The Shoshone and Gabrielino/Tongva Indians were the region’s original inhabitants, and today Marina del Rey, which means “Marina of the King,” is the largest man-made marina in the United States, with almost 5,000 boat slips  spanning  800 acres, with half of that area underwater

During the Spanish and Mexican eras in the 1500s, the area became part of Rancho La Ballona, which was used mainly for cattle ranching. After 1848, the land was sold off, and by the late 1800s to early 1900s, it was primarily used for farming barley and lima beans.

Originally wetlands, the area underwent significant dredging by creating a breakwater to protect the harbor from strong wave action. The harbor is the result of a successful Army Corps of Engineers project, funded and planned cooperatively by the federal government, Los Angeles County, and private developers. 

Marina del Rey

Courtesy Marina del Rey Historical Society

In 1963, pioneering engineer Valeria Lincoln was responsible for the creation of the  harbor. While she performed all the mathematical work, because she was a woman, she wasn’t allowed on the job site. She was  the first woman assigned to the US Army Corps of Engineers’ Los Angeles District Office, where she wrote the engineering specifications for  Marina del Rey. All her work was based solely on design plans and documents that landed on her desk, as she was restricted from visiting the site.

Marina del Rey officially opened on April 10, 1965. The project, which cost about  $36.25 million, was the largest of its kind in the world. Early car races, sometimes featuring Barney Oldfield, ran from Playa del Rey to Venice along a roadway on the Marina peninsula, known as  Speedway, which runs parallel to the boardwalk and was made famous in Orson Welles’  film noir classic, A Touch of Evil.   

To celebrate the 60th anniversary,  local businesses are offering specials for the month of April including vintage tiki cocktails and 60’s appetizers  at The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey like California concord grape jelly meatballs, truffled deviled eggs, mini rock lobster rolls and pigs in a blanket.

Marina del They

Throwback appetizers at the Ritz Carlton Marina del Rey (Michele Stueven)

Special $60 prix-fixe menus are available at  Tony P’s, Marina del Rey Hotel’s Salt, and Brizo Bar & Restaurant.  City Cruises is celebrating with a $60 discount on dining cruises for parties of two. Use promo code: MDR60 (not valid for Easter dining cruise). While onboard, enjoy their two-drink anniversary special for just $19.65. And the oldest restaurant still operating in the Marina since 1969, The Warehouse,  offers a 10% local discount if you live in Marina Del Rey, Venice, Santa Monica, Playa Del Rey, or Playa Vista, just present a current ID with proof of address.

There are also Discounts and offers from Marina del Rey Boat Rentals, The Ultimate Escape Room, and Naos Yacht’s sailing classes and membership. For more information, visit www.mdr60.com

What’s Popping Up is a column in the L.A. Weekly that explores everything new in food and drink.