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Mid-City, Los Angeles facts for kids

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Mid-City
Mid-City signage located at the intersection of La Brea Avenue and the Santa Monica Freeway
Mid-City signage located at the intersection of
La Brea Avenue and the Santa Monica Freeway
Mid-City is located in Western Los Angeles
Mid-City
Mid-City
Location in Western Los Angeles
Country  United States of America
State  California
County Los Angeles
Time zone Pacific
Zip Code
90016 & 90019
Area code(s) 323

Mid-City is a neighborhood in Central Los Angeles, California.

Attractions include restaurants and a post office named for singer Ray Charles, who had his recording studio in Mid-City. The neighborhood hosts eleven public and private schools. The K Line from north-south is proposed to serve this area.

Geography

Mid-City is flanked by Carthay and Mid-Wilshire to the north, Arlington Heights to the east, Culver City and West Adams to the south, Palms to the southwest, Beverlywood to the west and Pico-Robertson to the northwest. The neighborhood is bounded on the north by Pico Boulevard, on the east by Crenshaw Boulevard, on the south by the Santa Monica Freeway, on the southwest by Washington and National boulevards, on the west by Robertson Boulevard and on the northwest by Cadillac Avenue and La Cienega Boulevard.

Smaller named areas within the Mid-City neighborhood are Brookside, Crestview, Fremont Place, Lafayette Square, Little Ethiopia, Picfair Village, Wellington Square, and Victoria Park.

Population

Holmes-Shannon House
The Holmes-Shannon House in Victoria Park was built in 1911.
Green and white Los Angeles apartments
Apartment building at San Vicente and Pico boulevards

The 2000 U.S. census counted 52,197 residents in the 3.47-square-mile neighborhood—an average of 15,051 people per square mile, among the highest population densities in Los Angeles County. In 2008, the city estimated that the population had increased to 55,016. The median age for residents was 31, about average for both the city and the county.

Mid-City was said to be "highly diverse" when compared to the city at large, with a diversity index of 0.637. The ethnic breakdown in 2000 was: Latinos, 45.2%; blacks, 38.3%; whites, 9.5%; Asians, 3.9%; and others, 3.1%. Mexico (46) and El Salvador (15.6%) were the most common places of birth for the 35.1% of the residents who were born abroad, a figure that was considered average for the city and county.

The median household income in 2008 dollars was $43,711, considered average for the city. The percentage of households earning $20,000 or less was high, compared to the county at large. The average household size of 2.8 people was just about average for Los Angeles. Renters occupied 68.9% of the housing units, and home- or apartment owners the rest.

The percentages of never-married men (43.2%) and never-married women (35%) were among the county's highest. The census found 2,748 families headed by single parents, the 23.4% rate being considered high for both the city and the county.

Enclaves

Mid-City contains historical residential developments within it.

  • The Reynier Village district in the Crestview neighborhood is bordered on the north by Cadillac Avenue, on the east by Holt Avenue, on the south by Cattaraugus Avenue and on the west by Robertson Boulevard.
According to locals, the subdivision was named after a family whose home stood on what it now the city-maintained Reynier Park. The village is often referred to as being part of the South Robertson area but locals wanted to make a distinction between the two and formed their own neighborhood association. Rocha House, the 13th Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument, is located in the village.
  • Lafayette Square is a semi-gated tract just off of Crenshaw Boulevard. It was designated by the city as a Los Angeles Historic Preservation Overlay Zone in 2000 for its significant residential architecture and history.

Transportation

WestsideMetro
Crenshaw Corridor and regional setting. dashed lines represent possible extensions or alignments Click to enlarge.

Electric railways (-1960s)

Mid-City was a key junction and terminus in the days of the electric railways from the early 1900s through the end of service in the 1963.

The Rimpau Loop in Mid-City was an important terminus of the Los Angeles Railway ("Yellow Cars") streetcars. The Pico Blvd. city streetcar line "P" turned around here in the Rimpau Loop. From here, Santa Monica city buses ran to Downtown Santa Monica, and to this day, Pico and Rimpau is the terminus for several Santa Monica Transit lines.

