East Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Encyclopedia
East Hollywood is a community that forms the eastern portion of the Hollywood
district in the City of Los Angeles, California
.
East Hollywood encompasses part of Hollywood east of Western Avenue and north of, according to East Hollywood.net, the 101 Hollywood Freeway
; however in other sources, Melrose Hill
is included in East Hollywood . The northern border is Hollywood Boulevard
, and the eastern boundary is North Hoover Street. This includes the smaller communities of Thai Town
, Virgil Village
, and Little Armenia
, and Melrose Hill and borders Los Feliz
and Silver Lake
, about 4 miles from Downtown Los Angeles
.
The area has an exceptionally diverse population, both in terms of ethnicity and income. While some parts of the district still suffer from the usual inner city problems, residential areas to the east - especially to the north of Melrose Ave and east of Alexandria - are predominantly filled with well kept middle class houses and this is reflected in the high property prices compared to the rest of the district. A small area in the Melrose Hill
(in the 90029 zip code) part of East Hollywood has upper class homes, and that area is often used as a filming location for movies and TV shows. The 90029 zip code had a median house price of $925,000 in 2007, almost double the $550,000 Los Angeles County average.
In 1910, the people of the towns of Hollywood and East Hollywood voted to be annexed to the City of Los Angeles in order to tap into the city water supply. In 1914, Children's Hospital
was relocated from downtown LA to Vermont Avenue and Sunset Boulevard. In 1916 steel magnate Andrew Carnegie
donated the money to construct the Cahuenga Branch
of the Los Angeles Public Library
on Santa Monica Boulevard.
In the early 1920s, Barnsdall Park was built. The 20s were also a time of massive immigration into East Hollywood. Armenian immigrants came to East Hollywood establishing the Armenian community that is now Little Armenia
.
The University of California Southern Branch, needing more space, moved west at the end of the 20s to a ranch called Westwood
and became UCLA. The old UCSB campus then became Los Angeles Junior College which was later renamed Los Angeles City College
.
In 1930 Cedars of Lebanon Hospital sprang up in the district when Kaspare Cohn Hospital moved from East Los Angeles to a new building on Fountain Avenue and was renamed.
Kaiser Hospital was built along Sunset Boulevard in 1953
The Los Angeles riots of 1992 forever changed East Hollywood - many businesses were burned or looted, especially around the Santa Monica/Vermont intersection. Then, in 1994, the Northridge earthquake
caused further damage, severely damaging several buildings along Hollywood Boulevard.
The 101 Hollywood Freeway
- which now describes the southern boundary of the district - was built between 1947 and 1949.
The late '90s saw a period of recovery and growth. Businesses destroyed by the Riots and the earthquake were soon rebuilt or repaired with the assistance of the East Hollywood/Beverly-Normandie Earthquake Disaster Assistance Project. In 1996 Cahuenga Library reopened after several years of renovation. That same year, the East Hollywood Community Association was established by concerned residents who wanted to make a difference in improving the neighborhood.
In the summer of 1999, the Metro Red Line subway stations were constructed which gave East Hollywood increased transportation options and a link to the rest of the region via the new Metro Rail system.
East Hollywood Neighborhood Council was established in 2002 and certified as the 89th neighborhood council in the City of Los Angeles on April 19, 2007.
With gentrification and recent injections of funds Kaiser Hospital, Children's Hospital, Los Angeles City College and Barnsdall Park are either expanding or being renovated and new elementary schools are being built along Santa Monica Boulevard. New businesses are moving to East Hollywood, especially around the "Hel-Mel" corner at Heliotrope Drive and Melrose Avenue.
Under the LA City's "Vermont/Western Transit Oriented District" plan, the City will 'encourage sufficient schools, childcare facilities, parks, public pools,
soccer fields, open space, libraries and police stations within the Plan Area by the horizon year of 2020' and 'establish a clean, safe, comfortable and pedestrian oriented community environment for residents to shop in and use the public community services in the neighborhood.'
LACC is currently finishing construction of a $22 million library resource center. The new Martin Luther King, Jr. Library received $18 million in State funding (partially funded by the LACCD's Proposition A/AA Bond Program). It is scheduled for completion in early 2008.
