Marina del Rey is a beachside community technically located within the city limits of Los Angeles. Marina del Rey consists of the land (both incorporated and unincorporated) and water areas of the Marina del Rey Boat Harbor. This harbor was created as a multi-use recreational, small-craft harbor facility. The county of Los Angeles owns the 804 acres, 493 of that are water, that comprise the existing water-oriented development of Marina del Rey. The harbor uses included hotels, restaurants, apartments, condominiums, and offices. Most important, to the primary use of recreational boating for which the harbor was designed are 6,187 boat slips.
The land surrounding the harbor includes a mixture of single-family residences, apartments, condominiums, and office and retail development. Single-family development is largely within the triangular area formed by Washington Boulevard, Lincoln Boulevard, and Admiralty Way, while apartment and condominium development is in the eastern portion of this area, south of Maxella. Commercial uses are dominated by the Villa Marina Marketplace and Lincoln Boulevard is heavily trafficked through Marina del Rey and uses are mainly street retail.
Marina del Rey is located within the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), although there are no schools in the community boundary limits. Students from Marina del Rey attend Coeur d’Alene Avenue Elementary School, Marina del Rey Middle School, and Venice High School.