Westchester, Los Angeles

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Westchester
—  Neighborhood of Los Angeles  —
Westchester, Home of LAX sign at Westchester Park
Westchester, Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles
Westchester
Location within Southern Los Angeles
Coordinates: 33°57′35″N 118°23′59″W / 33.95972°N 118.39972°W / 33.95972; -118.39972

Westchester is a suburban neighborhood in the Westside of the city of Los Angeles, California. It is the location of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Loyola Marymount University (LMU), and Otis College of Art and Design.

Contents

Geography [edit]

Westchester as outlined by the Los Angeles Times

The main part of Westchester is flanked by Playa Vista and Culver City on the north, Inglewood and Lennox on the east, Del Aire and El Segundo on the south and Playa del Rey on the west. It includes all of the Los Angeles International Airport. There is also a two-block-wide shoestring district that runs from the intersection of Centinela Avenue and La Cienega Boulevard north to 63rd Street and then east to Overhill Avenue, where it links with the Hyde Park neighborhood.[1][2][3]

The main neighborhood's boundary lines are, generally, on the east: north-south on La Cienega Boulevard or the Inglewood city line; on the south: east-west on the city boundary with El Segundo or Imperial Highway; on the west: north-south on Pershing Drive and Westchester Parkway, then roughly north-south on a series of residential streets west of Westchester High School to the Playa Vista neighborhood. [4][5]

History [edit]

Westchester began the 20th century as an agricultural area, growing a wide variety of crops in the dry, farming-friendly climate. The rapid development of the aerospace industry near Mines Field (as LAX was then known), the move of then Loyola University to the area in 1928, and population growth in Los Angeles as a whole, created a demand for housing in the area. Westchester hosted the cross country part of the eventing equestrian event for the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.[6]

In the late 1930s, real estate magnate Fritz Burns developed a tract of inexpensive prefabricated single-family homes on the site of a former hog farm at the intersection of Manchester and Sepulveda Boulevards. This community, dubbed "Westchester", grew by leaps and bounds as the aerospace industry boomed in World War II and afterward. A Los Angeles Times article in 1989 described the development as "a raw suburb", "created willy-nilly in the 1940s".[7]

The area was predominantly residential. When the area had 30,000 residents, it was still lacking a police station, fire station, or hospital. It lacked a barber shop even by 1949.[7]

The famous "Jet Age" style Theme Building opened in 1961.

The 1960s saw the introduction of airliners that could make trans-Pacific flights without refueling, causing a massive increase in air traffic at LAX. While Westchester residents successfully blocked a northward expansion of the airport, the increase in noise from jet takeoffs greatly decreased the desirability of the residential areas adjoining LAX. In response, the city of Los Angeles began a longstanding program of purchasing houses from noise-weary homeowners; as a result, a number of streets just north of the airport have been decommissioned, and the homes along those streets have either been demolished or moved to other locations. The 18-hole Westchester golf course became a 15-hole course. As a result of a 2007 Los Angeles World Airport (LAWA) proposal to move the North runway into Westchester,[8] local opposition to LAX expansion (first proposed in the late 1990s) rose to fever pitch. In February 2010, a NASA panel found that the North runway was safe and should stay as it is.[9][10] That same month, LAWA broke ground on a $1.5 billion expansion of the Bradley International Terminal.[11]

During the beginning of the fall 2008 semester, Westchester residents became more concerned with the off-campus parties hosted by Loyola Marymount University students. Los Angeles-based KNBC 4 interviewed approximately 12 Westchester homeowners over their concerns with LMU.[12] The piece aired on Friday, September 5, 2008. It was met with criticism by LMU students because KNBC did not interview a student in the piece.[13]

Demographics [edit]

2010 [edit]

The 2010 United States Census[14] reported that Westchester had a population of 39,480. The racial makeup of Westchester was 24,136 (61.1%) White, 5,605 (14.2%) African American, 4,751 (12.0%) Asian, 148 (0.4%) Native American, 135 (0.3%) Pacific Islander, 2,309 (5.8%) from other races, and 2,396 (6.1%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7,203 persons (18.2%).

