Baldwin Hills, Los Angeles

Last updated
Baldwin Hills
Neighborhood of Los Angeles
Baldwin Hills City Sign 1.jpg
Baldwin Hills neighborhood sign
located at the intersection of La Brea Avenue and Stocker Street
Location map Western Los Angeles.png
Red pog.svg
Baldwin Hills
Location within Los Angeles
Coordinates: 34°00′47″N118°21′25″W / 34.013°N 118.357°W / 34.013; -118.357
Country Flag of the United States.svg  United States
State Flag of California.svg  California
County Flag of Los Angeles County, California.svg Los Angeles
CityFlag of Los Angeles, California.svg  Los Angeles
Time zone Pacific
ZIP Code
90008
Area code 323

Baldwin Hills is a neighborhood within the South Los Angeles region of Los Angeles, California.

Contents

Often referred to as the "Black Beverly Hills", Baldwin Hills is home to Kenneth Hahn State Regional Park and to Village Green, a National Historic Landmark.

History

19th Century

Elias J."Lucky" Baldwin Lucky Baldwin.jpg
Elias J."Lucky" Baldwin

Baldwin Hills and surrounding areas were part of Rancho La Cienega o Paso de la Tijera and later owned by the 19th century L.A. pioneer Elias “Lucky” Baldwin. [1] [2] [3] The Sanchez Adobe de Rancho La Cienega o Paso de la Tijera was once the center of the rancho. In the 1920s, an addition was built linking the structures and the building was converted into a larger clubhouse for the Sunset Golf Course. [2]

1930s

The 1932 Los Angeles Olympics housed athletes at the Olympic Village in Baldwin Hills. [4] It was the site of the very first Olympic Village ever built, for the 1932 Los Angeles Summer Olympic Games. [5] Built for male athletes only, the village consisted of several hundred buildings, including post and telegraph offices, an amphitheater, a hospital, a fire department, and a bank. Female athletes were housed at the Chapman Park Hotel on Wilshire Boulevard. The Olympic Village was demolished after the Summer Olympic Games. [6]

1950s

In 1950, new homes in Baldwin Hills were designed by Paul W. Trousdale & Associates (of Trousdale Estates fame) and advertised as being near the "$30 million Crenshaw-Santa Barbara Shopping Center. [7]

Baldwin Hills reservoir after collapse of the dam in 1963 Bhdwrview1963.jpg
Baldwin Hills reservoir after collapse of the dam in 1963

1960s

On December 14, 1963, a crack appeared in the Baldwin Hills Dam impounding the Baldwin Hills Reservoir. Within a few hours, water rushing through the crack eroded the earthen dam, gradually widening the crack until the dam failed catastrophically at 3:38 p.m. When the crack was discovered, police with bullhorns urged the evacuation of the area, but six people were killed. [8] Two hundred homes were completely wiped out, and an additional 1500 to 2000 houses and apartment buildings were damaged, [8] and most of Baldwin Vista and the historic Village Green community were flooded. The dam's failure was ultimately determined to be the result of subsidence, caused by overexploitation of the Inglewood Oil Field. The dam's failure prompted the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to close and drain other small local reservoirs with similar designs, such as the Silver Lake Reservoir. The Baldwin Hills Dam was not rebuilt—instead, the empty reservoir was demolished, filled with earth, landscaped, and converted to Kenneth Hahn Regional Park.

1980s

During the summer of 1985, a brush fire along La Brea Avenue spread up the canyon towards the homes along Don Carlos Drive in Baldwin Hills Estates. Many homes were destroyed despite the efforts of the Los Angeles Fire Department to suppress the flames. The fire killed three people and destroyed 69 homes; [9] the arsonist was never caught.

In 1985, the Los Angeles Times noted that Baldwin Hills is "now often called the Black Beverly Hills". [10]

Geography

Baldwin Hills is bounded by La Cienega Boulevard to the west, Crenshaw Boulevard to the east, Stocker Street to the south and Obama Boulevard to the north with Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard forming the northeast dividing line between Baldwin Hills and Crenshaw Manor. It is bordered on the west by Culver City and it shares the eastern border of Crenshaw Boulevard with Leimert Park. [5]

The namesake mountain range is part of the neighborhood.

