The Brentwood Country Mart

The Brentwood Country Mart is a neighborhood shopping center in the Brentwood district of Los Angeles, California, near the eastern boundary of Santa Monica. It opened on November 18, 1948, and occupies a site at 225 26th Street, just south of San Vicente Boulevard. The center is known for its small scale, barn-like architecture, community-oriented tenant mix, and long-standing connection to the surrounding residential neighborhood. The property covers approximately 30,000 square feet and was designed by architect Rowland Crawford. Its architectural character was intended to evoke a rural country setting, reflecting the semi-rural atmosphere associated with Brentwood when the center was developed. The original concept was a convenient “one-stop” commercial destination combining everyday services with fresh food and informal gathering places. Early offerings included a post office, shoe repair business, and barbershop, functions that helped distinguish the center from a conventional department store or enclosed shopping mall. The site was developed by the Herbert M. Baruch Corporation, a Los Angeles construction company active from the 1920s through the mid-1950s. Louis M. Sentei and A. L. Levin were identified as the original owners and promoters of the project. Their concept drew inspiration from the Fairfax District Farmers' Market, particularly its combination of food vendors and complementary services. Crawford's design used a country-themed commercial form to give the property a neighborhood identity rather than the appearance of a large urban retail complex. The Mart includes shops, restaurants, food businesses, service providers, and an outdoor dining area organized around a central fire pit. It also provides free customer parking and hosts free family-oriented events. The result is a hybrid destination: part local convenience center, part restaurant and shopping gathering place, and part community venue. Its continuing appeal rests less on scale than on atmosphere, walkable tenant groupings, recognizable independent businesses, and continuity with Brentwood's earlier commercial history. In 2003, the property was acquired by James Rosenfield of J.S. Rosenfield and Co. The company undertook architectural restoration and brought back or maintained several elements associated with the Mart's original identity, including the post office, food courtyard, barbershop, toy store, and shoe repair shop. The center has also accommodated rotating pop-up tenants, including Kule and Rowing Blazers, allowing contemporary retail concepts to appear within the historic setting. J.S. Rosenfield and Co. has also been associated with the Montecito and Marin Country Marts and the Aero Theatre. The Brentwood Country Mart has developed a reputation as a recognizable local institution and a celebrity-visited Los Angeles shopping destination. Publicly reported visitors have included figures from the entertainment and fashion industries, but the center's defining position is its role in the Brentwood community. It remains an active, independently characterized neighborhood retail and dining destination rather than a national chain shopping mall.

The land occupied by the Brentwood Country Mart was designated for commercial development during planning for Brentwood Place in the 1920s. The intersection of 26th Street and San Vicente Boulevard was reserved for commercial construction, establishing the location as a future neighborhood business node. The Herbert M. Baruch Corporation, a construction company active in Los Angeles from the early 1920s until the mid-1950s, developed the project. Louis M. Sentei and A. L. Levin were the original owners. Their objective was to create a convenient one-stop shopping center in the center of Brentwood. Rather than building a conventional urban retail block, they pursued a country-market concept influenced by the Fairfax District Farmers' Market, where fresh food businesses and everyday services operated together. This approach suited Brentwood's less urban character at the time and gave the property a distinct community identity. Architect Rowland Crawford designed the buildings in a barn-like, country-inspired style. Crawford was also known for designing the Santa Monica Sears Department Store and the second phase of the Los Angeles Times Building. The Brentwood center opened on November 18, 1948. Its early tenant and service mix included a post office, shoe repair shop, and barbershop, along with food-related businesses. These practical services made the property useful to nearby residents while its architectural character made it a recognizable local landmark. Over subsequent decades, the center remained associated with Brentwood's neighborhood culture. Its relatively intimate scale, outdoor-oriented layout, and combination of food, retail, and services helped it retain a different identity from larger shopping malls. The property includes free parking and an outdoor dining area surrounding a large central fire pit. It also became a venue for free family events, reinforcing its role as a community gathering place. In 2003, James Rosenfield of J.S. Rosenfield and Co. acquired the Brentwood Country Mart. The new ownership restored aspects of the property and reinstated or preserved several services connected to its original concept, including the post office, food courtyard, barbershop, toy store, and shoe repair shop. The company also introduced or hosted rotating pop-up shops, among them Kule and Rowing Blazers, bringing newer retail brands into the historic environment. The property was leased from John E. Anderson, whose name is also associated with UCLA's Anderson School of Management. J.S. Rosenfield and Co. has been associated with other Southern California properties, including the Montecito and Marin Country Marts and the Aero Theatre. Under its stewardship, the Brentwood location continued to combine preservation of its traditional services with selective contemporary retail and dining uses. The center has also attracted high-profile visitors, including film, television, music, and fashion personalities. Despite that visibility, its primary significance remains local: it is a small, active shopping and dining center that preserves a mid-century neighborhood-market model in Los Angeles.

• 2003

  Acquisition by J.S. Rosenfield and Co.

  [1]Brentwood Country Marten.wikipedia.org

  James Rosenfield's J.S. Rosenfield and Co. acquired the property and began restoring its architecture and traditional service mix.

• 1948

  Brentwood Country Mart opens

  [1]Brentwood Country Marten.wikipedia.org

  The shopping center opened on November 18, 1948, with a country-market architectural identity and a mix of food businesses and neighborhood services.

• 1920

  Commercial site reserved in Brentwood Place planning

  [1]Brentwood Country Marten.wikipedia.org

  Land around 26th Street and San Vicente Boulevard was designated for commercial construction during development planning for Brentwood Place.

A historic, design-conscious neighborhood shopping and dining destination centered on local services, food, community programming, and a distinctive country-market atmosphere.

• Food and dining · 1948

  Food courtyard and dining businesses

  The Mart's food offer is organized around a courtyard and outdoor dining environment, including seating around a central fire pit. The center combines prepared food, restaurants, and other food-oriented businesses in a compact neighborhood setting rather than presenting a single branded restaurant concept.

• Services · 1948

  Neighborhood services

  Practical services are central to the Country Mart's identity. The property has historically included a post office, barbershop, and shoe repair shop, helping it function as an everyday neighborhood destination as well as a place for leisure shopping and dining.

• Retail

  Toy store and specialty retail

  The tenant mix includes specialty retail such as a toy store, alongside food, apparel, and lifestyle businesses. The center has also hosted rotating pop-up shops, allowing newer brands to operate within its established historic setting.

• 2003

  Restore the historic neighborhood-market modelStrategy

  Background

  Following the acquisition by J.S. Rosenfield and Co., the property required a strategy that preserved its historic identity while keeping the center commercially relevant.

  Action taken

  The new ownership restored the architecture and reinstated or maintained traditional services, including the post office, food courtyard, barbershop, toy store, and shoe repair shop.

  Aftermath

  The Mart continued operating as a small community-oriented shopping and dining center while also accommodating contemporary pop-up retailers.

  Source

1. 1Brentwood Country Marten.wikipedia.org
2. 2Official Brentwood Country Mart websitebrentwoodcountrymart.com