Marina del Rey Apartments and Rentals

Located along the sparkling California coast, on the west side of the County of Los Angeles and smack dab in the middle of Venice Beach and Playa del Rey, the charming city of Marina del Rey is the area closest to the Marina Bay waterfront. While the area's land is actually owned and governed by the County of Los Angeles and surrounded by the city of L.A. on three sides, Marina del Rey sets itself apart from bustling L.A. by being one of Southern California's most treasured recreational areas.

Marina del Rey apartments for rent can be easy to find as this man-made harbor town is comprised of only 807 acres, half of which are underwater, according to the Marina del Rey Convention & Visitors Bureau.

People often choose to live in Marina del Rey because of the area's walkability, sandy beaches and its private feel. Most can only access the town by the Venice Pier and the small population sits at just over 8,000 residents, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Marina del Rey apartments make the Pacific Ocean a next-door neighbor, and the community's center, the Marina Bay, is the largest man-made marina in the country, hosting more than 5,300 small boats. The city's unique past began in 1887 when the concept was dreamed up to make the area into a thriving commercial harbor and development for the project was stop and go for roughly 70 years before the construction was eventually completed in the 1950s.

Marina del Rey has a handful of universities and institutions located directly within the city boundaries, including John Hopkins University, Antioch University and the USC Information Sciences Institute.

In 2008, this dense seaside town was named by CNN Money as one of the 100 best places to live and launch a career. Marina del Rey's job market is not overly limited by its space constraints and many business opportunities can be found in Los Angeles' thriving retail and tourism sector. Some of the area's major employers are in the hotel and airline industries, and the town is located just four miles north of the Los Angeles International Airport.

According to government data, residents employed in Marina del Rey have an average salary of $59,391 and roughly 76 percent work for companies. Marina del Rey apartments can put workers within reach of all the area's top industries, which are noted as scientific, management, administrative, waste management and professional.

According to statistics from City-Data, in 2009, median gross rent was $1,904 in Marina del Rey and significantly more expensive than the average across the country. The number of renters in the area is at 92 percent of all occupied units. To put things in perspective, the cost of living index for March 2012 was assigned the value of 136.8, 36.8 percent above the national average. Citi-Data additionally revealed that renting percentage for Marina del Rey is substantially above the California state average.

Marina del Rey's top attraction is the harbor, noted for being the world's largest man-made harbor for small craft ships. A great way to explore this stunning area is to embark on a cruise around the harbor and the surrounding California Coast.

With the renowned Venice Beach Boardwalk and the Santa Monica Beach within only a few miles and all the attractions of Los Angeles right within reach, visitors may be tempted to overlook this charming village. However, this has helped lend to its reputation as one of the area's best kept secrets. It is home to the Marina Beach, which many of the locals refer to as Mother's Beach since it is protected from the rough ocean waves by the marina. Fisherman's Village mirrors a New England seaport town and is peppered with shops, restaurants and places to rent a boat to enjoy the water for a day.

If you are looking for an apartment for rent or a house rental in Marina del Ray, Calif., search for rental properties at Rent.com®.