A street called “Mindanao” may look somewhat alien to someone passing through Marina del Rey on Lincoln, but it makes more sense when you explore the marina itself, where Mindanao Way – which takes its name from an island in the Philippines – is one of eight streets named after South Pacific islands, along with Bali Way, Bora Bora Way, Fiji Way, Marquesas Way, Palawan Way, Panay Way, and Tahiti Way. (Palawan and Panay are also Philippines islands.) All eight were christened in 1962 during the completion of the federally- and county-funded Marina del Rey Small Craft Harbor. It’s unknown who actually named the streets – possibly L.A. County Supervisor Burton W. Chace (1901-1972), “Father of the Marina” – but 1962 was the peak of tiki culture in California, when South Pacific exotica was all the rage.
Find it on the map:
