Overshadowed by the UCLA campus and the world-renowned UCLA Medical Center, Westwood is a community of predominantly upscale single-family homes that are more affordable than Bel Air and Beverly Hills. Statistics show this area to be low income because of the large student population, which endows the area with fresh thought and positive energy. In recent years, a community redevelopment plan has revitalized the shopping district, with its shops, cafes, and movie theaters that cater to the university community. The large, high-rise Federal Building and the high-rise office buildings along Wilshire Blvd contribute to the substantial Westwood employment base.

In its short 30-year history, Century City has become an internationally recognized, prestigious address for business, shopping, luxury living, theatre going, dining, and guest accommodations. It has come a long way since its beginnings in 1958, when it was a movie back lot for the Twentieth Century Fox film studios. Century City began as a professional business center, attracting executives from almost every industry. Today, one of the community’s strengths remains its prominence as a central business district - a professional home to 2,500 businesses, including bankers, CPAs, lawyers, real estate firms, doctors, communication and entertainment concerns, and association headquarters. These concerns occupy 8.6 million square feet of office space in striking high-rise office buildings surrounded by planned open space. They are an employment base for over 40,000 people, making Century City a rival of downtown Los Angeles as a business district.

Century City’s ABC Entertainment Center features Broadway shows at the Shubert Theatre as well as first-run movies, nightclubs and fitness centers. The Century City Shopping Center offers 150 retail stores, a movie theater complex, and the colorful Festival Marketplace. Very upscale hotels provide over 1600 rooms for guests to the area. The residential community is equally upscale, comprising mainly elegant, luxury condominiums, townhomes, and high-rises, and a few nicely appointed single family homes. The residents, property owners association, and Chamber of Commerce of this self-contained city are encouraging its growth as an upscale business center with a welcoming atmosphere.