Highland Park | |
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Coordinates: 34°06′43″N118°11′53″W / 34.11194°N 118.19806°W | |
Country | United States |
State | California |
County | Los Angeles |
City | Los Angeles |
Government | |
• City Council | Eunisses Hernandez (D) Kevin de Leon (D) |
• State Assembly | Wendy Carrillo (D) |
• State Senate | María Elena Durazo (D) |
• US Senators | Alex Padilla (D) Laphonza Butler (D) |
• U.S. House | Jimmy Gomez (D) |
Area | |
• Total | 3.4 sq mi (9 km2) |
Elevation | 591 ft (180 m) |
Population (2000) [1] | |
• Total | 57,566 |
• Density | 16,809/sq mi (6,490/km2) |
Population changes significantly depending on areas included and recent growth. | |
Time zone | UTC−8 (PST) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (PDT) |
ZIP Code | 90041–90042 |
Area code | 213/323 |
Highland Park is a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, located in the city's Northeast region. It was one of the first subdivisions of Los Angeles [3] and is inhabited by a variety of ethnic and socioeconomic groups.
The area was settled thousands of years ago by Paleo-Indians, and would later be settled by the Kizh. [4] After the founding of Los Angeles in 1781, the Corporal of the Guard at the Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, Jose Maria Verdugo, was granted the 36,403 acre Rancho San Rafael which included present day Highland Park. Drought in the mid-19th century resulted in economic hardship for the Verdugo family, which eventually compelled them to auction off Rancho San Rafael in 1869 for $3,500 over an unpaid loan. The San Rafael tract was purchased by Andrew Glassell and Albert J. Chapman, who leased it out to sheep herders. In 1885, during the 1880s land boom, it was sold to George Morgan and Albert Judson, who combined it with other parcels they had purchased from the Verdugo family to create the Highland Park tract in 1886. [5] [3] Two rail lines were built to Highland Park, which later helped the town to survive the burst of the property bubble. [3] Highland Park was annexed to Los Angeles in 1895. In the early 20th century, Highland Park and neighboring Pasadena became enclaves for artists and intellectuals who were adherents of the Arts and Crafts movement. [6]
With the completion of Arroyo Seco Parkway in 1940, Highland Park began to experience white flight, losing residents to the Mid-Wilshire district and newer neighborhoods in Temple City and in the San Fernando Valley. [7] By the mid-1960s, it was becoming a largely Latino district. Mexican immigrants and their American-born children began owning and renting in Highland Park, with its schools and parks becoming places where residents debated over how to fight discrimination and advance civil rights. [8]
In the final decades of the 20th century, portions of Highland Park suffered waves of gang violence as a consequence of the Avenues street gang claiming them and the adjacent neighborhood of Glassell Park as its territory. At the beginning of the 21st century, then-City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo, a Highland Park native, intensified efforts to rid Northeast Los Angeles of the Avenues. In 2006, four members of the gang were convicted of violating federal hate crime laws. [9] In June 2009, police launched a major raid against the gang, rooting out many leaders of the gang with a federal racketeering indictment, [10] demolishing the gang's Glassell Park stronghold. [11] Law enforcement, coupled with community awareness efforts such as the annual Peace in the Northeast March, have led to a drastic decrease in violent crime in the 2010s.
In the early 2000s, relatively low rents and home prices, as well as Highland Park's pedestrian-friendly streets and proximity to Downtown Los Angeles attracted people of greater affluence than had previously been typical, [12] [13] as well as a reversal of the white flight from previous decades. [14] Of special interest were the district's surviving Craftsman homes. [15] Similar to Echo Park and Eagle Rock, Highland Park has experienced rapid gentrification. [16] [17] [18] The topic of Highland Park's rapid neighborhood changes has garnered national and international attention. [19] [20]
In the 2010s, Highland Park experienced significant job growth, especially with businesses along Figueroa Street and York Boulevard. Its educational, health, and social service careers also developed robustly during this period. However, most workers employed in Highland Park do not live there but commute from surrounding areas instead. [21] The benefits of Highland Park's 21st century economic revitalization have been experienced unevenly, bypassing many of the area’s longtime Latino residents. [22]
Highland Park’s boundaries are roughly the Arroyo Seco Parkway (California Route 110) on the southeast, Pasadena on the northeast, Oak Grove Drive on the north, South Pasadena on the east, and Avenue 51 on the west. Primary thoroughfares include York Boulevard and Figueroa Street. [23]
Highland Park sits within the Northeast Los Angeles region along with Mount Washington, Cypress Park, Glassell Park, and Eagle Rock.
