Hancock Park | |
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Coordinates: 34°04′34″N118°20′01″W / 34.07619°N 118.33348°W | |
Country | United States |
State | California |
County | Los Angeles |
City | Los Angeles |
Elevation | 76 m (249 ft) |
Time zone | UTC−8 (PST) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (PDT) |
ZIP Codes | 90004, 90005, 90010, 90020, 90036 |
Area code(s) | 213, 323 |
Hancock Park is a neighborhood in the Wilshire area of Los Angeles, California. [2] Developed in the 1920s, the neighborhood features architecturally distinctive residences, many of which were constructed in the early 20th century. Hancock Park is covered by a Historic Preservation Overlay Zone (HPOZ).
The area owes its name to developer-philanthropist George Allan Hancock, who subdivided the property in the 1920s. [3] [4] The Hancock family donated the land for the park proper in 1916 in order to preserve the tar pits; at the time the "Santa Monica electric line" was the major means of access. [5] Hancock, born and raised in a home at what is now the La Brea tar pits, inherited 4,400 acres (18 km2), which his father, Major Henry Hancock had acquired from the Rancho La Brea property owned by the family of Jose Jorge Rocha. [6] Residential development under the "Hancock Park" name began around 1919, allegedly because "his oil derricks were running dry." [7]
In 1948, Nat King Cole and his family purchased a $65,000 Tudor mansion in Hancock Park, becoming the first African American family to do so. [8] [9] This started a series of protests, where the Hancock Park Property Owners Association tried, but failed, to prevent him from buying the house. [8] The association then tried to buy the house from him. What followed was months of abuse, in which his dog was poisoned and racial insults were burnt into his lawn. [8] An unpublished covenant for the property stated that the home was for whites only and not for "any person whose blood is not entirely that of the Caucasian race", with the exception that "persons not of the Caucasian race" could reside in "the capacity of servants". [8] An attorney for property owners in the area said, “We don’t want undesirable people coming here." Cole replied, “Neither do I, and if I see anybody undesirable coming into this neighborhood, I’ll be the first to complain.” [9]
Residents of Hancock Park opposed development efforts in the area through the latter half of the 20th century, particularly public transit projects on Wilshire Boulevard through the neighborhood. Residents had created the "Park Mile Plan", a proposal to limit any development on Wilshire in the area to two stories, which, for RTD councilmember George Takei, was about preserving "the character of Hancock Park". As a result, a proposed Metro rail extension did not include a station in Hancock Park; this angered residents on Crenshaw Boulevard, who wanted a station at its end on Wilshire in Hancock Park. Hancock Park residents strongly opposed the plan on the grounds that it would lead to too much development and an increase in crime, leading to accusations of racism from those on Crenshaw Boulevard, a thoroughfare that passes through a number of majority-black neighborhoods. Those fears were present in Hancock Park resident opposition, although other factors were at play as well. In the end, the RTD chose to include a Wilshire/Crenshaw station in its proposal, making residents of Hancock Park suspicious of the entire extension. Their cause was taken up by Henry Waxman, a longtime Congressman representing the area, who vehemently opposed a proposed Metro rail extension through the area and eventually secured a ban on creating the line at all. The rail extension instead turned north to avoid the areas. [10] [11] Waxman came to soften his opposition to the ban by 2004, looking to commission a study to see if changing circumstances warranted construction of the line. [12]
Hancock Park has about 1,200 homes within the boundaries of Wilshire Boulevard on the south, Melrose Avenue on the north, both sides of Highland Avenue on the west and both sides of Rossmore Avenue on the east. [13] [14] [15]
In 2009, The Mapping L.A. project of the Los Angeles Times [16] redefined the area as Wilshire Boulevard on the south, Melrose Avenue on the north, but widened the neighborhood and extended it a half mile west to La Brea Avenue, and one block east to Arden Boulevard. [17] The Hancock Park Homeowners Association, which was established in 1948, has tried to get the Times to correct its boundaries. [18]
Neighboring communities are Hollywood to the northeast, Melrose to the northwest, Citrus Square and La Brea–Hancock to the west, Brookside to the southwest, Fremont Place to the southeast, and Larchmont and Windsor Square to the east. [19]
The neighborhood surrounds the grounds of the Wilshire Country Club. [20] [21]
The Hancock Park HPOZ was adopted by City Council in 2008. [22] The area is "generally bounded by Melrose Avenue on the north, Highland Avenue on the west, Rossmore Avenue on the east, and the rear property lines of the commercial properties along Wilshire Boulevard on the south". HPOZ signage is posted in the neighborhood. [23]
