9167
  address: 6900 West Manchester Ave
  An 18-hole public course adjacent to the Westchester Recreation Center. Its noisy neighbor (LAX) will never let you believe that you are playing Augusta, but the course is fun, well-maintained, and relatively inexpensive. This course can fill up quickly, so pay attention to tee times and reserve early if planning a round.

• Loyola Marymount Lions

  phone: +1 310 338-LION
  address: 1 LMU Drive
  Sports teams of Loyola Marymount University, fielding NCAA Division I teams in 10 men's and 12 women's sports in the West Coast Conference alongside nine other private schools on the West Coast plus BYU in Utah. With no football team, the most followed sports are men's and women's basketball, baseball, softball, and volleyball. The athletic venues, the most prominent of which is Gersten Pavilion (basketball and volleyball), are clustered in the southeast corner of campus. The mapped location for this entry is the Lions Athletic Center, home to the LMU ticket office.

• The Promenade at Howard Hughes Center

  phone: +1 310 641-8073
  address: 6081 Center Dr
  An outdoor shopping mall in Westchester. The mall is home to an upscale 18-theater Cinemark movie complex, Dave & Busters, Buffalo Wild Wings, and dozens of other shops and restaurants.

• The Runway Playa Vista

  address: 12746 W Jefferson Blvd
  Opened in 2015, this commercial center within the Playa Vista community houses a 9-screen Cinemark theater offering VIP seating in barco-lounger style chairs with food & beverage service, a Whole Foods Market with an impressive variety of prepared items, and additional stores including CVS and smaller shops.

• Chateau Edelweiss

  phone: +1 310 645-8740
  address: 8740 S. Sepulveda Blvd
  Family-owned Swiss restaurant famous for authentic fondue, raclette, and schnitzel, with excellent beer on tap.

• Humble Potato

  phone: +1 323 989-2242
  address: 8321 Lincoln Blvd
  A Japanese take on the American burger joint. The Curry Burger and Chocolate-Avocado Shake are some of the new interpretations of old favorites.

• Kanpai

  phone: +1 310 338-7223
  address: 8325 Lincoln Blvd
  Small sushi bar with a large menu selection, and a special late-night ramen menu. Prices vary widely, so meals can be had anywhere between 'mid-range' and 'splurge' categories.

• KC's Cafe

  phone: +1 310 348-9697
  address: 8320 Lincoln Blvd
  Coffee shop and creperie near Loyola Marymount campus.

• Pann's Restaurant

  phone: +1 323 776-3770
  address: 6710 La Tijera Blvd
  The building is regarded as an outstanding and well-preserved example of 1940s-googie-style architecture. Visitors may recognize the restaurant's iconic look from the movie Pulp Fiction. Beyond its Hollywood connections, Pann's is an authentic example of the American diner, and the menu is known for its breakfast selection.

• Truxton's Bistro

  phone: +1 310 417-8789
  address: 8611 Truxton Ave
  A neighborhood American-style bistro and bar that works a variety of different ethnic influences into its menu. The atmosphere is laid-back and the prices are reasonable for full-service dining.

• Melody Bar

  phone: +1 310 670-1994
  address: 9132 S. Sepulveda Blvd
  A used-to-be-a-dive bar, and although still cultivates a kitschy image, this place has taken a turn for the trendy when it changed ownership a few years ago. The atmosphere is loud and lively. Six different flavors of mac-and-cheese.

• Courtyard Los Angeles LAX/Century Boulevard

  phone: +1 310 649-1400
  address: 6161 W Century Blvd

• Crowne Plaza Los Angeles Airport

  phone: +1 310 642-7500
  address: 5985 W. Century Blvd

• Embassy Suites LAX - North

  phone: +1 310 215-1000
  address: 9801 Airport Blvd
  Offers free 24-hour shuttle service.

• Holiday Inn LAX Airport Hotel

  phone: +1 310 694-5151
  address: 9901 La Cienega Blvd
  Offers free 24-hour airport shuttle.

• Westchester's pedestrian-compatible residential northern areas vary greatly from the area surrounding LAX. Century Blvd. and Sepulveda Blvd. experience heavier traffic volumes and a larger than average number of buses and high-occupancy vehicles. Be aware of your surroundings and exercise caution if navigating these areas on foot.
• The east side of Westchester, particularly along La Cienega Blvd., where the district borders Inglewood, has a higher crime rate than is typical for the area. The violent crime rate has fallen, but petty crime and robbery are still above normal levels for the region. Travellers should not feel discouraged from visiting, but should exercise higher caution when in this area.

The cities and neighborhoods that border Westchester include the following:

• Culver City - Westchester's neighbor to the northeast is the home of Sony Studios. Culver City has undergone a rebirth, and has very impressive restaurant options.
• Marina Del Rey - The "Marina of the king" is Westchester's northern neighbor, and is home to a vast number of restaurants, hotels, and the Ballona wetlands.
• Playa Del Rey - Located northeast of Westchester and adjacent to LAX, Playa del Rey is home to extensive beaches and a variety of dining options.
• El Segundo - Home to Dockweiler State Beach, Westchester's southern neighbor provides numerous dining and lodging options.
• Hawthorne - Bordering Westchester to the southeast, Hawthorne is home to several aerospace companies including SpaceX, and is an option for those needing lodging near LAX.
• Inglewood - A rough neighborhood that borders Westchester to the east, Inglewood is home to sites that include the landmark Randy's Donuts.