Aficionados of mid-century architecture will appreciate the Mar Vista Tract, bordered by Palms Blvd, Marco Pl, Beethoven St and Meier St. The first designated historic district in the city consisting solely of modernist, post-war homes, its original 52 houses are all still intact, offering a rare, uninterrupted glimpse of late-1940s LA suburbia. The tract was driven by prolific modernist architect Gregory Ain, who believed that modern architecture promised a better life and should be available to all.
Originally planned to house 100 homes on 60 acres, the estate's scaled-down version was completed by Ain (in collaboration with Joseph Johnson and Alfred Day) in 1948. Note the themed flora on its trio of streets: ficus on Beethoven St, Australian melaleuca on Moore St and magnolias on Meier St.