It is largely within the Wilshire Community Plan area, though a small portion in the northwest (north of Rosewood Avenue and west of June Street) is in the Hollywood Community Plan area. [24] [25]
This section needs to be updated.(August 2023) |
The following data applies to the boundaries set by Mapping L.A.:
The 2000 U.S. census counted 9,804 residents in the 1.59-square-mile neighborhood—an average of 6,459 people per square mile, including the expanse of the Wilshire Country Club. That figure gave Hancock Park one of the lowest densities in Los Angeles. In 2008, the city estimated that the population had increased to 10,671. The median age for residents was 37, considered old when compared with the city as a whole; the percentages of residents aged 35 and above were among the county's highest. [20]
Hancock Park was moderately diverse ethnically. The population was 70.7% non-Hispanic White, 13.1% Asian, 8.5% Hispanic or Latino, 3.8% Black, and 3.9% were of other or mixed race. Korea and the Philippines were the most common places of birth for the 26.3% of the residents who were born abroad, a figure that was considered low compared to rest of the city. [20]
The median yearly household income in 2008 dollars was $85,277, a relatively high figure for Los Angeles, and a high percentage of households earned $125,000 or more. The average household size of 2.1 people was low for the city of Los Angeles. Renters occupied 52.7% of the housing units, and house or apartment owners 47.3%. [20]
The percentages of never-married men and women, 41.3% and 34.4%, respectively, were among the county's highest. The 2000 census found 203 families headed by single parents, a low rate for both the city and the county. The percentage of military veterans who served during World War II or Korea was among the county's highest. [20]
Hancock Park residents were considered highly educated, 56.2% of those aged 25 and older having earned a four-year degree. The percentage of residents with a master's degree was high for the county. [20]
Hancock Park contains a community of Orthodox Jews. According to Teresa Watanabe of the Los Angeles Times , there are no clear figures, but in the early 21st century, The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles estimated that Orthodox Jews made up 20% of the neighborhood's total population. [14] Hancock Park is home to nearly all subsections of Orthodox Judaism; of particular note is the large population of Chasidic Jews. The Chasidic Jewish population is growing at an above-average rate due to high birth rates within the community. [26] Orthodox Jews are required to be within walking distance to their synagogues, and Hancock Park is within walking distance to the La Brea Avenue–area synagogues. Teresa Watanabe stated some Orthodox families cited the large size of houses as a reason for moving there, others cited a better housing value compared to Beverly Hills, and other cited a proximity to the Yavneh Hebrew Academy. As of 2007 [update] , there were six Jews on the 16-member board of directors of the Hancock Park Homeowners Association. [14] As of 2007 [update] , the number of Orthodox Jews in Hancock Park is increasing. As of that year, there had been disputes between Orthodox Jews and their neighbors. [27]
The following Historic-Cultural Monuments are located in Hancock Park:
LAUSD operates the public schools within the Hancock Park borders. [29]
Additionally, many residences of consuls general are within Hancock Park. [14]
Hollywood, sometimes informally called Tinseltown, is a neighborhood and district in the central region of Los Angeles County, California, mostly within the city of Los Angeles. Its name has come to be a shorthand reference for the U.S. film industry and the people associated with it. Many notable film studios, such as Sony Pictures, Walt Disney Studios, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. and Universal Pictures, are located in or near Hollywood.
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.
The Fairfax District is a neighborhood in the Central region of Los Angeles, California.
Miracle Mile is a neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, California.
Park La Brea is an apartment community in the Miracle Mile District of Los Angeles, California. With 4,255 units located in eighteen 13-story towers and thirty-one two-story buildings, it is among the largest apartment complexes in the continental United States. It sits on 160 acres (0.65 km2) of land.
Baldwin Hills is a neighborhood within the South Los Angeles region of Los Angeles, California.
Larchmont is a half-square-mile neighborhood in the central region of the City of Los Angeles, California. It has three schools and one small park. It has been the site of early and recent motion picture shoots.
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.
Wilshire Park is a neighborhood in the Central Los Angeles region of Los Angeles, California.
Hancock Park is a city park in the Miracle Mile section of the Mid-Wilshire neighborhood in Los Angeles, California.
Highland Avenue is a north–south road in Los Angeles. It is a major thoroughfare between Cahuenga Boulevard/U.S. Route 101 in Hollywood at the north and Wilshire Boulevard in Mid-Wilshire at the south, and a residential street from Wilshire Boulevard to Washington Boulevard in Mid-City.
