Palms (originally “The Palms”) is a highly diverse, densely populated community in the Westside region of Los Angeles, founded in 1886 and the oldest neighborhood annexed to the city, in 1915. The 1886 tract was marketed as an agricultural and vacation community. Today it is a primarily residential area, with a large number of apartment buildings, ribbons of commercial zoning and a single-family residential area in its northwest corner.  Ninety-two percent of Palms residents (outside of the small pocket known as Westside Village) are renters.

Palms’ diversity is reflected in its landmarks. Religious sites include the complexes of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness and the Iranian-American Muslim Association of North America (IMAN). Palms has a large number of Indian and Pakistani restaurants and businesses. In addition, it is also one of the centers of the Brazilian community in Los Angeles, with a number of Brazilian-oriented restaurants and shops, and one nightclub. The area is host to an unusual museum, the Museum of Jurassic Technology, and a research institute, the Center for Land Use Interpretation. It has a legitimate theater, the Ivy Substation, which is now home to the Actors Gang, led by Tim Robbins. The Ivy Substation is within Media Park, which has been leased to Culver City on a long-term basis.

Palms is served by the Metro Expo Line, reactivating passenger service which had been in place from 1875 to 1953. Service restarted in 2012, with the western terminal located near the intersection of Venice and Robertson Boulevards. Soon the line will again travel through Palms park on its way to Santa Monica, with a station at the intersection of National and Palms Boulevards slated to open in late 2015.