Several environmental demonstration projects are located in or near East Hollywood, including Eco-Home, the Los Angeles Eco-Village and the Bicycle Kitchen
.
Many of the novels, short stories and poems of Charles Bukowski
, who lived in East Hollywood for many years, are set in the area.
subway which runs north-south along Vermont Avenue and east-west along Hollywood Boulevard, with stations at Vermont/Santa Monica, Vermont/Sunset and Hollywood/Western. Over a dozen bus lines run on the major thoroughfares, including Metro
's Rapid
and Local
service lines and Los Angeles Department of Transportation
's DASH shuttle lines serving Hollywood and the Griffith Observatory
. The freeway U.S. Route 101
cuts northwest from downtown Los Angeles, with all its freeway connections, through Hollywood to the San Fernando Valley
.
----
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...
district in the City of Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
.
East Hollywood encompasses part of Hollywood east of Western Avenue and north of, according to East Hollywood.net, the 101 Hollywood Freeway
Hollywood Freeway
The Hollywood Freeway is one of the principal freeways of Los Angeles, California and one of the busiest in the United States. It is the principal route over the Cahuenga Pass, the primary shortcut between the Los Angeles Basin and the San Fernando Valley...
; however in other sources, Melrose Hill
Melrose Hill, Los Angeles, California
Melrose Hill is a small neighborhood within the city of Los Angeles, California, tucked away in an area of Hollywood near Hancock Park.Because a few residents of Melrose Hill did not want to join the East Hollywood Neighborhood Council Melrose Hill is a small neighborhood within the city of Los...
is included in East Hollywood . The northern border is Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood Boulevard
-Revitalization:In recent years successful efforts have been made at cleaning up Hollywood Blvd., as the street had gained a reputation for crime and seediness. Central to these efforts was the construction of the Hollywood and Highland shopping center and adjacent Kodak Theatre in 2001...
, and the eastern boundary is North Hoover Street. This includes the smaller communities of Thai Town
Thai Town, Los Angeles, California
Thai Town is a neighborhood of Los Angeles centered along Hollywood Boulevard between Normandie Avenue and Western Avenue in East Hollywood....
, Virgil Village
Virgil Village, Los Angeles, California
Virgil Village is centered on Virgil Avenue, east of Vermont Ave., south of Silver Lake, and north of MacArthur Park, in Los Angeles, CA. Los Angeles City College is on the northwest side of Virgil Village....
, and Little Armenia
Little Armenia, Los Angeles, California
Little Armenia is a community that is part of the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California. It falls within the area referred to as East Hollywood...
, and Melrose Hill and borders Los Feliz
Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California
Los Feliz, also Rancho Los Feliz is an affluent, hilly neighborhood in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California, named after its land grantee José Vicente Feliz....
and Silver Lake
Silver Lake, Los Angeles, California
Silver Lake is a hilly neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, California east of Hollywood and northwest of Downtown Los Angeles. Silver Lake is inhabited by a wide variety of ethnic and socioeconomic groups, but it is best known as an eclectic gathering of hipsters and the creative class.The...
, about 4 miles from Downtown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, United States, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area...
.
Demographics
According to census data the population of East Hollywood in 2000 was 48,174 (the 2007 figure was 51000). Of that 51.32% Latino or Hispanic, 24.62% white alone (not Hispanic/Latino), 15.38% Asian alone, 8.37% 2 or more races, 3.58% black/African American alone, 0.14%, Hawaiian/other pacific islander alone, 0.88% American Indian/Alaskan native alone.The area has an exceptionally diverse population, both in terms of ethnicity and income. While some parts of the district still suffer from the usual inner city problems, residential areas to the east - especially to the north of Melrose Ave and east of Alexandria - are predominantly filled with well kept middle class houses and this is reflected in the high property prices compared to the rest of the district. A small area in the Melrose Hill
Melrose Hill, Los Angeles, California
Melrose Hill is a small neighborhood within the city of Los Angeles, California, tucked away in an area of Hollywood near Hancock Park.Because a few residents of Melrose Hill did not want to join the East Hollywood Neighborhood Council Melrose Hill is a small neighborhood within the city of Los...
