Mid-Wilshire is a neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. It is known for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the

Petersen Automotive Museum The Petersen Automotive Museum is located on Wilshire Boulevard along Museum Row in the Miracle Mile neighborhood of Los Angeles. One of the world's largest automotive museums, the Petersen Automotive Museum is a nonprofit organization specializin ...

, and the

Miracle Mile Miracle Mile may refer to: Places in the United States * Miracle Mile, Los Angeles, California, a district of Los Angeles * Miracle Mile (Coral Gables), a shopping area in Coral Gables, Florida * