Woodley Park (Los Angeles) Explained

Woodley Park
Map:United States San Fernando Valley
Location:San Fernando Valley, California, U.S.
Coords:34.1795°N -118.4788°W
Operator:City of Los Angeles

Woodley Park is a recreation area managed by the City of Los Angeles and located along Woodley Avenue between Victory and Burbank Boulevards in the Lake Balboa neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The area is located within the large Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area in the central San Fernando Valley.

The Tillman Water Reclamation Plant is adjacent to the park and surrounded by The Japanese Garden, a large Japanese garden open to the public.

Recreation

Cricket

See main article: article and Leo Magnus Cricket Complex. Woodley Park has five cricket grounds in the Leo Magnus Cricket Complex, and draws many of the best cricket players in the Los Angeles area.[3]

On many weekends, Woodley Park hosts a number of games of cricket being played by expats of Britain and Commonwealth counties, and British influenced countries, including India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the Caribbean.[4]

The 1995 and 2002 U.S. national cricket championships were held at the park.[5]

Events

Events in Woodley Park can/have included:

CrimeWoodley Park was a scene of major drug dealing in the mid-1980s, a drug "supermarket" that was one of the most notorious areas in the San Fernando Valley for open drug sales. Increased police patrols, undercover operations, and surveillance by civilian volunteers curtailed the scene.[9]

Dog park

Approximately of the park were set aside in the late 1980s as a dog park area.[14] The city did not allocate funds until the 1990s for the construction of a fence needed for safer use by dogs and people.[15]

Notes and References

  1. News: Straight Arrow: Montenegro, a World Champion Archer, Does His Best in Passing Sport to the Younger Generation . Lauren . Peterson . Los Angeles Times . August 5, 2000 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121108061508/http://articles.latimes.com/2000/aug/05/sports/sp-64983 . live . November 8, 2012 .
  2. News: Archery Tournament Lines Up Toys for Tots . Tom . Becker . Los Angeles Times . December 13, 1997 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121108062017/http://articles.latimes.com/1997/dec/13/local/me-63623 . live . November 8, 2012 .
  3. News: Cricketers' Proving Grounds : Recreation: Woodley Park zone matches help in selection of U.S. team. . Michael . Lazarus . Los Angeles Times . July 6, 1995 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121108061413/http://articles.latimes.com/1995-07-06/sports/sp-20627_1_u-s-national-team . live . November 8, 2012 .
  4. Broadbent . Lucy . June 2011 . Something Wicket This Way Comes: To the many things for which Compton is known, add a competitive cricket team . LA Times Magazine . https://web.archive.org/web/20120316200455/http://www.latimesmagazine.com/2011/06/something-wicket-this-way-comes.html . dead . March 16, 2012 .
  5. News: Cricket Spreads Its Wings: Sports: U.S. players are vying for the national title in the British export today in Van Nuys. They have big plans for the little-understood game. . Stephanie . Chavez . Los Angeles Times . September 1, 2002 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121108061426/http://articles.latimes.com/2002/sep/01/local/me-cricket1 . live . November 8, 2012 .
  6. News: Classic Cars Draw a Much Bigger Crowd Than Mother Earth . Leslie . Berger . Los Angeles Times . April 23, 1989 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121108061442/http://articles.latimes.com/1990-04-23/local/me-53_1_earth-day . live . November 8, 2012 .
  7. News: Peck of Pipers Practicing for Perfection Perk Up Sundays in Park . Dave . Wharton . Los Angeles Times . January 4, 1987 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121108061457/http://articles.latimes.com/1987-01-04/local/me-1950_1_bagpipes . live . November 8, 2012 .
  8. News: Jamboree Attracts 6,400 Boy Scouts . Agnes . Diggs . Los Angeles Times . May 23, 1999 . https://archive.today/20130127132507/http://articles.latimes.com/1999/may/23/local/me-40221 . live . January 27, 2013 .
  9. News: Woodley Avenue 'Supermarket' : Police Say Drug Sales at Notorious Van Nuys Park Cut Significantly . Greg . Braxton . Los Angeles Times . February 8, 1985 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121108062213/http://articles.latimes.com/1985-02-08/local/me-4748_1_open-drug . live . November 8, 2012 .
  10. News: Van Nuys Man Held in Woodley Park Slaying . Los Angeles Times . November 8, 1986 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121108062229/http://articles.latimes.com/1986-11-08/local/me-28348_1_van-nuys . live . November 8, 2012 .
  11. News: Local News in Brief : Tonga Native Gets 3 Years in Kicking Death . Los Angeles Times . December 7, 1988 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121108062538/http://articles.latimes.com/1988-12-07/local/me-784_1_3-year-term . live . November 8, 2012 .
  12. News: VAN NUYS : Shots Wound 2 at Park Reggae Festival . Jim Herron . Zamora . Los Angeles Times . May 27, 1992 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121108062557/http://articles.latimes.com/1992-05-27/local/me-327_1_reggae-festival . live . November 8, 2012 .
  13. News: 1 Killed, 4 Hurt in Gunfight at Fraternity Picnic . Henry . Chu . Martin, Hugo . Los Angeles Times . April 6, 1992 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121108061359/http://articles.latimes.com/1992-04-06/news/mn-418_1_gunshot-wounds . live . November 8, 2012 .
  14. News: Growling to Greet Dog Park Proposal . Los Angeles Times . July 15, 1989 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121108062609/http://articles.latimes.com/1989-07-15/local/me-3061_1_dog-park . live . November 8, 2012 .
  15. News: Park Goes (for Good) to Dogs . John . Schwada . Los Angeles Times . September 27, 1990 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121108062624/http://articles.latimes.com/1990-09-27/news/we-1582_1_dog-park . live . November 8, 2012 .