Choosing Inglewood: Businesses, Organizations and Tastemakers Help make the SoCal City Dynamic
In years past, big business often defined the city or town where they existed - these so-named “company towns” sometimes were created whole-cloth to serve the factory or organization nearby. In modern times, businesses choose their locations based as much on existing culture as they do profitability and availability of workers. Inglewood, with a business-friendly atmosphere, a dynamic, creative and diverse population and willingness to build and expand has attracted businesses big and small, as well as nonprofits, charities and local heroes that are doing amazing work in the City of Champions. Here, just a few that chose Inglewood to be part of their legacy.
1010 Wine and Events: Inglewood’s first and only wine bar with the largest selection of Black-owned wines in California. It is owned and operated by sisters Leslie and LeAnn Jones, whose dual backgrounds in hospitality and wine helped create an upscale, one-of-akind destination for the city’s residents right in their own neighborhood.
1500 Sound Academy: A unique institute of learning, teaching modern music methods to the next generation of hitmakers, 1500 Sound Academy was created by award-winning producers 1500 or Nothin’, whose cofounder James Fauntleroy hails from Inglewood. With his partner Larrance Dopson and a slew of musical talent from Hollywood, 1500 Sound Academy offers instruction, mentorship, and exposure to the modern musical landscape. The team’s mission statement underscores a focus on pure creativity and breaking the barriers, whether societal or personal, that stand in the way of that expression.
Centinela Hospital Medical Center: As the only hospital located in the city of Inglewood, the not-for-profit Centinela Hospital Medical Center is also a huge driver of jobs, and is among the largest employers in Inglewood.
Ranking in the top 5% of hospitals nationally for quality and patient safety, Centinela has served its neighbors for nearly 100 years. Growing along with the city to be a regional medical center, it now serves over 140,000 patients a year from Inglewood and the surrounding South Bay region. Recently, Centinela opened an expanded ER and maternity center as part of a large expansion. With strong community engagement, charitable programs and a focus on serving Inglewood’s residents, Centinela stands as one of the city’s most important pillars.
Don Lee Farms: Celebrating 40 years next year, the food production company has its headquarters in the center of Inglewood, adjacent to the new Metro K (Crenshaw) light rail line. The company has been a pioneer and innovator in plant-based meat substitutes, especially in creating delicious patties and crumbles for home chefs and those with dietary restrictions, including vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options.
D-Smoke: Rapper and producer Daniel Anthony Farris, known as D-Smoke, has chart-topping hits and music industry accolades that could fill pages and pages. But most interestingly to the city of Inglewood, D-Smoke started his career as a public-school teacher at Inglewood High School. There, he shaped young minds teaching Spanish and music theory, where now he shapes culture by addressing some of the most prevalent issues in society, especially those faced by Black and Brown communities. His activism, bilingualism and hometown experience make him a singular voice for how a city like Inglewood, with a majority-minority population, examines its future.
Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen: Founded by Angelenos Yonnie Hagos (L) and Ajay Relan, Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen is a caf and community space created to make people feel inspired and motivated to better themselves. Hagos and Relan, in partnership with “Insecure” creator and star Issa Rae, opened Hilltop’s Inglewood location in 2019 in a former bank building in the middle of downtown.
Girl Scouts: Celebrating a centennial of building girls who are the leaders of tomorrow, Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles (GSGLA) opened its Inglewood location in 2019 and, this year debuts the GSGLA Inglewood Innovation Center, featuring state-of-the-art, hands-on STEAM programming and leadership opportunities for girls ages 5-17. The center is intentionally accessible to members living in Inglewood and surrounding communities, reaching families who may have never considered Girl Scouts and ensuring their girls have every opportunity to pursue what’s important to them, take on challenges, and discover the power they have to build a better world. GSGLA, the local council of this iconic, nationwide non-profit, serves 32,000 girls and nearly 16,000 adult volunteers.
Inglewood Park Cemetery: With 300+ acres of lush grounds, Inglewood Park Cemetery was billed as “the largest cemetery in the world” when announced in 1905. The large swath of land, taken from the Centinela farmland grounds, is expansive, and features the final resting places of notable celebrities, historical figures, and many lifelong Inglewood residents. The cemetery, which pioneered the idea of affordable mausoleum burials in California, strived to serve all walks of life. With the grounds and its management suppling 250+ jobs to the community, Inglewood Park serves as an imperative cultural institution for the community and region.
Martin’s Cocina y Cantina: The highly anticipated La Brea Avenue restaurant is now open, and the trendy exterior is beckoning in the city’s residents. Martin’s, an elevated dining experience created by the Martin family (who have operated several Inglewood locations for years), is a shining star on the continually redeveloping La Brea strip downtown. The restaurant, which serves a combination of Mexican favorites and an inventive sushi menu in a chic indoor-outdoor space, also features an impressive selection of margaritas - so many, in fact, that they offer cocktail flights.
Marvin Engineering: Built from a modest Inglewood machine shop founded in 1963, Marvin Engineering now fields aircraft defense solutions worldwide. Still headquartered in Inglewood, the organization is now among the city’s largest employers, and continues a tradition of aerospace manufacturing and development that helped build Inglewood’s economy.
National Football League (NFL Networks): The NFL relocated its West Coast NFL Networks Headquarters from Culver City to Inglewood to coincide with the opening of SoFi Stadium. The new construction building offers over 200,000 square feet of office space and almost 75,000 square feet of studios - much of the on-air, streaming and app content is produced in the building.
Snoop Dogg: Rap legend? Check. Tastemaker? Undeniable. Inglewood proud? Absolutely. Calvin Broadus, known globally as Snoop Dogg, has rapped about the region for a generation, putting it on the map in the minds of rap fans for years and injecting a sense of youthfulness and cool into the city’s name. These days, however, Snoop also dedicated to aiding the city’s less fortunate, participating in Inglewood’s annual turkey drive each thanksgiving. In addition, his sprawling, 20,000-square-foot Beach City Music Complex is located just five minutes from LAX.
The Wood Urban Kitchen: The Wood Urban Kitchen is a premier upscale barbecue restaurant and sports lounge in Inglewood. Featuring its own style of barbecue the restaurant calls “SoCal BBQ,” The Wood remixes and redefines traditional recipes while creating a welcoming indoor/outdoor space on Downtown Inglewood’s Market Street. Their commitment to quality means that only the freshest meats and ingredients are used, and all sides are house made. With a daily happy hour, and televisions indoors and out broadcasting sporting events from the city and worldwide, The Wood is a part of many new-look, new-feel restaurants that are dotting the Inglewood cityscape.