Highland Park, Los Angeles

"Highland Park, California" redirects here. For the neighborhood of Oakland, California, see Highland Park, Oakland, California.

Highland Park
—  Neighborhood of Los Angeles  —
The Highland Park Masonic Temple
Highland Park Location within Central Los Angeles
Coordinates: 34.11194°N 118.19806°W / 34.11194; -118.19806
Country	United States
State	California
County	County of Los Angeles
City	City of Los Angeles
Government
• City Council	Ed Reyes, Jose Huizar
• State Assembly	Kevin De León (D), Anthony Portantino (D)
• State Senate	Gil Cedillo (D), Carol Liu (D)
• U.S. House	Xavier Becerra (D)
Area
• Total	3.4 sq mi (9 km2)
Population (2000)
• Total	57,566
• Density	16,809/sq mi (6,490/km2)
	Population changes significantly depending on areas included and recent growth.
ZIP Code	90042
Area code(s)	323

Highland Park is a neighborhood in Northeast Los Angeles.

Geography

Highland Park is located along the Arroyo Seco. It is situated within what was once Rancho San Rafael of the Spanish / Mexican era. Its boundaries are roughly the Pasadena Freeway (California Route 110) and the city limits of South Pasadena on the southeast, the city limits of Pasadena on the east, Oak Grove Drive on the north, and Avenue 50/51 on the west. The district's neighbors include Mt. Washington on the southwest, Montecito Heights on the south, Hermon and Monterey Hills on the southeast, Pasadena and South Pasadena on the northeast, Eagle Rock on the north, and Glassell Park on the west. Primary thoroughfares include York Boulevard, Avenues 50, 54, and 64, Monte Vista Street, and Figueroa Street.

The neighborhood

One of the oldest settled areas of Los Angeles, Highland Park is also one of the most scenic due to its architecture and location between the Mt. Washington hills, the San Rafael hills and the Monterey Hills, Los Angeles, California. There are large sprawling parks in the area, including the Arroyo Seco Park and the Ernest E. Debs Regional Park. The Southwest Museum, with one of the largest and most significant collections of Native American artifacts in the country, is located in adjacent Mt. Washington. The light rail Metro Gold Line travels from Union Station to Pasadena, traversing all of Highland Park.

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).

Highland Park experienced white flight, from the development of Mid-Wilshire district in the 1920s through the late 1960s/early 1970s with the development and creation of new neighborhoods in Temple City to the east and the San Fernando Valley to the north-west. By the mid 1960s, it was becoming a largely Latino enclave. Over-development caused land prices to drop. By the mid 1970s, it had emerged as a predominantly Latino area. In keeping with its tradition of being a haven for immigrants, however, the racial demographics never fully homogenized (it was 70% Latino in 2000) as in the case of other neighborhoods like East L.A., leaving room for many races and ethnicities to find a place in Highland Park.

During the 1950s and 1960s, many of Highland Park's oldest homes were razed. Heritage Square: a Highland Park museum started by local Los Angeles activists hoping to save some of the Victorian homes which were scheduled for demolition to make room for gas stations and parking lots. One of the fine and architecturally significant homes was the only one saved from this era. Gentrification began to set in in 1984 when large tracts of the district were set aside for historic preservation under Los Angeles' Historic Preservation Overlay Zone ordinance, and thousands of second and third generation Latinos sold their family homes and moved to upscale suburbs of South Pasadena, West Hills and San Dimas.^{[citation needed]}

Before the rise of Southern California housing prices from 2002–2005, many arrived to Highland Park to seek out, buy, and revitalize Craftsman homes, some which had suffered neglect over the decades. Although this quiet movement continues, Highland Park has not undergone the dramatic changes that Echo Park and Eagle Rock have experienced. The district's proximity to those neighborhoods (coupled with low rents), have made it increasingly popular among "hipsters".^{[citation needed]} Many local dive bars have become trendy nightclubs, along with the ubiquitous doormen and velvet ropes. In another sign of neighborhood change, the Old LA Certified Farmers Market opened in 2006, operating adjacent to the Highland Park Gold Line Station and providing a new nexus of community activity.

From the late 1950s until around the early 1980s, Highland Park and neighboring Eagle Rock were known as a haven for Hot Rod builders.

One of the last typewriter shops in the City of Los Angeles, the U.S. Office Machine Company, is located in Highland Park at 5722 N. Figueroa. They specialize in repairing antique typewriters, and have restored a few for movie studios. It is one of three businesess located in the old Sunbeam Theatre, one of the earliest in the area, much older than the Highland Theater. It is owned by longtime resident, Jesse Flores, who at one time helped sponsor the Highland Park Christmas parade.

In the 2010s, gentrification and "house flipping" has occurred in Highland Park, yielding increases in property values in a neighborhood that is still quite affordable.

The clothing retail chain Forever 21 was founded in Highland Park in 1984. The first store is still located in its original location at 5637 N. Figueroa and bears the original name of the company, Fashion 21.

In the media

Because of the picturesque neighborhoods in and around Highland Park, many movies are filmed here. Reservoir Dogs was shot largely in Highland Park. Cutter's Way, starring Jeff Bridges was filmed, for the most part, on Aldama Street. The dance hall scene in La Bamba was filmed at the VFW hall on Avenue 53. The bar The York on York served as a key location for scenes in The Lincoln Lawyer, starring Matthew McConaughey, William H. Macy and Marisa Tomei.

Tuff Turf starring James Spader was shot in Highland Park, as well as the cult classic Up in Smoke starring Cheech and Chong. More recently, Yes Man and Cyrus were filmed here.

Parts of the short lived TV show 10-8: Officers on Duty were filmed here.

Additionally, scenes of Mr. Miyagi's store from Karate Kid III were filmed at the corner of Avenue 50 and Marmion Way.

Government and infrastructure

The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services operates the Central Health Center in Downtown Los Angeles, serving Highland Park.

The United States Postal Service Highland Park Post Office is located at 5930 North Figueroa Street.

Los Angeles Fire Department Station 12 is in the area.

Transportation

Highland Park is served by the Highland Park (LACMTA station), along Metro's Gold Line light rail line. The station is an island platform located near the intersection of North Avenue 57 at Marmion Way, (one block west of North Figueroa Street).

It is also served by Metro Local bus lines 81, 83, 176, and 256, as well as LADOT's DASH Highland Park/Eagle Rock bus line. Highland Park is the site of one of the world's first freeway, the Pasadena Freeway SR 110 originally known as the Arroyo Seco Parkway.

Education

Highland Park is zoned to the following schools in the Los Angeles USD (LAUSD).

Zoned elementary schools include:

• Aldama Elementary School
• Annandale Elementary School
• Buchanan Elementary School
• Bushnell Way Elementary School
• Garvanza Elementary School
• San Pascual Elementary School
• Saint Ignatius of Loyola School (K-8)
• Toland Way Elementary School
• Yorkdale Elementary School
• Monte Vista Elementary School
• Arroyo Seco Museum Science Magnet School (K-8)

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

See also

• Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments on the East and Northeast Sides
• Isaac Colton Ash, City Council member, 1925–27
• John C. Holland, Los Angeles City Council member, 1943–67, businessman in Highland Park

External links

• History of Highland Park -Occidental College Sociology Department article.
• Audubon Center -Audubon Center at Debs Park
• Southwest Museum -Autry National Center, Southwest Museum of the American Indian
• Heritage Square Museum -Historic Rescued Homes