(in the 90029 zip code) part of East Hollywood has upper class homes, and that area is often used as a filming location for movies and TV shows. The 90029 zip code had a median house price of $925,000 in 2007, almost double the $550,000 Los Angeles County average.
History
In the early 1900s, the East Hollywood area was a farming village that also encompassed some of what is now Los Feliz. On the site of the current Los Angeles City College was Prospect Park which later was renamed “East Hollywood” to bring it in line with its neighbor - the fast growing town of Hollywood.Children's Hospital Los Angeles
Children's Hospital Los Angeles, formerly Childrens Hospital Society, is a private, non-profit teaching hospital in Los Angeles. The hospital provides multidisciplinary care to over 93,000 children each year, with physician expertise in over 100 pediatric specialties and subspecialties.The hospital...
was relocated from downtown LA to Vermont Avenue and Sunset Boulevard. In 1916 steel magnate Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, and entrepreneur who led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century...
donated the money to construct the Cahuenga Branch
Cahuenga Branch
Cahuenga Branch is the third oldest branch library in the Los Angeles Public Library system. Located at 4591 Santa Monica Boulevard in the East Hollywood section of Los Angeles, it was built in 1916 with a grant from Andrew Carnegie...
of the Los Angeles Public Library
Los Angeles Public Library
The Los Angeles Public Library system serves the residents of Los Angeles, California, United States. With over 6 million volumes, LAPL is one of the largest publicly funded library systems in the world. The system is overseen by a Board of Library Commissioners with five members appointed by the...
on Santa Monica Boulevard.
In the early 1920s, Barnsdall Park was built. The 20s were also a time of massive immigration into East Hollywood. Armenian immigrants came to East Hollywood establishing the Armenian community that is now Little Armenia
Little Armenia
Little Armenia can refer to:* Little Armenia, Los Angeles, California* The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, also known as Lesser Armenia...
.
The University of California Southern Branch, needing more space, moved west at the end of the 20s to a ranch called Westwood
Westwood, Los Angeles, California
Westwood is a neighborhood on the Westside of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is the home of the University of California, Los Angeles .-History:...
and became UCLA. The old UCSB campus then became Los Angeles Junior College which was later renamed Los Angeles City College
Los Angeles City College
Los Angeles City College, known as LACC, is a public community college in the East Hollywood section of Los Angeles, California. A part of the Los Angeles Community College District, it is located on Vermont Avenue south of Santa Monica Boulevard...
.
In 1930 Cedars of Lebanon Hospital sprang up in the district when Kaspare Cohn Hospital moved from East Los Angeles to a new building on Fountain Avenue and was renamed.
Kaiser Hospital was built along Sunset Boulevard in 1953
The Los Angeles riots of 1992 forever changed East Hollywood - many businesses were burned or looted, especially around the Santa Monica/Vermont intersection. Then, in 1994, the Northridge earthquake
Northridge earthquake
The Northridge earthquake was a massive earthquake that occurred on January 17, 1994, at 04:31 Pacific Standard Time in Reseda, a neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, California, lasting for about 10–20 seconds...
caused further damage, severely damaging several buildings along Hollywood Boulevard.
The 101 Hollywood Freeway
Hollywood Freeway
The Hollywood Freeway is one of the principal freeways of Los Angeles, California and one of the busiest in the United States. It is the principal route over the Cahuenga Pass, the primary shortcut between the Los Angeles Basin and the San Fernando Valley...
- which now describes the southern boundary of the district - was built between 1947 and 1949.
The late '90s saw a period of recovery and growth. Businesses destroyed by the Riots and the earthquake were soon rebuilt or repaired with the assistance of the East Hollywood/Beverly-Normandie Earthquake Disaster Assistance Project. In 1996 Cahuenga Library reopened after several years of renovation. That same year, the East Hollywood Community Association was established by concerned residents who wanted to make a difference in improving the neighborhood.
In the summer of 1999, the Metro Red Line subway stations were constructed which gave East Hollywood increased transportation options and a link to the rest of the region via the new Metro Rail system.