La Brea Avenue is a prominent north-south thoroughfare in the City of Los Angeles and in Los Angeles County, California.
Vine Street is a street in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California that runs north–south between Franklin Avenue, Los Angeles and Melrose Avenue. The intersection of Hollywood and Vine being symbolic of Hollywood itself. The intersection has been redeveloped. Three blocks of the Hollywood Walk of Fame lie along this street with names such as John Lennon, Johnny Carson, and John Belushi. South of Melrose Avenue, Vine turns into Rossmore Avenue, a residential Hancock Park thoroughfare that ends at Wilshire Boulevard.
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.
Wilshire Center is a neighborhood in the Wilshire region of Los Angeles, California.
The Larchmont Chronicle is a monthly community newspaper serving Larchmont Village, Hancock Park, Windsor Square, Fremont Place, Park La Brea and Miracle Mile in Los Angeles, California, United States. It is independently owned.
Brookside is a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California. It is an enclave of eight tree-lined streets and 400 homes. The neighborhood consists primarily of one-story and two-story, predominantly single-family residences in various Period Revival styles including Spanish Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, Mediterranean Revival, and French Revival; later buildings were constructed in the Minimal Traditional and Ranch styles.
Ida Hancock Ross was the owner of the Rancho La Brea in Los Angeles County, including the La Brea Tar Pits. When she died, she was one of the richest women in California.
Hancock Park owes its name to developer-philanthropist G. Allan Hancock who sub-divided the property in the 1920s. Hancock, born in San Francisco, but raised in a home at the La Brea Tar Pits, inherited the 440 acres which his father, Major Henry Hancock, had acquired from the Rancho LaBrea property owned by the family of Jose Jorge Rocha. ...
Hancock Park, located in the eastern portion of the original Rancho La Brea area, was purchased by Major Henry Hancock in 1863. The residential subdivision of Hancock Park was developed by Major Hancock's son, G. Allan Hancock, in the 1920s. Outstanding architects of the era designed the palatial two-story, single-family residences in various Period Revival styles (including Tudor Revival, English Revival, Spanish Colonial Revival, Mediterranean Revival, Monterey Revival, and American Colonial Revival) for influential members of Los Angeles society. The vast majority of the residences are set back 50 feet (15 m) from the street, as insisted upon by G. Allan Hancock, and include side driveways generally leading through a porte cochere to a rear garage. Previous prominent Hancock Park residents have included millionaire Howard Hughes, entertainers Mae West and Nat King Cole, Broadway Department Store magnate Arthur Letts Jr., and architect William Pereira.
On January 6, 1828 Rancho La Brea was granted to Antonio Jose Rocha and Nemisio Dominguez by Jose Antonio Carrillo, the Alcalde of Los Angeles. The grant included a stipulation that the tar pits within the rancho would be open and available to all the citizens of the pueblo for their use. The title was confirmed by Jose Echeandia, who was the Governor of Alta California at the time. Later in 1840, it was reconfirmed by Governor Juan B. Alvarado
Bounded by Melrose Avenue, Wilshire Boulevard, Highland and Rossmore Avenues, Hancock Park proper is mostly residential.
Today, the Hancock Park Homeowners Assn. counts about 1,200 homes within the boundaries of Melrose Avenue, Wilshire Boulevard and both sides of Highland and Rossmore avenues.
...66-block area bounded by Highland, Rossmore and Melrose avenues and Wilshire Boulevard, there were 1,113 homes or apartment buildings -- about 86% of the dwellings -- with some historic character.
It is worth noting, however, that the boundaries used for this claim are those identified by the Los Angeles Times, and do not line up exactly with those used by the City of Los Angeles, or by the neighborhood itself since its founding in the early 20th century. The neighborhood boundaries used by those entities are a bit smaller, including the blocks from Melrose to Wilshire, and Arden to Highland. (The LA Times map goes another half mile west, to La Brea.) 'The LA Times boundaries are wrong for Hancock Park,' said Cindy Chvatal-Keene, President of the Hancock Park Homeowners Association Est. 1948. 'The neighborhood stops at Highland;, we don't go all the way to La Brea. We've tried to get the Times to change that,' she added.
Nat King Cole was the pioneer Black homeowner in the exclusive Hancock Park section of the old Westside in the early 1950s. His wealthy white neighbors burnt crosses on his lawn and generally refused to speak to him for more than a decade.