Climate data for Highland Park, Los Angeles | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 68 (20) | 70 (21) | 71 (22) | 75 (24) | 77 (25) | 83 (28) | 88 (31) | 89 (32) | 87 (31) | 82 (28) | 74 (23) | 69 (21) | 78 (26) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 45 (7) | 47 (8) | 48 (9) | 51 (11) | 55 (13) | 59 (15) | 62 (17) | 63 (17) | 61 (16) | 56 (13) | 49 (9) | 45 (7) | 53 (12) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.94 (100) | 4.39 (112) | 3.79 (96) | 1.00 (25) | 0.35 (8.9) | 0.14 (3.6) | 0.02 (0.51) | 0.15 (3.8) | 0.39 (9.9) | 0.59 (15) | 1.33 (34) | 2.18 (55) | 18.29 (465) |
Source: [24] |
The 2000 U.S. census counted 56,566 residents in the 3.42-square-mile neighborhood—an average of 16,835 people per square mile. In 2008, the city estimated that the population had increased to 60,841. The median age for residents was 28. [25]
The ethnic composition of Highland Park in 2000 was 72.4% Latino, 11.3% Non-Hispanic White, 11.2% Asian, 8.4% Black, and others, 2.6%. Among the 45% of residents born abroad, Mexico and El Salvador were the most common countries of origin. Mexican and German were the most common ancestries. [25]
The median household income in 2008 dollars was $45,478, and 59% of households earned $40,000 or less. The average household size was 3.3 people. Renters occupied 60.9% of the housing units. [25]
The percentage of never-married men was 41%. The 2000 census found that 21% of families were headed by single parents. There were 1,942 military veterans in 2000, or 4.9% of the population. [25]
According to the 2020 United States census, the ethnic composition of Highland Park in 2020 was 58.7% Latino, 21.8% Non-Hispanic White, 13.4% Asian, 1.8% Black, and 4.3% others. Overall, the population of Highland Park decreased by 7% between 2010 and 2020. [26] [27]
Highland Park was served by a series of public libraries starting in 1890. It housed a collection of 50 books at the now demolished Miller's Hall, formerly located on York Boulevard between Avenues 63 and 64. As the library's collection grew, it was moved to other locations along nearby Avenue 64 in order to accommodate. A grant from Andrew Carnegie made possible a purpose-built facility which eventually became the original Arroyo Seco Library. [36] Its location was decided upon in 1911 as a compromise between the competing residential centers of the district, as well in order to adhere to the stipulations of the grant. [37] The library was opened in 1914. [36]
On October 17, 1960, a newly constructed Arroyo Seco Library was opened to the public, replacing the original building after 46 years of service. Designed by architect John Landon, the second Arroyo Seco Library was the base of operations for the entire northeast region of the Los Angeles Public Library system. It also was equipped with rooftop parking which had access to the library's front door, a feature that was first of its kind among public libraries in the United States. [38] This building would itself be replaced by another, modernized facility in 2003. [39]
Highland Park is home to a wide array of religious practitioners. The St. Ignatius Church has been the house of worship for followers of Roman Catholicism in the district since the early 20th century. Originally located on Avenue 52, the church was moved to its present location on the corner of Avenue 60 and Monte Vista Street in 1915. [40]
Temple Beth Israel of Highland Park and Eagle Rock was founded in Highland Park in 1923 and constructed its building in 1930. It is the second oldest synagogue in Los Angeles still operating in its original location, after the Wilshire Boulevard Temple (built in 1929). [41] [42]
The following Historic-Cultural Monuments are located in Highland Park:
Highland Park is zoned to the following schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District. [48]
Zoned elementary schools include:
Residents are zoned to Luther Burbank Middle School [50] and Benjamin Franklin High School. Los Angeles International Charter High School and Academia Avance Charter also serve the community.
Motion pictures that have been shot in Highland Park include:
Television and feature films have used the old Los Angeles Police Department building in the 6000 block of York Boulevard. [82]
Smith Estate, an historic hilltop Victorian house, has been a shooting location for horror films such as Spider Baby , Silent Scream and Insidious: Chapter 2 .
Eagle Rock is a neighborhood of Northeast Los Angeles, abutting the San Rafael Hills in Los Angeles County, California. The community is named after Eagle Rock, a large boulder whose shadow resembles an eagle. Eagle Rock was once part of the Rancho San Rafael under Spanish and Mexican governorship. In 1911, Eagle Rock was incorporated as a city, and in 1923 it was annexed by Los Angeles.
The Arroyo Seco Parkway, also known as the Pasadena Freeway, is one of the oldest freeways in the United States. It connects Los Angeles with Pasadena alongside the Arroyo Seco seasonal river. Mostly opened in 1940, it represents the transitional phase between early parkways and later freeways. It conformed to modern standards when it was built, but is now regarded as a narrow, outdated roadway. A 1953 extension brought the south end to the Four Level Interchange in downtown Los Angeles and a connection with the rest of the freeway system.
Route 110, consisting of State Route 110 (SR 110) and Interstate 110 (I-110), is a state and auxiliary Interstate Highway in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of the US state of California. The entire route connects San Pedro and the Port of Los Angeles with Downtown Los Angeles and Pasadena. The southern segment from San Pedro to I-10 in downtown Los Angeles is signed as I-110, while the northern segment to Pasadena is signed as SR 110. The entire length of I-110, as well as SR 110 south of the Four Level Interchange with US Route 101 (US 101), is the Harbor Freeway, and SR 110 north from US 101 to Pasadena is the historic Arroyo Seco Parkway, the first freeway in the western United States.
