University Park, Los Angeles

The Rose Garden and the Museum of Natural History in Exposition Park

University Park is a historic neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, a few miles southwest of Downtown Los Angeles. University Park refers to the University of Southern California (USC) as well as the neighborhoods immediately surrounding the University, in particular Exposition Park and North University Park. The area's main thoroughfares are Figueroa Street, Jefferson Boulevard, Exposition Boulevard, Hoover Street, and Vermont Avenue. In addition to USC, the area is home to Hebrew Union College and Mount St. Mary's College's Doheny campus in North University Park.

The neighborhood today

The Doheny Mansion, the center of the Mount St. Mary's College's Downtown campus.

24th Street Theatre

Bacaro LA Wine Bar

The 2-9 Cafe

Rosso's Pizzeria

Ragazzi Room

Adams/Vermont Farmers Market 2 - 5 p.m. Wednesdays, 1432 W. Adams, 323-777-1755

L.A. Urban Oasis Farmers Market 5010 11th Avenue, 323-291-8748, 7 a.m. – 2 p.m. Saturdays

Central Avenue 8 a.m. – noon Saturdays, Carver Middle School, 4410 McKinley at Vernon 90011

Trojan Fresh Market 11 a.m. – 4p.m. Thursdays, USC campus—Alumni Park

Expo Park Farmers Market 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Saturdays, south lawn of Natural History Museum

Downtown or South Los Angeles

There is some debate as to whether the University Park neighborhood is a part of Downtown Los Angeles or South Los Angeles. Historically, when USC was founded next to Exposition Park (then called Agricultural Park) in 1880, it was south of the 20,000 person town of Los Angeles, which was centered around what is now Olvera Street at the northern end of the current Downtown Los Angeles neighborhood. Over the years, the area and neighborhood has been considered a part of the northern end of South Los Angeles, with the dividing line between South and Downtown LA delineated by the Santa Monica Freeway (I-10).

Since 1998 there has been a movement, supported by businesses and organizations in the region of University Park and North University Park, to redefine the neighborhood as a part of Downtown Los Angeles, starting with the formation of the Business Improvement District the Figueroa Corridor Partnership. The goal of the businesses and organizations making up the Partnership is to extend the definition of Downtown to make the University Park the area's southern tip, and it consists of business and organizations in the adjacent University Park and South Park neighborhoods (the latter is universally considered part of Downtown Los Angeles). Since that time there has been significant construction on both ends: with the Staples Center, LA Live, and luxury apartment buildings moving south from South Park and the Galen Center and other university buildings from University Park moving north; however the possibility of merging University Park with Downtown Los Angeles remains years away.

USC students spend $406 million yearly in the local economy, the majority of which is spent in Downtown Los Angeles.

Education

Berendo Middle School is located nearby on Berendo Street

The neighborhood is served by schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Zoned schools include:

• Norwood Elementary School
• John Adams Middle School (some areas)
• Berendo Middle School (some areas)
• Manual Arts High School

Archdiocese of Los Angeles Schools

• St. Vincent School: Founded in 1911; grew out of St. Vincent College, first college in Los Angeles

Transportation

The Exposition Transit Corridor rail project is under construction. When the first phase completed in 2012, the trains will take riders from the Los Angeles Convention Center to Culver City along Flower Street and Exposition Blvd. with stations at 23rd Street, Jefferson Blvd./USC, Exposition Park/USC, and Exposition Blvd./Vermont Avenue.

See also

• Robert C. Farrell, member of the Los Angeles City Council, 1974–91, supported Adams Boulevard shopping center.

External links

• University Park Family is an online newspaper and social network focused on the neighborhoods around USC, Expo Park and the surrounding areas.