East Hollywood Neighborhood Council was established in 2002 and certified as the 89th neighborhood council in the City of Los Angeles on April 19, 2007.
With gentrification and recent injections of funds Kaiser Hospital, Children's Hospital, Los Angeles City College and Barnsdall Park are either expanding or being renovated and new elementary schools are being built along Santa Monica Boulevard. New businesses are moving to East Hollywood, especially around the "Hel-Mel" corner at Heliotrope Drive and Melrose Avenue.
Under the LA City's "Vermont/Western Transit Oriented District" plan, the City will 'encourage sufficient schools, childcare facilities, parks, public pools,
soccer fields, open space, libraries and police stations within the Plan Area by the horizon year of 2020' and 'establish a clean, safe, comfortable and pedestrian oriented community environment for residents to shop in and use the public community services in the neighborhood.'
LACC is currently finishing construction of a $22 million library resource center. The new Martin Luther King, Jr. Library received $18 million in State funding (partially funded by the LACCD's Proposition A/AA Bond Program). It is scheduled for completion in early 2008.
Landmarks
- Barnsdall Art ParkBarnsdall Art ParkThe Barnsdall Art Park has as its mission the presentation, promotion, enrichment, and development of the arts and artists of the Los Angeles region in all its cultural diversity...
, which includes the Frank Lloyd WrightFrank Lloyd WrightFrank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture...
-designed Hollyhock HouseHollyhock HouseThe Aline Barnsdall Hollyhock House is a building in the East Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, originally designed by Frank Lloyd Wright as a residence for oil heiress Aline Barnsdall, built in 1919–1921...
and a city-run arts center. The park, located on small but scenic Olive Hill, was donated to the City of Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
by oil heiress Aline Barnsdall. - The http://www.brailleinstitute.org/Centers/LosAngeles.htm Braille Institute
- Cahuenga BranchCahuenga BranchCahuenga Branch is the third oldest branch library in the Los Angeles Public Library system. Located at 4591 Santa Monica Boulevard in the East Hollywood section of Los Angeles, it was built in 1916 with a grant from Andrew Carnegie...
of the Los Angeles Public LibraryLos Angeles Public LibraryThe Los Angeles Public Library system serves the residents of Los Angeles, California, United States. With over 6 million volumes, LAPL is one of the largest publicly funded library systems in the world. The system is overseen by a Board of Library Commissioners with five members appointed by the...
, the oldest branch in the LA system is on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places - Charles BukowskiCharles BukowskiHenry Charles Bukowski was an American poet, novelist and short story writer. His writing was influenced by the social, cultural and economic ambience of his home city of Los Angeles...
's former East Hollywood residence at 5124 De Longpre Avenue. - Church of ScientologyChurch of ScientologyThe Church of Scientology is an organization devoted to the practice and the promotion of the Scientology belief system. The Church of Scientology International is the Church of Scientology's parent organization, and is responsible for the overall ecclesiastical management, dissemination and...
West Coast headquarters (in a striking blue building, formerly Cedars of Lebanon hospital) - Griffith ObservatoryGriffith ObservatoryGriffith Observatory is in Los Angeles, California, United States. Sitting on the south-facing slope of Mount Hollywood in L.A.'s Griffith Park, it commands a view of the Los Angeles Basin, including downtown Los Angeles to the southeast, Hollywood to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest...
, while not actually located in East Hollywood, is a Los Angeles landmark visible overlooking the entire district. - Immaculate Heart of Mary Church on Santa Monica Blvd. 2nd Church Structure built in 1940. The twin painted steel spires above church: donated By Movie Mogul Louis B. Mayer of MGM Studios. Former pipe organ donated by: Bing Crosby. Features stained glass windows of saints and figures. Its name labeled on window and below with benefactors with gold plates.
- Los Angeles City CollegeLos Angeles City CollegeLos Angeles City College, known as LACC, is a public community college in the East Hollywood section of Los Angeles, California. A part of the Los Angeles Community College District, it is located on Vermont Avenue south of Santa Monica Boulevard...