Median household income: $84,707

Economy [edit]

[icon] This section requires expansion. (December 2009)

In 1975 Continental Airlines had its headquarters on the grounds of LAX.[15] Prior to its dissolution Western Airlines had its headquarters at LAX.[16]

Prior to its dissolution, regional airline Air L.A. was headquartered in Westchester.[17] Prior to its dissolution cargo airline Flying Tiger Line had its headquarters at LAX.[18] Prior to its dissolution Regentair had its headquarters in Westchester.[19] When Los Angeles Airways existed, its headquarters was in Westchester.[20]

Government and infrastructure [edit]

Local government [edit]

Los Angeles Fire Department Station 5 is in Westchester.

Los Angeles Police Department operates the Pacific Community Police Station at 12312 Culver Boulevard, 90066, serving the neighborhood.[21]

Los Angeles World Airports has its headquarters on the property of Los Angeles International Airport.[22]

County, federal, and state representation [edit]

The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services SPA 5 West Area Health Office serves Westchester.[23]

The United States Postal Service Westchester Post Office is located at 7381 La Tijera Boulevard.[24] The United States Postal Service Airport Station is located at 9029 Airport Boulevard, Los Angeles 90009-9998.

Education [edit]

Libraries [edit]

View of Sunken Gardens at Loyola Marymount University.

Los Angeles Public Library operates the Westchester-Loyola Village Branch.[25]

Schools [edit]

Public schools

Westchester is served by six zoned public elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school operated by the Los Angeles Unified School District. The area is within Board District 4.[26] As of 2009 Steve Zimmer represents the district.[27]

Zoned elementary schools:

  • Kentwood Elementary School
  • Westport Heights Elementary School
  • Cowan Avenue Elementary School
  • Paseo Del Rey Elementary School
  • Loyola Village Elementary School

Zoned middle schools:

Zoned high schools:

LAUSD-affiliated charter elementary schools:

  • Open Magnet Charter School [5]
Private schools

Westchester has several private K-8 schools and one high school, including:

Parks and recreation [edit]

The Westchester Recreation Center is in Westchester. The center includes an auditorium, barbecue pits, a lighted baseball diamond, lighted outdoor basketball courts, two indoor basketball courts, a children's play area, a community room, a lighted football field, an indoor gymnasium without weights, picnic tables, a lighted soccer field, and lighted tennis courts.[29] The Westchester Pool, on the recreation center site, is an outdoor heated seasonal pool renovated in 2010.[29][30] The Westchester Tennis Courts in the recreation center consist of ten lighted courts.[29][31]

The Westchester Senior Citizen Center has a 200-person auditorium, barbecue pits, a 20-person community room, a garden, a kitchen, picnic tables, and a stage.[32] The 8-acre (3.2 ha) Carl E. Nielsen Youth Park is located in Westchester. In 1991 Los Angeles World Airports planned to pave over the park and use the lot as parking spaces and leased space to rental car companies. During that year, LAWA decided to keep the park open.[33]

Notable residents [edit]

See also [edit]

Portal icon Los Angeles portal

References [edit]

