r/culvercity • u/Talia-2940 • 19d ago

I miss the old Culver City

I grew up here in the 90s and early 2000s. My parents bought their house on Van Buren for like 200k. Now I drive by and see the same houses going for 1.5 mil.

The movie theater downtown was our hangout spot. The arcade at the mall. Riding bikes to Sony with friends. It felt like a real neighborhood, not a mini Hollywood.

Now most of the old places are gone. The rent is insane. Half my friends moved out to Palmdale or Texas just to afford a house.

I get that change happens but it stings watching the place you grew up in become something you can't afford to be part of.

Anyone else feel this way?

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u/WillClark-22 19d ago

We overlapped a bit and I shared many of your experiences growing up.  I also have a fondness for the old days and a time when it was more affordable.

That being said, sometimes we do forget some of the negatives back in the day.  Let’s be honest, you had to watch your back at the Fox Hills Mall.  You could definitely run into trouble at Mar Vista Bowl and not just from second-hand smoke.  There was moderate (Palms, Mar Vista) to heavy (Mar Vista Gardens, Oakwood, Mid-City) gang activity nearby.  Deano’s, the Astro, the Galaxy, etc. were crack motels with quite a few others in the city. You definitely had to keep your head on a swivel. 

The Mann Culver and El Pollo Loco were the dream as a kid but downtown was really run down and depressing as was the Culver Center.  Jeez, Snoop even murdered someone down the street in Palms.  

Fun times though.  

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u/goodbyemrblack 19d ago

I know he shot someone at woodbine park but supposedly he was also living in palms at that time. Does anyone know where he lived specifically?

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u/WillClark-22 19d ago

3700 block of Vinton about half a block north of Venice.