Highland Park, Los Angeles Explained

Highland Park
Pushpin Map:United States Los Angeles Central
Pushpin Label Position:right
Pushpin Mapsize:250
Pushpin Map Caption:Location within Los Angeles
Coordinates:34.1119°N -118.1981°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:California
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Los Angeles
Subdivision Type3:City
Subdivision Name3:Los Angeles
Timezone:PST
Utc Offset:−8
Timezone Dst:PDT
Utc Offset Dst:−7
Area Code:213/323
Leader Name:Eunisses Hernandez (D) Kevin de Leon (D)
Leader Title1:State Assembly
Leader Name1:Wendy Carrillo (D)
Leader Title2:State Senate
Leader Name2:María Elena Durazo (D)
Area Footnotes:[1]
Area Total Sq Mi:3.4
Elevation Footnotes:[2]
Elevation Ft:591
Population Total:57566
Population As Of:2000
Population Density Sq Mi:16809
Population Note:Population changes significantly depending on areas included and recent growth.
Postal Code Type:ZIP Code
Postal Code:90041–90042
Leader Title3:US Senators
Leader Name3:Alex Padilla (D) Laphonza Butler (D)
Leader Title4:U.S. House
Leader Name4:Jimmy Gomez (D)

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.

History

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]

Geography and climate

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.

Demographics

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.[24]

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.[24]

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.[24]

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.[24]

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.[25] [26]

Government and infrastructure

Transportation

Parks and libraries

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.[35] 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.[36] The library was opened in 1914.[35]

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.[37] This building would itself be replaced by another, modernized facility in 2003.[38]

Religion

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.[39]

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).[40] [41]

Landmarks and attractions

Historic-Cultural Monuments

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

Education

Highland Park is zoned to the following schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District.[46]

Zoned elementary schools include:

Residents are zoned to Luther Burbank Middle School[48] and Benjamin Franklin High School. Los Angeles International Charter High School and Academia Avance Charter also serve the community.

Notable people

In popular culture

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.[80]

Smith Estate, an historic hilltop Victorian house, has been a shooting location for horror films such as Spider Baby, Silent Scream and .

