Palms, Los Angeles, California

Palms is a neighborhood on the Westside of Los Angeles, California, just north of Culver City.

History

Before 1886

Rancho La Ballona

In Spanish and Mexican days, the area that later became Palms was a part of the Rancho La Ballona, where in 1819 Agustín and Ygnacio Machado, along with Felipe Talamantes and his son, Tomás, acquired grazing rights to 14,000 acres of land. It was thenceforth used as grazing land for cattle and sheep. ["Ingersoll's Century History, Santa Monica Bay Cities"]

According to "Culver City History," a 2001 work by Julie Lugo Cerra, published for the Culver City Unified School District::The family lore relates that Agustín was chosen, by virtue of his skill as a horseman to ride his fastest steed, from dawn until dusk, beginning at the foot of the Playa del Rey hills to claim Rancho La Ballona, or Paso de las Carretas. It stretched to Pico Boulevard (abutting Rancho San Vicente y Santa Monica) and to what we know as Ince Boulevard, where Rancho Rincón de los Bueyes began.

Agustin Machado died in 1865, the same year La Ballona School was constructed to serve all elementary-age children within the Ballona School District. [Cerra, Timeline section, page 1.] In 1871, Ygnacio Saenz established a general store at the crossing which later became Washington Boulevard and Overland Avenue. (Three corners of that intersection are in Culver City and one is in Palms. [Los Angeles County Thomas Guide, page 672.] ) The store, which was also a way stop on the county road between Los Angeles and the ocean, also housed the area's first post office. [David Worsfold article, "Los Angeles Times," April 28, 1960, Section E, page 1.]

By 1882, the county's electoral district serving Palms was known as "Ballona," with voting at La Ballona School. ["Los Angeles Times," October 29, 1882.]

Land rush and land division

Deke Keasbey, real estate investment specialist for Tierra Properties, has noted that:

:"The Southern Pacific completed its Los Angeles route in 1883, and only three years later the Santa Fe finished its Los Angeles spur. With a huge investment in their new coast-to-coast rail lines and large Los Angeles land holdings, the railroads set forth a long-term plan for growth. Southern California citrus farming was born. Tourism and the building of towns were promoted to attract investors, to raise land values, and to increase the value of railroad shipments." [http://www.tierraproperties.com/short_history_of_los_angeles_real_estate.htm]

La Ballona Valley was part of that land rush. In 1882, several Midwestern families chartered a reconditioned freight car and left their homes in Le Mars, Iowa, to settle in the valley. They held their first Sunday school in the old La Ballona School on Washington Boulevard, and in fall 1883 they organized a United Brethren Church with 11 members. ["Los Angeles Times," May 1, 1958, Section B, Page 1]

About that time the valley drew the attention of three speculators — Joseph Curtis, Edward H. Sweetser, and C.J. Harrison. They paid $40,000 for 500 acres. They surveyed their land and cut it up, and then they sold it to the new arrivals. They planted 5,000 trees along eight miles of graded streets. They named it Palms, even though they had to bring in palm trees and plant them near the train station. Their first tract map was dated December 26, 1886, which is now considered the birth date of Palms.

The location for the new subdivision was partially based on the fact that the site was midway between Los Angeles and Santa Monica on the Los Angeles & Independence Railroad (which later became part of the Pacific Electric "Red Car" system). Before the massive urban growth engendered by the Los Angeles Aqueduct, Palms was the center of a farming and ranching area.

ince 1886

The subdividers gave the United Brethren Church two lots and $200 in cash to get started. In 1887 the church building was completed, and in 1889 the parsonage was built. In 1908 the old chapel was moved to the rear of the lot and new sanctuary built. In 1916 the old parsonage sold and a new one built. Later a bungalow was added next door to be a Sunday school. ["Los Angeles Times," May 1, 1958, Section B, Page 1.]

Annexation

The residential development of a vast area west of the Los Angeles city limits brought a pressure for annexation to the city. Particularly noted was, first, the construction by L.A. of a new outfall sewer that could serve the area and, second, plans by the city engineer for a flood control project for the La Cienega region. Agitation for annexation was begun by Palms residents, but the reach was extended all the way west to the then-separate city of Sawtelle limits so that municipality could be annexed later. ["Ten Thousand on the Way," "Los Angeles Times," March 15, 1914, Part 1, Page 12.]

There were two annexation elections. Both were hard fought. The first, on April 28, 1914, was voted down, according to the "Los Angeles Times," "because the people in the suburban territory are afraid of the municipal bond craze, of which the power scheme is the last straw, and the threatened burden of extra high taxation." The vote was 387 in favor and 264 against; a two-thirds vote was needed, so the "yes" vote was shy by 47. ["They Conclude to Stay Out," "Los Angeles Times," April 29, 1914, Part II, Page 1.]

