I share a place on the Palms Culver side with two other girls, so Mar Vista is the next neighborhood over, not a fantasy move. People keep calling it the Westside compromise, cheaper than Santa Monica, closer to the beach than Culver, not as chaotic as Venice after dark. Is that actually true if you live there, or is it just what brokers say? Farmers market, Venice Blvd, how far the sand really is.
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Mar Vista Farmers Market at Grand View and Venice Blvd. Sunday, rain or shine, and it is the neighborhood in one block. That is the compromise people mean.
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A friend lives in Mar Vista. Seems to be even quieter than Palms. Fewer restaurants and grocery stores, but very clean.
Just a nice residential neighborhood. Feels safe.
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Rasselbock on Grand View is one of my favorites. Beer garden/kitchen and you can sit without performing Venice. You get Westside access without paying Palisades money. The beach is a short drive, not a lifestyle you have to live on top of.
One thing I noticed is that Mar Vista has a lot of beautiful single-family homes. I could see myself living in one of those one day.
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I looked at Mar Vista when I was comparing westside rents to Koreatown. It is quieter than Venice at night, which is the whole point if you work from home. You are close to Culver and the 405, and you are not sitting in tourist traffic on a Tuesday. I stayed in Ktown for the food, but the compromise pitch is real if you want the westside without the westside circus.
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Let me be honest. Mar Vista is not the beach. You still drive to the sand. What you get is a residential grid, Venice Blvd for errands and cheaper rent than Santa Monica for the same number of bedrooms.
It is a fine place to live if you want quiet.
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I live in West LA and I am not moving, so this is neighbor talk, not a listing. Mar Vista is the version of the westside that still has a farmers market and a beer garden on the same stretch. Electric Bleu and Rasselbock are the proof it is not only apartments. If your budget is the roommate version, it is a smarter landing than pretending you can do Abbot Kinney on a split lease.
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One thing people tend to overlook is that it's one of the safest neighborhoods. Violent crime in Mar Vista is like 5 times lower than in Venice and 3 times lower than in Santa Monica. It's a good place to raise a family. Rent is about 25% cheaper than in Santa Monica. It's overall cleaner and less chaotic.
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Right, but makes sense when most of it is residential. That's why it has higher property crime. Not trying to bash Mar Vista. It's a nice neighborhood, but it doesn't have the nightlife scene that SM or Venice do.
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True, plus it's close to everything. Doesn't really feel like a trade-off.
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I lived in Mar Vista on Beethoven St. for a while. It took me like 10 minutes to get to the beach.
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I don't think you can beat the location. About a 10- to 15-minute drive to Venice Beach, Santa Monica, Culver City, Silicon Beach.. Roughly 15 to 20 minutes from LAX via the 405. So a location "trade-off" looks indeed different. 
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Maybe not the most exciting neighborhood for people in their 20s. Once you pass that phase, there isn't much of a downside.
Especially interesting for tech people drive to Silicon Beach for work.
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I don't feel Venice is that bad, to be honest. Never really had issues. You just need to know what areas to avoid after dark. There's nothing wrong with Mar Vista, but I think Santa Monica and Venice are more walkable. No point in comparing the nightlife.
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I agree on the walking part. You also go more grocery stores close by. Same accounts for schools and doctors..
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