22+THINGS 10+ THINGS
A New Year means a new opportunity to get involved with the community, connect with your neighbors and learn more about Westchester/Playa! We love answering our readers’ questions, so we’ve put together a list of some of our most popular queries to help you get a head start on all the things you should know about Westchester/Playa in 2022! We hope you learn something new, and if there’s a burning question you have about the community, please reach out! Email us at westchesterhometown@yahoo.com, and we’ll do our best to answer it.
TO KNOW TO KNOW ABOUT ABOUT WESTCHESTER WESTCHESTER && PLAYA PLAYA IN IN 2022 2022
From left to right: 1. A local band rocks out at the Westchester Arts & Music Block Party. 2. The giant KAWS BFF statue in Playa Vista. 3. Shoppers enjoy the Westchester Farmers’ Market.
Q. What are some local volunteer opportunities? A. People in Westchester/Playa love to give back to their community, so there’s multiple organizations that host regular volunteer opportunities. One of our favorites is Clean UP Westchester. Once a month, community members with a passion for beautification team up for an hour-long cleanup activity. Join this enthusiastic crew at their next meetup on Saturday, January 22 at 9 a.m. Volunteers will meet at 83rd Street and Lincoln, and trash grabbers and bags will be provided. To RSVP and to learn more, email granttfrancis@ gmail.com. In addition to the fun volunteers have trying to see who can pick up the most garbage, attendees are provided with special T-shirts. Another group that loves working with volunteers is the Friends of Ballona Wetlands. Check out their calendar of events to find ways you can help with their Ballona Creek cleanups and restoring the wetlands. They’re currently accepting volunteers for their Habitat Restoration event on Friday, January 21 from 3 to 5 p.m. Volunteers should be at least 7-years-old, and kids must be accompanied by an adult. Space is limited, so RSVPs are required. Learn
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more at ballonafriends.org. Other community groups that regularly have volunteer opportunities include the Westchester Family YMCA and Playa del Rey’s Grass Roots Neighbors.
Ballona Discovery Park in Playa Vista. When visiting this “museum without walls,” you’ll learn about the Gabrielino-Tongva people, discover the different habitats in the Ballona Wetlands and read about the plants and animals that call the area home, thanks to the numerous interpretive signs. Ballona Discovery Park is located at 13110 Bluff Creek Dr. in Playa Vista.
Each market has different vendors and products, so if you have the time, make sure to visit both to see which one fits your shopping needs.
Q. Where can I view art in the community? A. While the community has its fair share of public Q. Where can I learn more art (including a painting dedicated about the history of the area? to Maya Angelou in the parking lot A. If you’re a history buff or just next to Truxton’s; multiple large-scale curious about your community, we murals in the Westchester business recommend visiting the Westchester/ Q. Where are the local farmers’ district; a giant KAWS BFF statue Playa Historical Society’s (WPHS) in Playa Vista and almost a dozen Discovery Center. The center is open markets? A. The Playa Vista Farmers’ Market is the largest in the utility box murals), Westchester is on Sundays during the Westchester also home to two art galleries. On the area and runs Saturdays from 9:30 Farmers’ Market (9 a.m. to 1 p.m.) campus of Otis College of Art and a.m. to 2 p.m. The market is located and houses a large digital archive of Design, there’s the Ben Maltz Gallery. photos and other artifacts. The center in Runway Playa Vista, and shoppers is located in the Westchester Triangle can expect to find lots of organic fruit Loyola Marymount University is and veggies, as well as a large number home to the Laband Gallery. While and is staffed by knowledgeable right now both locations are closed to of artisanal food vendors and booths volunteers ready to answer your the public due to the pandemic, the selling clothing, jewelry and more. questions and get nostalgic. Laband’s current exhibition is “June Visit farmermark.com for more info. On January 9, WPHS will open its Edmonds: Full Spectrum.” Depending The Westchester Farmers’ Market first themed exhibition, which will runs Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in on LMU’s visitor policy for the spring focus on aviation. If you enjoy your the Westchester Triangle. In addition semester, reservations may open to time at the center, consider making to fruits and veggies (we like the pick community members next month a visit to the Flight Path Museum, through a preregistration system on three for $5 booth at the end of the which also has an aviation-focus. the gallery’s website. Learn more market), check out vendors selling The museum is located on Imperial about upcoming exhibits by joining bread, pastries, gifts, salsa, tamales Highway in Westchester and has and more. wonderful displays focused on all their mailing lists at cfa.lmu.edu/ Follow the market on Instagram for labandgallery and otis.edu/ things flight and LAX. an update on what’s in season To learn more about the early ben-maltz-gallery. @westchesterfarmersmarket. history of the area, stop by the (continued on page 16)
Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News