Vineyard Junction in Mid-City was where Pacific Electric "Red Car" lines converged. The lines ran from Downtown Los Angeles south to Venice Boulevard, then West along Venice to Vineyard Junction. From here they went along Venice Blvd. to Venice and Redondo Beach; while others went along San Vicente Blvd. northwest toward what is now West Hollywood as well as via Beverly Hills to Santa Monica. It was the site of an accident on July 13, 1913, in which two wooden streetcars crashed into each other, with 14 people dead and 200 people injured. As a result, the Pacific Electric ordered its future cars to be made of steel, and it was recommended that signaling be introduced on the PE's lines.

Today

As part of their long-range plans, the Los Angeles County MTA has proposed an extension of the K Line, which would place a rail transit station in Mid-City. The proposed rail stop is at the intersection of Pico and San Vicente Boulevards—site of the old Vineyard Junction.

The old Vineyard Junction site is now occupied by the end terminal for the Santa Monica Big Blue Bus.

The K Line would allow Mid-City residents to easy access to the city's east/west rail lines: the D Line along Wilshire Boulevard, the E Line from Downtown Los Angeles to Downtown Santa Monica, and the C Line from Norwalk to Redondo Beach and soon near LAX.

Currently, the Mid-City alignment is unfunded and part of the K Line's Crenshaw Northern Extension Rail Project.

DASH Midtown serves the Mid-City area.

Landmarks and attractions

Oki's Dog Pico, Los Angeles
Oki's Dog on Pico Blvd.
  • Nate Holden Performing Arts Center - The center at 4718 West Washington Boulevard is the home of the Ebony Repertory Theater Company.
  • The Comedy Union - A comedy club that showcases black comedians.
  • The Mint - Established in 1937, a music club at 6010 W. Pico Boulevard. Past performers include Macy Gray, The Wallflowers, and Natalie Cole.
  • Beth Chayim Chadashim - recognized by the Los Angeles Conservancy for its "cultural significance" as the world's first lesbian and gay synagogue
  • Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles - Local branch of the restaurant chain.
  • United States Post Office, Ray Charles Station - An existing post office at 4960 West Washington Boulevard was renamed in honor of singer Ray Charles in 2005.

Education

Mid-city residents aged 25 and older holding a four-year degree amounted to 16.8% of the population in 2000, about average for both the city and the county.

These are the elementary or secondary schools within the neighborhood's boundaries:

Hamilton High School LAUSD Entrance
Alexander Hamilton High School

The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) operates public schools:

  • Hamilton High School, 2955 Robertson Boulevard
  • Saturn Street Elementary School, 5360 Saturn Street
  • Alta Loma Elementary School, 1745 Vineyard Avenue
  • Shenandoah Street Elementary School, 2450 Shenandoah Street
  • Virginia Road Elementary School, 2925 Virginia Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90016
  • Marvin Avenue Elementary School, 2411 S Marvin Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90016
  • Cienega Elementary School, 2611 S Orange Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90016
  • Futuro College Preparatory Elementary School, LAUSD charter, 3838 Rosemead Avenue
  • Crescent Heights Boulevard Elementary School, alternative school, 1661 South Crescent Heights Boulevard
  • Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies, alternative school, 5931 West 18th Street

Community Magnet School, an arts and humanities magnet primary school, was located in Mid-City since its founding in 1977, for a period of around 25 years. It had been located in an area within the Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies campus. By October 2002, Community Magnet had moved to its new location in Bel-Air.

Previously the community was home to the Open Magnet Charter School, which was located on the campus of the Crescent Heights School. The Open school later moved to Westchester. Current charter school includes Stella Middle Charter Academy

Notable residents

  • Harold Harby, Los Angeles City Council member, 1939–42, 1943–57
  • Charles Bukowski, 1931-42, then returned in 1947
  • Earl Sweatshirt, rapper, record producer and songwriter from Los Angeles
  • Blueface, rapper, grew up in Mid-City for most of his youth.

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