Hancock Park, Los Angeles Explained

Hancock Park
Pushpin Map:United States Los Angeles Central
Pushpin Label Position:right
Pushpin Map Caption:Location within Central Los Angeles
Settlement Type:Neighborhood of Los Angeles
Coordinates:34.0762°N -118.3335°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Type3:City
Subdivision Name2: Los Angeles
Subdivision Name3: Los Angeles
Timezone:PST
Utc Offset:−8
Timezone Dst:PDT
Utc Offset Dst:−7
Postal Code Type:ZIP Codes
Postal Code:90004, 90005, 90010, 90020, 90036
Area Code:213, 323
Elevation Ft:249
Elevation Footnotes:[1]

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).

History

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 4400acres, 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. This started a series of protests, where the Hancock Park Property Owners Association tried, but failed, to prevent him from buying the house. 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. An unpublished covenant for the property stated that the home was for whites only and not for "any person whose blood is not entirely that of the Caucasian race", with the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". 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.”

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.[8] [9] 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.[10]

Geography

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.[11] [12] [13]

In 2009, The Mapping L.A. project of the Los Angeles Times[14] 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.[15] The Hancock Park Homeowners Association, which was established in 1948, has tried to get the Times to correct its boundaries.[16]

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.[17]

The neighborhood surrounds the grounds of the Wilshire Country Club.[18] [19]

Historic Preservation Overlay Zone

The Hancock Park HPOZ was adopted by City Council in 2008.[20] 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.[21]

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.[22] [23]

Demographics

The following data applies to the boundaries set by Mapping L.A.:

2000

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.[18]

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.[18]

2008

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%.[18]

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.[18]

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.[18]

Orthodox Jews

See also: History of the Jews in Los Angeles. 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.[24] 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.[25] 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., there were six Jews on the 16-member board of directors of the Hancock Park Homeowners Association.[12], the number of Orthodox Jews in Hancock Park is increasing. As of that year, there had been disputes between Orthodox Jews and their neighbors.[26]

Historic Cultural Monuments

The following Historic-Cultural Monuments are located in Hancock Park:

Education

LAUSD operates the public schools within the Hancock Park borders.[28]

Consuls general

Additionally, many residences of consuls general are within Hancock Park.[12]