A new petition was almost immediately submitted, leaving out all the areas that had voted against annexation. Nevertheless, Harry Culver, the founder of Culver City, denounced the new plan as a gerrymander and opposed it. ["Opposes Annexation," "Los Angeles Times," May 30, 1914, Part 1, Page 10.] But "The Times" wrote:

:"This district comprises some of the richest country between the city and the sea and is directly in the path of the residence expansion westward. Because its growth is inevitable and its population certain to be greatly increased soon, advocates of annexation believe the necessity for securing adequate and permanent water rights is urgent and are working diligently to secure the required two-thirds vote." ["Hot Fight on Annexation," "Los Angeles Times," May 24, 1914, Part II, Page 1.]

On June 1, 1914, the annexation succeeded, by a 342–136 vote ["Palms District Votes to Annex to City," "Los Angeles Times," June 2, 1914, Part II, Page 1.] , and on May 4, 1915, Los Angeles voters approved the annexation of the Palms district, as well as that of the extensive San Fernando Valley. ["City Adds to Itself Vast, Rich Territory," "Los Angeles Times," May 5, 1915, Part I, Page 6.] Both Palms and the Valley entered Los Angeles on May 22, 1915.

Rezoning and urban growth

In the latter part of the 20th Century, much of Palms (except principally for the upscale Westside Village) was rezoned for multiple housing, and now some 92 percent of Palms residents outside of Westside Village live in rented apartments or condominiums. Even in Westside Village the number of renters is about 70 percent because of UCLA family housing and other multiple uses on the main streets.

Since the mid 1990s, Palms has seen an upturn in its fortunes, with the revival of Culver City's adjacent downtown adding new life to the area. The district's diversity, affordability, and central location have made it an appealing center for young professionals seeking alternatives to traffic-choked Westwood and Santa Monica, but still wanting to live in a diverse urban setting in a neighborhood relatively close to the beach. Palms' growth will probably continue well into the 21st century with the arrival of the Metro Expo Line, a light-rail corridor stretching along Exposition Boulevard from Downtown Los Angeles to eastern Culver City, southeast of Palms. This line will eventually extend to Santa Monica; the route through Palms has not been determined.

Geography

Palms is bordered by Culver City to the south, Rancho Park and West Los Angeles to the north, and Mar Vista to the west. The district's boundaries are National Blvd. and the I-10 on the north, the Culver City boundary on the south, and the San Diego Freeway on the west. Principal thoroughfares include National, Palms, Venice, and Sepulveda boulevards and Overland and Motor avenues.

The portion of Palms bounded by Overland, Sepulveda, National, and Charnock Road was developed just before World War II as Westside Village and is considered by its property owners' group (the Westside Village Civic Association) to be a distinct neighborhood.

Neighborhood Council

The Palms Neighborhood Council was certified as part of the city government on December 14, 2004. Its founding president was Len Nguyen, who resigned shortly after his taking office in order to go to work for newly elected City Council Member Bill Rosendahl. Todd Robinson succeeded as the second president, but he resigned a few months later. In March 2006 Vice President Pauline Stout moved up to become president.

All of the stakeholders in Palms are members of the neighborhood council. Stakeholders include not only those who live, work or own property in the district, but also a broader category of people who can claim affiliation through some other kind of activity on behalf of Palms oganizations. Three from that category were elected in spring 2005 to the Representative Assembly, a 13-member governing body composed of officers chosen on a districtwide basis and representatives elected from local areas.

Housing

Until the early 1960s, most of Palms was single-family homes [http://www.palmsvillagesun.info/Maps/WPA_Map.html] and small duplexes and triplexes, most of which were built in the Craftsman and Spanish Colonial styles that dominated Southern California in the first quarter of the 20th century. Under pressure to provide affordable housing, the city of Los Angeles rezoned most of the district for large multifamily dwellings. (Homeowners' associations in Westside Village, Mar Vista, Rancho Park, and Beverlywood successfully banded together to fight against any such rezoning in their neighborhoods.) Fact|date=February 2007 This had the result of most of Palms' historic housing stock being razed and replaced with two-story (or larger) apartment buildings. Very few original houses remain, and many of those are on lots where additional housing units have been built on what were once backyards. Palms is now one of Los Angeles' most densely populated neighborhoods.

The housing stock in historic Palms is now almost completely composed of apartment buildings, and 92% of the population there are renters. The upscale Westside Village district contains the only significant remaining concentration of owner-occupied single-family homes, largely constructed by developer Fritz Burns in assembly-line style just before World War II; most of these houses have been expanded during their lifetime, and some have been replaced in recent years by bigger, two-story dwellings (including a number of "Persian palaces"). Apartment buildings, including two UCLA family- and graduate-student housing complexes, line even Westside Village's major thoroughfares.

