Wow, I made the cover!(Well maybe in time more people will write reviews & post pictures & hence my removal) :) Anyhow, I’m not sure if this review fits this location. I’m going with it based on prior reviews & photos — the older photos several years ago. The actual park is located on Via Marina and ends at Pacific Ave. Either way, the entire area is beautiful — though the only unfortunate sight would be looking at the low water levels due to the drought. Description of park is along portion of Via Marina until it curves. You have a area to stroll in, pockets of areas to sit in and take in views from all sides of Peninsula, north & south jetty’s, main channel, Playa Del Rey beach, etc. You’ll see all moms w/kids meeting up at the same grassy spots, pet parents walking their babies, fit conscious jogging, couples, people strolling, little work out groups(saw a group of lovely ladies — my age & older, doing Zumba). And with that, you get to watch people doing all kinds of water sports whether on boats — canoeing, yahts, sail boats, etc or paddling, jet skis, etc. And the added bonus of plane spotting over the ocean. Description of what is across the street is actually Ballona Creek/Grand Canal with a nice walk path that is probably under 2 miles one way. This canal basically resembles the canals in Venice, however in Marina Del Rey. There’s also a bridge that will take you over to Pacific Ave. What you get a nice quiet area to take a stroll in, some use for early morning walks or jogs and there is some wildlife. There are also doggy bag dispensers throughout for your pets. Very nice homes, I can imagine in the millions, but it’s always free to go take a stroll, look at them and dream. :) All in all you’ve got a great area, with lots of great scenic views. Sssshhhhh! It’s suppose to be a secret!
William H.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Marina del Rey, CA
Since this is just walking distance to my home, I come here often. It’s very quiet and private do not a lot of people around!
Joan S.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Los Angeles, CA
I’ve been coming here regularly since I moved to LA several years ago. It’s such a cool place that it feels magical. When I lived on Venice Beach I used to walk here, a long walk, but lovely. One year I photographed myself with Russ on one of the overlooks and sent the pic to all our friends back in Chicago. Russ used to sit there with his laptop as I walked the jetty and the beach. Not that many years ago, but before Unilocal was born! I’ve been photographing the park for a long time, but I’ll post just the pics I took the other day. Austin Park includes the grassy strip along Via Marina, with the overlooks, and it includes the north jetty. And apparently it includes the lagoon overlook on the other side of the road. Looking north from there, you can see the Santa Monica Mountains in the far distance, over the Grand Canal. You’ve got amazing channel views here. You are at the very end of the Marina Peninsula. We used to see Johnny Carson heading out on his boat. Celebs lived in the immediate proximity, like Nick Cage… and I think Suzanne Somers owned that brown house facing the beach, the one at the very end of Speedway. And how about the building with the pirate figure on the roof?! Too cool. It’s peaceful to just watch the boats going back and forth in the channel. Sailboats, speedboats, huge yachts, kayaks, jet skis. And dogs swim off the rocks, although it’s not officially allowed. Shhhhhh… LAX is nearby, just the other side of the Playa del Rey hill that you can see from the park, so you got planes taking off in the distance in addition to boats floating by. There’s metered parking all along the border of the grassy area of the park, and on a sunny weekend you might have to wait for a space, as I did last weekend. The Marina Peninsula is a treasure, for sure. Would be one great place to live. Very expensive real estate, understandably. So for now I will just enjoy the views…