Neighborhoods

View from Baldwin Hills of Downtown Los Angeles in the distance and the San Gabriel Mountains Clear Day at Baldwin Hills.jpg
View from Baldwin Hills of Downtown Los Angeles in the distance and the San Gabriel Mountains
Baldwin Hills Village National Historic Landmark Plaque, at Village Green Baldwin Hills Village, Landmark Plaque.jpg
Baldwin Hills Village National Historic Landmark Plaque, at Village Green

Neighborhoods within Baldwin Hills include:

Climate

Climate data for Baldwin Hills, Los Angeles
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)68
(20)		69
(21)		70
(21)		72
(22)		73
(23)		77
(25)		81
(27)		82
(28)		81
(27)		77
(25)		72
(22)		68
(20)		74
(23)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)47
(8)		49
(9)		51
(11)		53
(12)		57
(14)		60
(16)		63
(17)		64
(18)		63
(17)		59
(15)		52
(11)		47
(8)		55
(13)
Average precipitation inches (mm)3.26
(83)		3.50
(89)		2.85
(72)		0.67
(17)		0.27
(6.9)		0.07
(1.8)		0.02
(0.51)		0.11
(2.8)		0.21
(5.3)		0.39
(9.9)		1.10
(28)		1.88
(48)		14.32
(364)
Source: [16]

Parks and recreation

View of Hollywood Hills (lower eastern Santa Monica Mountains) and tall San Gabriel Mountains from Baldwin Hills from the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook Park Mountain view from Baldwin Hills.jpg
View of Hollywood Hills (lower eastern Santa Monica Mountains) and tall San Gabriel Mountains from Baldwin Hills from the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook Park

Government

Police department

Neighborhood council

Library

Education

Susan Miller Dorsey High School, serving Baldwin Hills D-House.jpg
Susan Miller Dorsey High School, serving Baldwin Hills
Baldwin Hills Elementary School Baldwin Hills Elementary School LAUSD 2023 April 01.jpg
Baldwin Hills Elementary School

Baldwin Hills is served by Los Angeles Unified School District. Baldwin Hills also has a charter school. [9] The schools operating within Baldwin Hills borders are:

New LA Elementary School, a charter school, is on the grounds of Baldwin Hills Elementary. A California law called Proposition 39 allows New LA to occupy space on the grounds of Baldwin Hills Elementary. In 2022, area community members advocated for the charter school to move to another location since they believed that it meant there would not be enough space for the public elementary to operate efficiently. [27]

Media

Literature

Television

Notable people

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">View Park–Windsor Hills, California</span> Unincorporated community in California, United States

View Park−Windsor Hills is an unincorporated community in Los Angeles County, California. The View Park neighborhood is the community surrounding Angeles Vista Boulevard and the Windsor Hills neighborhood is on the southern end to the north of Slauson Avenue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fairfax Avenue</span> Street in the city of Los Angeles, California

Fairfax Avenue is a street in the north central area of the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. It runs from La Cienega Boulevard in Culver City at its southern end to Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood on its northern end. From La Cienega Boulevard to Sunset Boulevard between West Hollywood and Hollywood, Fairfax Avenue separates the Westside from the central part of the city along with Venice Boulevard, La Cienega Boulevard, Hauser Boulevard, San Vicente Boulevard, South Cochran Avenue, Wilshire Boulevard, 6th Street, Cochran Avenue, 4th Street, La Brea Avenue, Fountain Avenue and Sunset Boulevard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leimert Park, Los Angeles</span> Neighborhood of Los Angeles in California, United States

Leimert Park is a neighborhood in the South Los Angeles region of Los Angeles, California.

West Los Angeles is an area within the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. The residential and commercial neighborhood is divided by the Interstate 405 freeway, and each side is sometimes treated as a distinct neighborhood, mapped differently by different sources. Each lies within the larger Westside region of Los Angeles County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crenshaw, Los Angeles</span> Neighborhoods of Los Angeles in California, United States

Crenshaw, or the Crenshaw District, is a neighborhood in South Los Angeles, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La Cienega Boulevard</span> Highway in Los Angeles, US

La Cienega Boulevard is a major north–south arterial road in the Los Angeles metropolitan area that runs from El Segundo Boulevard in Hawthorne to the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood to the north. It was named for Rancho Las Cienegas, literally "The Ranch Of The Swamps," an area of marshland south of Rancho La Brea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crenshaw Boulevard</span> Major street in Los Angeles