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Los Angeles Times Neighborhood Project. April 11, 2010 . The Los Angeles Times.
  2. Web site: Worldwide Elevation Finder.
  3. Highland Park-Garvanza HPOZ Preservation Plan, Including Garvanza, Highland Park, Montecito Heights and Mount Angelus Neighborhoods. Los Angeles Department of City Planning, Highland Park-Garvanza Historic Preservation Overlay Zone. December 9, 2010. Los Angeles Department of City Planning. 4.1 History of Highland Park & Garvanza. 17–20. August 17, 2017. PDF. https://web.archive.org/web/20170903203938/http://planning.lacity.org/PdisCaseInfo/Home/GetGeneralPlanningDocument/NTc1. September 3, 2017 . dead.
  4. https://www.cpp.edu/~tgyoung/Pom_Parks/Kizh%20not%20Tongva_9-27-17.pdf
  5. News: The Highlands. Departures. Kcet.org. October 27, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20111010173603/http://www.kcet.org/socal/departures/highland-park/the-highlands/. October 10, 2011. dead.
  6. News: Arroyo Culture. Departures. Kcet.org. October 27, 2013. January 7, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160107131023/http://www.kcet.org/socal/departures/highland-park/arroyo-culture//. dead.
  7. News: The Parkway. Departures. Kcet.org. October 27, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130521141656/http://www.kcet.org/socal/departures/highland-park/the-parkway/. May 21, 2013. dead.
  8. News: Brown and Proud. Departures. Kcet.org. October 27, 2013. January 7, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160107131023/http://www.kcet.org/socal/departures/highland-park/brown-and-proud//. dead.
  9. News: A gang's staying power . Los Angeles Times . Joe. Mozingo. Sam. Quinones. Richard. Winton. February 23, 2008.
  10. News: Major police raid targets L.A.'s notorious Avenues gang . Joel. Rubin . Los Angeles Times . September 22, 2009.
  11. News: Avenues gang bastion is demolished . Los Angeles Times . Sam. Quinones. February 5, 2009.
  12. News: Edgy neighborhoods attract frosh buyers. June 18, 2008 . Variety . Kathy A.. McDonald.
  13. News: Experience an alternative Los Angeles . London Evening Standard, February 22, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120405192121/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/lifestyle/travel/experience-an-alternative-los-angeles-7445709.html . April 5, 2012 .
  14. Web site: Bogado . Aura . Dispatch from Highland Park: Gentrification, Displacement and the Disappearance of Latino Businesses . Colorlines . January 20, 2015 . May 10, 2021.
  15. News: Highland Park becoming gentrified . Alejandro . Lazo. Los Angeles Times . March 11, 2012.
  16. News: Highland Park renters feel the squeeze of gentrification . Tim . Logan. Los Angeles Times . December 21, 2014.
  17. Web site: Juliano . Michael . A guide to Highland Park . Timeout . May 11, 2021 . Of all the neighborhoods in Northeast L.A.—if not the entire city—none have changed as rapidly as Highland Park..
  18. News: Northeast Los Angeles Gentrification in Comparative and Historical Context . Jan . Lin. KCET . June 4, 2015.
  19. News: York & Fig: At the Intersection of Change . Marketplace.org..
  20. News: Whitewashed': how gentrification continues to erase LA's bold murals . Andrew . Gumbel. The Guardian . January 26, 2020.
  21. Web site: The State of Highland Park . March 6, 2023.
  22. Web site: Kamin . Debra . Highland Park, Los Angeles: A Watchful Eye on Gentrification . New York Times . September 20, 2021 . October 22, 2019 . 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..
  23. News: Highland Park, Los Angeles: A Watchful Eye on Gentrification . Kamin . Debra . October 22, 2019. New York Times. May 11, 2021.
  24. News: Highland Park Profile - Mapping L.A. - Los Angeles Times . Projects.latimes.com . October 27, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170903203540/http://maps.latimes.com/neighborhoods/neighborhood/highland-park/ . September 3, 2017 . live.
  25. Web site: Sanchez . Jesús . 2020 Census describes a shrinking Eastside . https://web.archive.org/web/20221207001801/https://www.theeastsiderla.com/news/government_and_politics/2020-census-describes-a-shrinking-eastside/article_dc110ac8-0461-11ec-b334-37d9c5bfd1c1.amp.html . December 7, 2022 . The Eastsider . August 30, 2021 . December 6, 2022 . In Highland Park, the population dropped 7% to nearly 51,000. Latinos accounted for 66% of the population—down 10% since 2010..
  26. Web site: American Community Survey - Census Data for 90042 Census Tract . US Census Bureau . 10 March 2023.
  27. "Post Office Location - HIGHLAND PARK." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on December 9, 2008.
  28. Web site: Los Angeles Fire Department — Fire Station 12 . Lafd.org . October 27, 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131029201901/http://lafd.org/fs12.htm . October 29, 2013 .
  29. Web site: Highland Park Recreation Center . City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks . July 31, 2014 . 7 December 2022.
  30. Web site: York Boulevard Park . City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks . July 19, 2016 . 7 December 2022.
  31. Web site: Sycamore Grove Park . City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks . September 2, 2014 . 6 March 2023.
  32. Web site: Hermon Park . City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks . August 5, 2014 . 6 March 2023.
  33. Web site: Garvanza Park . City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks . August 13, 2014 . 6 March 2023.
  34. Web site: Arroyo Seco Regional Library . Los Angeles Public Library . May 10, 2021.
  35. News: Dellquest . Wilfred . Northeast Pictures: Arroyo Library result of sacrifice and determination . May 10, 2021 . Highland Park News-Herald and Journal . August 11, 1957 . Dellquest.
  36. News: Branch Library Location Pleases Some—Not All! . May 10, 2021 . Highland Park News-Herald and Journal . September 23, 1911 . Location.