  1. ^ [1]"Neighborhoods," Mapping L.A., Los Angeles Times
  2. ^ [2]"South Bay," Mapping L.A., Los Angeles Times
  3. ^ [3]"South L.A," Mapping L.A., Los Angeles Times
  4. ^ The Thomas Guide, 2006, pages 672, 673, 702 and 703
  5. ^ [4] "Westchester," Mapping L.A., Los Angeles Times
  6. ^ 1932 Summer Olympics official report. pp. 77, 86-7.
  7. ^ a b Applegate, Joe (2 July 1989). "Westchester: Suburb Where LAX Is King Despite dominance of airport, community's institutions thrive and the air is cool.". Los Angeles Times. p. 2. 
  8. ^ http://www.ourlax.org/pdf/LAWA%20SRMD%20WCG.pdf
  9. ^ "L.A. Now". Los Angeles Times. 
  10. ^ Gottlieb, Jeff (February 20, 2010). "LAX north runways are deemed safe". Los Angeles Times. 
  11. ^ http://www.lawa.aero/uploadedFiles/LAX/pdf/spring%2010%20low.pdf
  12. ^ http://video.knbc.com/player/?id=290031
  13. ^ http://media.www.laloyolan.com/media/storage/paper803/news/2008/09/11/Opinion/Turmoil.In.The.Westchester.Neighborhood-3422806.shtml
  14. ^ All data are derived from the United States Census Bureau reports from the 2010 United States Census, and are accessible on-line here. The data on unmarried partnerships and same-sex married couples are from the Census report DEC_10_SF1_PCT15. All other housing and population data are from Census report DEC_10_DP_DPDP1. Both reports are viewable online or downloadable in a zip file containing a comma-delimited data file. The area data, from which densities are calculated, are available on-line here. Percentage totals may not add to 100% due to rounding. The Census Bureau defines families as a household containing one or more people related to the householder by birth, opposite-sex marriage, or adoption. People living in group quarters are tabulated by the Census Bureau as neither owners nor renters. For further details, see the text files accompanying the data files containing the Census reports mentioned above.
  15. ^ World Airline Directory. Flight International. March 20, 1975. "482.
  16. ^ "World Airline Directory." Flight International. March 30, 1985. 131." Retrieved on June 17, 2009.
  17. ^ World Airline Directory. Flight International. March 22–28, 1995. 51.
  18. ^ "World Airline Directory." Flight International. March 30, 1985. 83." Retrieved on July 23, 2009.
  19. ^ "World Airline Directory." Flight International. March 29, 1986. 116.
  20. ^ "World Airline Directory." Flight International. April 10, 1969. 581.
  21. ^ http://www.lapdonline.org/pacific_community_police_station lapdonline.org
  22. ^ "About LAWA." Los Angeles World Airports. Retrieved on September 28, 2011. "Los Angeles International Airport 1 World Way, Los Angeles, CA 90045"
  23. ^ "About Us." Los Angeles County Department of Health Services. Retrieved on March 18, 2010.
  24. ^ "Post Office Location - WESTCHESTER." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on December 6, 2008.
  25. ^ "Westchester-Loyola Village Branch." Los Angeles Public Library. Retrieved on March 23, 2010.
  26. ^ Board District 4 Map. Los Angeles Unified School District. Retrieved on November 24, 2008.
  27. ^ "Board Members." Los Angeles Unified School District. Retrieved on September 16, 2009.
  28. ^ Groves, Martha. "'Blue Ribbon' School's Move Criticized." Los Angeles Times. December 5, 1999. Retrieved on January 15, 2012.
  29. ^ a b c "Westchester Recreation Center." City of Los Angeles. Retrieved on March 23, 2010.
  30. ^ "Westchester Pool." City of Los Angeles. Retrieved on March 23, 2010.
  31. ^ "Westchester Tennis Courts." City of Los Angeles. Retrieved on March 23, 2010.
  32. ^ "Westchester Senior Citizen Center." City of Los Angeles. Retrieved on March 23, 2010.
  33. ^ "Endangered Nielsen Park Gets a 5-Year Lease on Life." Los Angeles Times. August 1, 1991. Retrieved on March 23, 2010.

External links [edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Westchester, Los Angeles

Coordinates: 33°57′35″N 118°23′59″W / 33.95972°N 118.39972°W / 33.95972; -118.39972
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Books about Westchester, CA Westchester, California; An Early History of Westchester, Playa Del Rey, Playa Vista and Environs, by David J. Dukesherer, 2010

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