Nickerson Gardens, Los Angeles, California
Encyclopedia
Nickerson Gardens is a 1054-unit public housing apartment complex at 1590 East 114th Street http://www.hacla.org/attachments/wysiwyg/10/dvmptsforpublichousing.pdf in Watts
, Los Angeles
, California
.
Nickerson Gardens consists of 156 buildings with townhouse style units ranging in size from one bedroom to five bedrooms. It was completed in the year 1955, and the original architect was Paul Revere Williams
. It was named after William Nickerson, Jr.
, the founder of Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Company
. The complex is owned and managed by the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles
. Nickerson Gardens is the largest public housing development west of the Mississippi River.
The complex occupies the blocks northeast of the corner of Imperial Highway
and Central Avenue
, and southwest of 111th St and Compton Avenue. It is on the border of both Watts (a district of South Los Angeles
) and the CDP of Willowbrook
.
In the mid-1990s, Nickerson Gardens was 95% black. By 2004 it was 35% black.
Nickerson Gardens is the recognized birthplace of the Bounty Hunter Bloods
gang. A Los Angeles Times
article on November 17, 2007 detailed gang patrols in and around Nickerson Gardens. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-gangstory17nov17,0,5316594.story?page=5&coll=la-home-center
schools:
Watts, Los Angeles, California
Watts is a mostly residential neighborhood in South Los Angeles, California.-History:The area now known as Watts is located on the Rancho La Tajauta Mexican land grant...
, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los 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...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Nickerson Gardens consists of 156 buildings with townhouse style units ranging in size from one bedroom to five bedrooms. It was completed in the year 1955, and the original architect was Paul Revere Williams
Paul Williams (architect)
Paul Revere Williams, FAIA was a Los Angeles-based, American architect. He practiced largely in Southern California and designed the homes of numerous stars including Frank Sinatra, Lucille Ball/Desi Arnaz, Lon Chaney, and Charles Correll...
. It was named after William Nickerson, Jr.
William Nickerson, Jr.
William Nickerson, Jr. was a prominent Los Angeles-based businessman and founder of Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Company, which at one time was the largest black-owned business west of the Mississippi.-Early life:...
, the founder of Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Company
Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Company
Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Company, the largest black-owned insurance company in the western United States, was founded by William Nickerson, Jr...
. The complex is owned and managed by the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles
Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles
The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles is the public housing agency for Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1938. There are more than 60 public housing locations in Los Angeles.-History:...
. Nickerson Gardens is the largest public housing development west of the Mississippi River.
The complex occupies the blocks northeast of the corner of Imperial Highway
Imperial Highway
Imperial Highway is a road in Orange and Los Angeles counties in California. It begins at the Anaheim-Orange boundary and runs through several cities until it stops at Dockweiler State Beach in Los Angeles near the Los Angeles International Airport. For much of the way, Imperial Highway is signed...
and Central Avenue
Central Avenue (Los Angeles)
Central Avenue is a major north-south thoroughfare in the central portion of the Los Angeles, California metropolitan area. Located just to the west of the Alameda Corridor, it runs from the eastern end of the Los Angeles Civic Center south, ending at Del Amo Boulevard in Carson...
, and southwest of 111th St and Compton Avenue. It is on the border of both Watts (a district of South Los Angeles
South Los Angeles
South Los Angeles, often abbreviated as South L.A. and formerly South Central Los Angeles, is the official name for a large geographic and cultural portion lying to the southwest and southeast of downtown Los Angeles, California. The area was formerly called South Central, and is still widely known...
) and the CDP of Willowbrook
Willowbrook
Willowbrook may refer to some places in the United States:An institution or building* The John Sweek House in Tualatin, Oregon* Willowbrook High School in Villa Park, Illinois...
.
In the mid-1990s, Nickerson Gardens was 95% black. By 2004 it was 35% black.
Nickerson Gardens is the recognized birthplace of the Bounty Hunter Bloods
Bounty Hunter Bloods
The Bounty Hunter Bloods aka East side Bounty Hunter Blood Gang is a blood gang that started in 1969 in the Watts section of Los Angeles. Originally known as the Green Jackets, it is believed that Gary Barker was very influential during Bounty Hunters' beginnings. Also Bobby Jack was one of the...
gang. A Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
article on November 17, 2007 detailed gang patrols in and around Nickerson Gardens. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-gangstory17nov17,0,5316594.story?page=5&coll=la-home-center
Location
Education
Nickerson Gardens is assigned to the following Los Angeles Unified School DistrictLos Angeles Unified School District
Los Angeles Unified School District is the largest public school system in California. It is the 2nd largest public school district in the United States. Only the New York City Department of Education has a larger student population...
schools:
- Markham Middle School
- Jordan High School