  37. News: Public spirit builds library . May 10, 2021 . Highland Park News-Herald and Journal . October 17, 1963 . Spirit.
  38. Web site: Early Los Angeles Historical Buildings (1900 - 1925) . May 10, 2021.
  39. News: Catholics Erecting Huge Church Building . May 10, 2021 . Highland Park News-Herald and Journal . October 9, 1915 . Ignatius.
  40. Web site: Finding Sanctuary . https://web.archive.org/web/20080916182823/http://www.lamag.com/featuredarticle.aspx?id=9768 . September 16, 2008 . Leibowitz . Ed.
  41. Web site: History. https://web.archive.org/web/20090429100712/http://tbila.org/history.htm . April 29, 2009 .
  42. Web site: GALCO'S SODA POP STOP | 7 Reinterpreting Highland Park | Departures . KCET . February 22, 1999 . October 27, 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131029203959/http://www.kcet.org/socal/departures/highland-park/reinterpreting-highland-park/galcos-soda-pop-stop.html . October 29, 2013 .
  43. Web site: Avenue 50 Studio | Art | Highland Park Field Guide . KCET . December 13, 2008. October 27, 2013.
  44. Web site: Tierra De La Culebra: Park and Sculpture . KCET . November 20, 2011. March 6, 2023.
  45. Web site: June 3, 2022 . Historic-Cultural Monument (HCM) List City Declared Monuments . City of Los Angeles, Department of City Planning.
  46. News: Susan Carrier . History hopes to repeat itself in Highland Park . . October 12, 2003 . December 26, 2008 . https://archive.today/20090120103258/http://latimes.com/classified/realestate/printedition/la-re-guide12oct12,1,7214993.story . January 20, 2009 . dead .
  47. Web site: You are about to leave the LAUSD Domain . Lausd.k12.ca.us . October 27, 2013.
  48. Web site: Luther Burbank Middle School website. www.lbmsbears.com.
  49. http://dbase1.lapl.org/webpics/calindex/documents/03/197087.pdf Los Angeles Public Library file
  50. Web site: The Highs and Lows of Being Billie Eilish. September 5, 2019.
  51. Web site: Drag queen Jackie Beat's eye-popping pad is up for grabs. O'Connor. Pauline. July 31, 2016. Curbed LA. en. January 26, 2020.
  52. News: Hochman. Steve. Don't Get Bitter on Us, Beck : Thanks to his rap-folk song 'Loser,' the 23-year-old musician is one of the hottest figures to emerge from the L.A. rock scene in years. But now that he's going national, how will he hold up under all the attention?. May 1, 2013. Los Angeles Times. February 20, 1994.
  53. Web site: Sunday in the dungeon with Jackson Browne . April 21, 2013 . The Eastsider LA . October 27, 2013.
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  55. Web site: A Chicano Art Collective Needs Help Bringing This Massive Highland Park Mural Back to Life. February 22, 2017.
  56. News: Merl . Jean . Life of Promise, Pressing New Issues . May 11, 2021 . Los Angeles Times . July 1, 2001 . Merl.
  57. Cannon, Lou (1998), Official Negligence: How Rodney King and the Riots Changed Los Angeles and the LAPD, p.92. Crown. . Excerpt available at Google Books.
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  59. Web site: Carmichael . Emma . 2023-10-23 . NBA Referee Che Flores on Becoming the First Out Trans and Nonbinary Ref in American Pro Sports . 2024-07-04 . GQ . en-US.
  60. Web site: Agreement Reached on Custody of Teen Actor. Los Angeles Times. February 22, 2017. September 27, 1991.
  61. http://dbase1.lapl.org/webpics/calindex/documents/05/1580.pdf Los Angeles Public Library reference file
  62. Web site: Diane Keaton: Why I decided to adopt in my 50s. Finnigan. Kate. August 6, 2017. Glen Innes Examiner. en. January 26, 2020.
  63. Web site: Highland Park pays tribute to Mike Kelley*. February 6, 2012 . February 22, 2017.
  64. Web site: Marc Maron Learned the Meaning of "Feral" from a Cat. May 8, 2013. August 6, 2012.
  65. News: Billie Eilish Is The Weird Achiever Of The Year. NPR. December 10, 2019. en. December 28, 2019. Powers. Ann.
  66. News: Ariel Pink: 'I'm not that guy everyone hates'. February 22, 2017. The Guardian. November 15, 2014. Samadder. Rhik.
  67. News: Fritz Poock's Water Colors. Los Angeles Times. July 2, 1933.
  68. News: Save the Date: Stairway tour explores history of Mt. Angelus one step at a time . 19 June 2022 . The Eastsider LA . 29 October 2011 . en.
  69. Web site: Glazer. Joshua. Skrillex: Strictly Laptop. Hot Topic. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110504125515/http://community.hottopic.com/interview/skrillex-strictly-laptop. May 4, 2011.
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  71. News: Pat . Saperstein . David Weidman, Animation Artist Whose Work Appeared on 'Mad Men,' Dies at 93 . . August 7, 2014 . August 29, 2014.
  72. News: Berlinger. Max. February 21, 2020. Connor Jessup of 'Locke & Key' Gets His Nails Done. en-US. The New York Times. August 10, 2020. 0362-4331.
  73. How Colm Tóibín Burrowed Inside Thomas Mann's Head . The New Yorker . September 13, 2021 . Max . D. T. .
  74. Web site: Film locations for Reservoir Dogs (1992) . Movie-locations.com . October 27, 2013 . May 5, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180505192955/http://movie-locations.com/movies/r/reservoir.html#.UgKnkNLnYQw . dead .
  75. Web site: Highland Park bar gets a Hollywood close-up . The Eastsider LA . March 21, 2011 . October 27, 2013.
  76. Web site: Gangster Squad Recreates Mickey Cohen's 1940s LA - LA Plays Itself - Curbed LA . La.curbed.com . May 10, 2012 . October 27, 2013.
  77. Web site: Yes Man - Filming Locations - part 1 . Seeing-stars.com . October 27, 2013.
  78. Web site: Offbeat Rom-Com Cyrus Premieres at LA Film Festival . Blogcritics . June 19, 2010 . October 27, 2013.
  79. Web site: Tuff Turf (1985). IMDb . November 11, 2018.
  80. Web site: Tour Location: 6045 York Blvd, Los Angeles, California . The Movieland Directory . October 27, 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131029200028/http://movielanddirectory.com/tour-location.cfm?location=41323&from_movie=54597 . October 29, 2013 .

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