Rancho Park

Rancho Park is a neighborhood that’s at the center of all you could ask for. From a golf course to dining to freeway access, this Los Angeles community has it all. It’s an asset that continues to attract people to the area.

The homes you’ll find in Rancho Park encompass a range of architectural styles. “It has little of everything,” says local Realtor Ron Wynn of Compass. This includes Spanish Colonial homes with terracotta roofs, English Tudor, and traditional and contemporary styles. Most of these homes were built in the 1930s and 1940s and average around 2,000 square feet.

The lots in Rancho Park span 5,000 to 7,000 square feet. That’s enough for a slice of both front and back lawn space. Though it's mostly single-family homes here, there’s also a smattering of condos. Wynn says that condos can start in the $900,000s, while single-family homes start at just under $2 million but usually sell for $2.3 million or more.

When you live in Rancho Park you can quickly trek from the neighborhood’s residential blocks to West Pico Boulevard for a bite to eat. The food on this stretch represents a melting pot of culture. Bossa Nova Brazilian Cuisine is a popular spot, where the plantains are a favorite. The menu here features Italian offerings as well. Just down the road, Jaipur Cuisine of India is notable for its lunch buffet, and the tikka masala is one of its standout dishes. La Serenata Restaurant, a couple of doors down, was once featured on Gordon Ramsey’s TV show “24 Hours to Hell and Back.” The enchiladas are popular, as are the margaritas. West Pico Boulevard is also home to the former West Pavilion Mall, which now serves as office space for Google.

Another appeal of Rancho Park, Wynn says, is its proximity to the Westfield Century City mall. That shopping center has two levels and unfurls for 1.4 million square feet, with 175 stores and 60 dining options. There’s an AMC movie theater here, with 15 screens and some 2,500 seats. The facility is considered one of the top malls on the West Coast.

Rancho Park is part of the Los Angeles Unified School District, and there are multiple schools nearby. The schools include Overland Avenue Elementary and Clover Avenue Elementary, which both tout A- overall ratings from Niche and have standout arts programs. For middle school, students in Rancho Park can attend Palms or Daniel Webster. Palms has two magnet programs, one for students interested in modern media and communications and another for gifted/high-ability students. Webster has a STEAM magnet center.

University High School Charter and Alexander Hamilton Senior High are where Rancho Park students can go for Grades 9 to 12. University High School Charter is rated among the best charter schools across the Los Angeles area by Niche, and Alexander Senior High has Performing Arts and Humanities and School for the Advanced Studies magnet programs. Rancho Park has a well-regarded private school, Notre Dame Academy, which serves kindergarten to 12th grade.

Notre Dame Academy is across Overland Avenue from Palms Park, a neighborhood place for outdoor recreation, with a playground and basketball courts. There’s also a 100-person-capacity recreation center here, and the Palms-Rancho Park Branch Library, which features dedicated language collections in Spanish and Persian. The Rancho Park Golf Course is located nearby and is a boon for golf lovers. This public circuit has hosted 18 Los Angeles Open tournaments and includes a nine-hole par 3 course.

Commuters in Rancho Park enjoy the convenience of living near the 10 and 405 freeways. Wynn says the Los Angeles light rail station here, the Westwood/Rancho Park stop between Westwood Boulevard and Overland Avenue, is a big attraction as well. Wynn notes that the train system can be used to get anywhere from the Crypto.com Arena, formerly known as the Staples Center, on the east, to downtown Santa Monica on the west.

Rancho Park, a neighborhood with all-access appeal.

Written By

Wayne Epps Jr.

Photography Contributed By

Kalina Mondzholovska

Video By

Victoria York