In popular culture

Notable people

See also

Sources

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Worldwide Elevation Finder. elevation.maplogs.com.
  2. https://planning.lacity.org/odocument/3333424a-21b9-4f7b-86db-064926b9dcb9/Wilshire_Community_Plan.pdf Wilshire Community Plan
  3. Web site: Hancock Park . June 19, 2010 . 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. ... . Windsor Square-Hancock Park Historical Society . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100423114912/http://www.wshphs.org/windsor.html . April 23, 2010 . mdy-all .
  4. Web site: Brief History. June 19, 2010 . 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 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. . Hancock Park Homeowners Association .
  5. News: 1916-05-02 . Unique Among World Parks . 11 . . 2023-12-30. & News: 1916-05-02 . Unique Park . 15 . . 2023-12-30.
  6. Web site: Rancho La Brea . June 19, 2010 . 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 . LA Okay .
  7. News: 1987-09-20 . History of Hancock Park Goes on View With Tour . 147 . . 2023-12-30. & News: 1987-09-20 . Hancock . 154 . . 2023-12-30.
  8. Book: Elkind, Ethan N. . Railtown: The Fight for the Los Angeles Metro Rail and the Future of the City . January 22, 2014 . . 9780520957206.
  9. Book: Altshuler . Alan . Mega-Projects: The Changing Politics of Urban Public Investment . Luberoff . David . . 2003 . 978-0-8157-0130-9 . 202–203.
  10. News: Groves . Martha . November 29, 2005 . Waxman rethinks tunnelling ban . . December 30, 2023.
  11. News: OConner . Pauline . Hancock Park . 5 August 2023 . . June 5, 2008 . Bounded by Melrose Avenue, Wilshire Boulevard, Highland and Rossmore Avenues, Hancock Park proper is mostly residential..
  12. News: Watanabe . Teresa . Change drives tension in staid Hancock Park . 21 February 2020 . Los Angeles Times . 1 October 2007. 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..
  13. News: Hymon . Steve . Garrison . Jessica . Stately Hancock Park Split Over Preservation . 6 August 2023 . . August 1, 2006 . ...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..
  14. Web site: About - Mapping L.A. - Los Angeles Times.
  15. Web site: Hancock Park. Mapping L.A..
  16. News: Hancock Park Dubbed Worst Neighborhood in LA for Burglaries. Patricia Lombard. Larchmont Buzz. August 20, 2018. 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..
  17. https://greaterwilshire.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/NC-Greater-Wilshire-V4.pdf Map
  18. http://projects.latimes.com/mapping-la/neighborhoods/neighborhood/hancock-park "Hancock Park"
  19. Thomas Guide, Los Angeles County, 2004, pages 593 and 633
  20. Web site: Hancock Park Historic Preservation Overlay Zone . LACity.org . 29 October 2020.
  21. Web site: Hancock Park Preservation Plan . LACity.org . 29 October 2020. 93.
  22. https://clkrep.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2008/08-1757_rpt_lacpc_02-19-08.pdf
  23. https://ladcp.maps.arcgis.com/apps/View/index.html?appid=7060ee6d40664094804cb06677c44410
  24. News: Watanabe . Teresa . Change drives tension in staid Hancock Park . 21 February 2020 . Los Angeles Times . 1 October 2007. 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..
  25. "Two Neighborhoods Reveal Orthodox Community's Fault Lines", Jewish Journal, July 9, 2006
  26. Watanabe, Teresa. "Change drives tension in staid Hancock Park". Los Angeles Times. October 1, 2007. p. 1. Retrieved on April 2, 2014.
  27. News: Pergament . Danielle . 2024-08-06 . To Discover L.A.'s Neighborhoods, Let the Trees Be Your Guide . 2024-08-06 . The New York Times . en-US . 0362-4331.
  28. http://projects.latimes.com/mapping-la/neighborhoods/neighborhood/hancock-park/schools/ "Hancock Park Schools"
  29. Web site: Consulate General of Belize . losangelesconsulate.mfa.gov.bz . 29 October 2020.
  30. News: Warner Henry, remembered: Local luminary, a founder of LA Opera, died Aug. 1 . 29 October 2020 . Larchmont Chronicle.
  31. News: Kudler . Adrian Glick . The Wallace Neff House Where Will and Kate Will Stay This Weekend . 21 February 2020 . Curbed Los Angeles . Curbed.com LLC . 7 July 2011 . curbedwilliamkate.
  32. News: D'Zurilla . Christie . William and Kate will bed down in Hancock Park during L.A. visit . 21 February 2020 . Los Angeles Times . 8 July 2011 . beddown.
  33. Web site: Historic 450 S. June St. . Ronald Chang CHANG & ASSOCIATES Architecture . 21 February 2020 . ronaldchang.
  34. Web site: Official Residence of the Consul General of Canada . 29 October 2020.
  35. Web site: Japan honors Dr. Takei for promoting modern dentistry . Larchmont Chronicle . 29 October 2020.
  36. Web site: Spring 2019 Decoration Conferred on Dr. Henry H. Takei . www.la.us.emb-japan.go.jp . 29 October 2020.
  37. News: Blake . Lindsay . The 'What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?' House Can Now Be Yours for $3.795 Million! . 11 December 2020 . Variety.com . December 10, 2020.
  38. Web site: AFI|Catalog.
  39. Web site: Mr. T on 'DWTS,' Jesus, and possible 'A-Team' reprisal.
  40. News: David . Mark . Mara Brock Akil and Salim Akil Drop $13.8M on Grand Hancock Park Mansion . 11 August 2021 . The Hollywood Reporter . July 20, 2021.
  41. Web site: PropertyShark - Real Estate Search and Property Information.
  42. Book: Levinson, Peter J.. September in the Rain: The Life of Nelson Riddle. January 1, 2005. Taylor Trade Publications. 978-1-58979-163-3. 89.
  43. Book: Davis, Mike. Mike Davis (scholar). City of Quartz: Excavating the Future in Los Angeles. September 17, 2006. Verso Books. 978-1-84467-568-5. 214n23. 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.. New.
  44. Web site: Singer Natalie Cole Dies at 65. Variety. January 9, 2016. en-US. January 2016.
  45. owned/lived on the 600 block of North Highland Avenue back in 1971-72 while at Paramount Pictures as a reader/independent assistant producer and also teaching during the same time in a Chicago ghetto school
  46. News: Feirstein. Bruce. Where Every Street Is Sunset Boulevard. December 30, 2012. The Wall Street Journal. December 22, 2012. Bruce Feirstein. A15.
  47. Web site: Jake's Progress. TheGuardian.com. May 17, 2021. October 30, 2005.
  48. News: Jill . Leovy . Leonard Hill dies at 68; developer converted old downtown L.A. buildings into lofts . . June 9, 2016 . July 2, 2016.
  49. Web site: Super PAC consultant who spent $100 million on Jeb Bush is unapologetic. https://web.archive.org/web/19960101064300/http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-mike-murphy-20160308-story.html. dead. January 1, 1996. Seema. Mehta. Los Angeles Times. California. February 12, 2018. March 8, 2016.
  50. Web site: The Last Inning . walteromalley.com.
  51. Web site: WORLD EXCLUSIVE: Sharon Osbourne 'I'm not a racist'. April 18, 2021.
  52. Web site: Gainesville Sun - Google News Archive Search. news.google.com. January 9, 2016.
  53. Sanneh. Kelefa. What He Knows For Sure. The New Yorker. August 4, 2008. November 4, 2011.

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