Leimert Park is a neighborhood in the South Los Angeles region of Los Angeles, California.
Colorado Boulevard is a major east–west street in Southern California. It runs from Griffith Park in Los Angeles east through Glendale, the Eagle Rock section of Los Angeles, Pasadena, and Arcadia, ending in Monrovia. The full route was once various state highways but is now locally maintained in favor of the parallel Ventura Freeway and Foothill Freeway (I-210).
The Arroyo Seco, meaning "dry stream" in Spanish, is a 24.9-mile-long (40.1 km) seasonal river, canyon, watershed, and cultural area in Los Angeles County, California. The area was explored by Gaspar de Portolà who named the stream Arroyo Seco as this canyon had the least water of any he had seen. During this exploration he met the Chief Hahamog-na (Hahamonga) of the Tongva Indians.
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.
The Figueroa Street Tunnels are a set of four four-lane tunnels that carry northbound traffic on State Route 110 through Elysian Park in Los Angeles, California, United States. From south to north, the four tunnels measure 755, 461, 130, and 405 feet in length, 46.5 feet in width, and 28.3 ft in height.
Figueroa Street is a major north-south street in Los Angeles County, California, spanning from the Los Angeles neighborhood of Wilmington north to Eagle Rock. A short, unconnected continuation of Figueroa Street runs just south of Marengo Drive in Glendale to Chevy Chase Drive in La Cañada Flintridge.
Cypress Park is a densely populated neighborhood of 10,000+ residents in Northeast Los Angeles, California. Surrounded by hills on three sides, it sits in the valley created by the Los Angeles River and the Arroyo Seco. It is the site of the Rio de Los Angeles State Park, the Los Angeles River Bike Path and other recreational facilities. It hosts one private and four public schools.
Southwest Museum station is an at-grade light rail station on the A Line of the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. It is located near the intersection of Marmion Way at Museum Drive in the Mount Washington neighborhood of Los Angeles. The station opened on July 26, 2003, as part of the original Gold Line, then known as the "Pasadena Metro Blue Line" project.
Garvanza is a neighborhood in northeast Los Angeles. Fourteen Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments are located in the neighborhood.
Heritage Square Museum is a living history and open-air architecture museum located beside the Arroyo Seco Parkway in the Montecito Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, in the southern Arroyo Seco area. The living history museum shows the story of development in Southern California through historical architectural examples.
Judson Studios is a fine arts studio specializing in stained glass located in the Highland Park section of northeast Los Angeles. The stained glass studio was founded in the Mott Alley section of downtown Los Angeles in the mid-1890s by English-born artist William Lees Judson and his three sons. It moved to its current location in 1920 and remains in operation as a family-run business. The Judson Studios building was named a Historic-Cultural Landmark by the City of Los Angeles in 1969 and listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.
South Pasadena Local was a local streetcar line operated by the Pacific Electric Railway between Downtown Los Angeles and South Pasadena, California by way of the Arroyo Seco Route. This was one of four lines that connected the two cities.
Northeast Los Angeles is a 17.18 sq mi (44.5 km2) region of Los Angeles County, comprising seven neighborhoods within Los Angeles. The area is home to Occidental College located in Eagle Rock.
The Santa Fe Arroyo Seco Railroad Bridge in Highland Park, Los Angeles, is more than 710 feet (220 m) long and crosses the Arroyo Seco Parkway at an elevation of over 56 feet (17 m). It is the tallest and longest railroad span in the city of Los Angeles, and most likely the oldest such structure still in use. The bridge crosses the lower part of the Arroyo Seco, a watershed canyon from the San Gabriel Mountains.
W was a streetcar line in Los Angeles, California. It was operated by the Los Angeles Railway (LARy) from 1895 to 1956.
The Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley Railroad was a railroad founded on September 5, 1883, by James F. Crank with the goal of bringing a rail line to Pasadena, California from downtown Los Angeles, the line opened in 1886. Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley Railroad was sold and consolidated on May 20, 1887 into the California Central Railway. In 1889 this was consolidated into Southern California Railway Company. On Jan. 17, 1906 Southern California Railway was sold to the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and called the Pasadena Subdivision. The main line closed in 1994. The railroad later reopened as the MTA Gold Line Light Rail service in July 2003.
Of all the neighborhoods in Northeast L.A.—if not the entire city—none have changed as rapidly as Highland Park.
But [Highland Park's] transition is complicated. Highland Park is historically Latino, and as housing prices have crept up, a slew of Spanish-speaking panaderias, bodegas, and businesses have shuttered.
In Highland Park, the population dropped 7% to nearly 51,000. Latinos accounted for 66% of the population—down 10% since 2010.