- Safari Sam's a popular live music venue
- Self-Realization FellowshipSelf-Realization FellowshipSelf-Realization Fellowship / Yogoda Satsanga Society of India is a worldwide spiritual organization founded by Paramahansa Yogananda in 1920 and based in Mount Washington in Los Angeles, California....
- Three hospitals at Sunset Boulevard and Vermont Avenues: Kaiser PermanenteKaiser PermanenteKaiser Permanente is an integrated managed care consortium, based in Oakland, California, United States, founded in 1945 by industrialist Henry J. Kaiser and physician Sidney Garfield...
Los Angeles Medical Center, Queen of Angels, and Children's Hospital Los AngelesChildren's Hospital Los AngelesChildren's Hospital Los Angeles, formerly Childrens Hospital Society, is a private, non-profit teaching hospital in Los Angeles. The hospital provides multidisciplinary care to over 93,000 children each year, with physician expertise in over 100 pediatric specialties and subspecialties.The hospital...
. - Square One Dining
- Zankou ChickenZankou ChickenZankou Chicken is a small, family-owned chain of Armenian and Middle-Eastern fast casual restaurants within the Los Angeles area. Its specialty is rotisserie chicken served with a garlic paste and pita bread...
's first American store.
Several environmental demonstration projects are located in or near East Hollywood, including Eco-Home, the Los Angeles Eco-Village and the Bicycle Kitchen
Bicycle Kitchen
Bicycle Kitchen or Bike Kitchen is a term that refers to a number of independent non-profit and often cooperative organizations that educate cyclists on bicycle mechanics and ridership, and encourage local cycling.- Locations :...
.
Many of the novels, short stories and poems of Charles Bukowski
Charles Bukowski
Henry Charles Bukowski was an American poet, novelist and short story writer. His writing was influenced by the social, cultural and economic ambience of his home city of Los Angeles...
, who lived in East Hollywood for many years, are set in the area.
Transportation
East Hollywood is served by the Red LineLACMTA Red Line
The Red Line is a subway line running between Downtown Los Angeles via the districts of Hollywood and Mid-Wilshire to North Hollywood within Los Angeles where it connects with the Metroliner Orange line service for stations to the Warner Center in Woodland Hills.The red line, which is one of five...
subway which runs north-south along Vermont Avenue and east-west along Hollywood Boulevard, with stations at Vermont/Santa Monica, Vermont/Sunset and Hollywood/Western. Over a dozen bus lines run on the major thoroughfares, including Metro
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority is the California state-chartered regional transportation planning agency and public transportation operating agency for the County of Los Angeles formed in 1993 out of a merger of the Southern California Rapid Transit District and the...
's Rapid
Metro Rapid
Metro Rapid is a bus rapid transit service in Los Angeles County, California that operates in mixed traffic environments and has fewer stops than the Metro Local service. The system is mainly operated by LACMTA. Two routes are operated by Santa Monica Transit and one by Culver City Transit...
and Local
Metro Local
Metro Local is a bus system in Los Angeles County operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority . This retronym designation was placed to differentiate it from the Metro Rapid service...
service lines and Los Angeles Department of Transportation
Los Angeles Department of Transportation
The Los Angeles Department of Transportation, commonly referred to as LADOT, is an agency created by Los Angeles City Ordinance, and is governed by a citizen commission. The LADOT is best known for providing public transportation to the City of Los Angeles. It currently operates the second largest...
's DASH shuttle lines serving Hollywood and the Griffith Observatory
Griffith Observatory
Griffith Observatory is in Los Angeles, California, United States. Sitting on the south-facing slope of Mount Hollywood in L.A.'s Griffith Park, it commands a view of the Los Angeles Basin, including downtown Los Angeles to the southeast, Hollywood to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest...
. The freeway U.S. Route 101
U.S. Route 101
U.S. Route 101, or U.S. Highway 101, is an important north–south U.S. highway that runs through the states of California, Oregon, and Washington, on the West Coast of the United States...
cuts northwest from downtown Los Angeles, with all its freeway connections, through Hollywood to the San Fernando Valley
San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...
.
External links
- East Hollywood Neighborhood Council
- EastHollywood.net
- "This is East Hollywood" - Short film spotlighting the diversity and uniqueness of the community.
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