Crenshaw Boulevard is a north-south thoroughfare that runs through Crenshaw and other neighborhoods along a 23-mile route in the west-central part of Los Angeles, California, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilshire Boulevard</span> Major thoroughfare in the United States

Wilshire Boulevard (['wɪɫ.ʃɚ]) is a prominent 15.83 mi (25.48 km) boulevard in the Los Angeles area of Southern California, extending from Ocean Avenue in the city of Santa Monica east to Grand Avenue in the Financial District of downtown Los Angeles. One of the principal east–west arterial roads of Los Angeles, it is also one of the major city streets through the city of Beverly Hills. Wilshire Boulevard runs roughly parallel to Santa Monica Boulevard from Santa Monica to the west boundary of Beverly Hills. From the east boundary, it runs a block south of Sixth Street to its terminus.

Mid-Wilshire is a neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. It is known for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Petersen Automotive Museum, and the Miracle Mile shopping district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mid City, Los Angeles</span> Neighborhood of Los Angeles in California, United States of America

Mid City is a neighborhood in Central Los Angeles, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Vicente Boulevard</span> Street in Western Los Angeles running southeast of Beverly Hills, United States

San Vicente Boulevard is a major northwest-southeast thoroughfare located in the western portion of the metropolitan area of Los Angeles, CA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La Brea Avenue</span> Thoroughfare in Los Angeles, USA

La Brea Avenue is a prominent north-south thoroughfare in the City of Los Angeles and in Los Angeles County, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mid-City West, Los Angeles</span> Los Angeles neighborhood in Central LA

Mid-City West is an area in the western part of Central Los Angeles that is served by the Mid City West Neighborhood Council. It contains the neighborhoods of Beverly–Fairfax, Beverly Grove, Burton Way, Carthay Circle, Melrose, Miracle Mile and Park La Brea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baldwin Vista, Los Angeles</span> Neighborhood of Los Angeles in County of Los Angeles, California, United States

Baldwin Vista is a neighborhood located next to the Baldwin Hills Mountains in the South region of the city of Los Angeles, California. It is located in the western Baldwin Hills, and partially borders on Culver City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area</span> Los Angeles County recreation area opened 1984

Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area, or Kenneth Hahn Park, is a state park unit of California in the Baldwin Hills Mountains of Los Angeles. The park is managed by the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation. As one of the largest urban parks and regional open spaces in the Greater Los Angeles Area, many have called it "L.A.'s Central Park". The 401-acre (1.62 km2) park was established in 1984. The land was previously the Baldwin Hills Reservoir, which failed catastrophically in the 1963 Baldwin Hills Dam disaster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baldwin Hills (mountain range)</span> Mountain range in Los Angeles County, California, United States

The Baldwin Hills are a low mountain range surrounded by and rising above the Los Angeles Basin plain in central Los Angeles County, California. The Pacific Ocean is to the west, the Santa Monica Mountains to the north, Downtown Los Angeles to the northeast, and the Palos Verdes Hills to the south—with all easily viewed from the Baldwin Hills.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rancho La Ciénega ó Paso de la Tijera</span> Pre-statehood California land grant

Rancho La Ciénega ó Paso de la Tijera was a 4,219-acre (17.07 km2) Mexican land grant in present day Los Angeles County, California given in 1843 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena to Vicente Sánchez. "La Cienega" is derived from the Spanish word ciénega, which means swamp or marshland and refers to the natural springs and wetlands in the area between Beverly Hills and Park La Brea and the Baldwin Hills range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baldwin Hills/Crenshaw, Los Angeles</span> Neighborhood of Los Angeles in California, United States

Baldwin Hills/Crenshaw is a neighborhood in the south region of the city of Los Angeles defined by the Mapping L.A. project of the Los Angeles Times in 2009. The Times combines two city-designated neighborhoods: the upscale, principally home-owning Baldwin Hills residential district to the south and the more concentrated apartment area of the Crenshaw district to the north.

President Barack Obama Boulevard is a major thoroughfare in South Los Angeles. It stretches 3.5 miles (5.6 km) from Baldwin Hills to Leimert Park.