Transportation

Palms is served by the 405 San Diego and 10 Rosa Parks freeways. Its No. 12 Santa Monica Big Blue Bus (and the express Super 12) provide a direct line to UCLA on the north, Culver City on the south and the South Robertson area on the east. Venice Blvd. is served by the No. 33 (and Express 333) bus lines of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The No. 6 line of Culver CityBus on Sepulveda Blvd. links UCLA with the Los Angeles Airport and the Green Line of the light-rail system, while Culver City's No. 3 line runs from Century City on the north to link with other bus lines at the southern terminus. The Los Angeles Department of Transportation offers a commuter freeway express to downtown in the morning and return in the afternoon.

Demographics and neighborhood composition

Per the United States Census of 2000, Palms (including Westside Village) had a population of 40,293. Racial and ethnic breakdown was as follows: 48.1% white or Caucasian, 11.9% black or African-American, 0.7% American Indian or Alaska native, 21.6% Asian or Pacific Islander, 11.7% some other race, and 6.1% two or more races. 23.0% of the district's population was Hispanic or Latino. Per capita income was $23,268; 16.8% of individuals were below the federal poverty line.

Included in Palms's white and Asian population figures are large Middle Eastern and South Asian populations. With an average annual household income of roughly $45,000, Palms was, until the end of the 20th century, generally considered the last working class, un-gentrified neighborhood on Los Angeles' Westside; however the real estate surge in the last decade has changed most of that. Residents include students at Santa Monica College, UCLA, and USC.

Landmarks and attractions

Palms' diversity is reflected in its landmarks. Religious sites include the complexes of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness on Watseka Avenue and the Iranian-American Muslim Association of North America (IMAN) on Motor Avenue. A list of all religious institutions can be found at http://www.palmsvillagesun.info/Religion.htmlPalms has a large number of Indian and Pakistani restaurants and businesses.In addition, it is also one of the centers of the Brazilian community in Los Angeles, with a number of Brazilian-oriented restaurants and shops, and one nightclub.In 1979 the original Chippendales erotic male dancing club at 3739 Overland Avenue at McCune Avenue was started by Bengali immigrant Steve Banerjee [http://www.diasporic.com/articles/steve_banerjee/] when he turned his nightclub-disco, Destiny II, into a venue for male strippers. [http://www.discomusic.com/clubs-more/10583_0_6_0_C/]

The area is host to an unusual museum, the Museum of Jurassic Technology, and a research institute, the Center for Land Use Interpretation. It has a legitimate theater, the Ivy Substation, which is now home to the Actors Gang, led by Tim Robbins. The Ivy Substation is within Media Park, which has been leased to Culver City on a long-term basis.

Los Angeles Public Library operates the Palms-Rancho Park Branch.

Emergency services

Fire service

The Los Angeles Fire Department operates [http://lafd.org/fs43.htm Station 43] , which also serves portions of Rancho Park and Cheviot Hills.

Police service

Los Angeles Police Department operates the Pacific Community Police Station at 12312 Culver Boulevard, 90066, serving the neighborhood [http://www.lapdonline.org/pacific_community_police_station] .

Education

Residents of Palms are served by schools in the Los Angeles USD [http://www.latimes.com/classified/realestate/news/communities/la-re-guide7aug07,1,3548452.story?page=2] .

Elementary schools which serve portions of Palms include:
* [http://www.lausd.k12.ca.us/Palms_EL Palms Elementary School]
* Charnock Road Elementary School
* Clover Avenue Elementary School
* Pacifica Community Charter School

All residents are served by Palms Middle School, Alexander Hamilton High School and Venice High School.

The Lycée Français de Los Angeles, a French-language school that boasts actress Jodie Foster among its alumni, occupies several buildings in various parts of the neighborhood. It is in the process of building a new high school campus on Exposition Boulevard at the top of Vinton Avenue.

St. Augustine School provides Catholic education for boys and girls through the eighth grade.The Notre Dame Academy Girls High School, located at 2851 Overland Avenue is a private Catholic high school.Palms Middle School is the largest public school within Palms. Its bifurcated campus lies between Woodbine Avenue and Charnock Road. A major highway, Palms Boulevard, runs through it, with a pedestrian tunnel underneath the road to get from one side of the campus to another. Other public schools are Charnock Road, Clover Avenue and Palms elementary schools, as well as Pacifica Community Charter School. http://www.palmsvillagesun.info/Schools.html

References

reflist|2

External links

* [http://www.palms-california.us Palms Neighborhood Council]
* [http://www.palmsvillagesun.info The Palms-Village Sun Web site]
* [http://www.latimes.com/classified/realestate/news/communities/la-re-guide7aug07,0,4259035.story?coll=la-realestate-communities"Los Angeles Times", Real Estate section, Neighborly Advice column: " [Palms:] Freeway close, family-friendly" (7 Aug 2005)]