References

  1. ↑ Meares, Hadley (2022-03-17). "Baldwin Hills, 'The Black Beverly Hills': The Life And Times Of The Community". LAist. Retrieved 2022-04-20. The rolling hills in South Los Angeles that now hosts these neighborhoods were once part of the Rancho La Cienega o Paso de la Tijera, eventually owned by the randy, wily 19th century L.A. pioneer Elias "Lucky" Baldwin
  2. 1 2 "Rancho La Cienega O'Paso de La Tijera" (in Spanish). Laokay.com. Archived from the original on October 25, 2004. Retrieved August 22, 2010.
  3. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Rancho La Cienega o Paso de la Tijera
  4. ↑ "14 Secrets of the 1932 Olympic Village in Baldwin Hills". 6 August 2014.
  5. 1 2 Powers, Kemp (August 17, 2007). "The Neighborhood Project: Baldwin Hills". LAist.com. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  6. ↑ "1932 Los Angeles Olympic Athlete's Village in the Baldwin Hills". Baldwinhillspark.info. Retrieved November 12, 2007.
  7. ↑ "Baldwin Hills". The Los Angeles Times. 1950-02-12. p. 107. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
  8. 1 2 "Dam Break Kills 6 in Los Angeles" . The New York Times. 15 December 1963. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  9. 1 2 Pollard-Terry, Gayle (October 29, 2006). ""Years later, the pitch still delivers"". Los Angeles Times . 29 October 2006.. Neighborly Advice. Los Angeles Times . p. K2.
  10. ↑ "In Baldwin Hills, Joy of Relief and Pangs of Loss". The Los Angeles Times. 1985-07-04. p. 33. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
  11. ↑ "Baldwin Hills Estates". Archived from the original on 2017-08-22. Retrieved 2017-08-21.
  12. ↑ Hale, Mike (2007-08-07). "Posh Princes and Princesses of the Hills". The New York Times . Retrieved 2008-08-13.
  13. ↑ "Village Residents Hope a New Name Means a New Image - Los Angeles Times". Los Angeles Times . 19 June 1988.
  14. ↑ "HACLA partners with Avanath to purchase Baldwin Village Apartments". Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles. August 11, 2022. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  15. ↑ "Reference at clkrep.lacity.org" (PDF).
  16. ↑ "Zipcode 90008". www.plantmaps.com. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  17. ↑ "Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook".. accessed 8/22/2010
  18. ↑ "trail map" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-09-13.
  19. ↑ "Kenneth Hahn State Park". Parks.ca.gov. Retrieved August 22, 2010.
  20. ↑ "Norman O Houston Park website". Laparks.org. Retrieved 2012-09-13.
  21. ↑ "Jim Gilliam Recreation Center website". Laparks.org. Retrieved 2012-09-13.
  22. ↑ "Southwest Community Police Station". LAPD Online. Retrieved 2022-04-30.
  23. ↑ "Empowerment Congress West (Map)" (PDF). EmpowerLA.org. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  24. ↑ "Empowerment Congress West". EmpowerLA.org. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  25. ↑ " "Baldwin Hills Branch Library".". Los Angeles Public Library. Retrieved on March 23, 2010.
  26. ↑ "Baldwin Hills Elementary School". Lausd.k12.ca.us. Archived from the original on 2009-05-05. Retrieved 2012-09-13.
  27. ↑ Mackey, Ashley (2022-10-20). "Community members protest charter school on Baldwin Hills Elementary School campus". ABC 7. Retrieved 2023-04-30.
  28. ↑ "Fiction Book Review: Magic Street by Orson Scott Card, Author. Del Rey $24.95 (397p) ISBN 978-0-345-41689-6".
  29. ↑ "Baldwin Hills". BET . Archived from the original on August 4, 2007. Retrieved January 9, 2015.
  30. ↑ "Can "Baldwin Hills" become the black "Laguna Beach"?". Los Angeles Times . 8 July 2007.
  31. ↑ "Elfman in L.A." Elfman.filmmusic.com. Archived from the original on 2011-10-01.
  32. ↑ Glionna, John (April 18, 1999). "Danny Elfman Pinged From Oingo Boingo Front Man to Prolific Movie Score Writer". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  33. ↑ Hedegaard, Erik (March 28, 2016). "Mike Love's Cosmic Journey". Rolling Stone Magazine. Retrieved 18 September 2024. He grew up in Baldwin Hills, California, an L.A. suburb inland of the 405...
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.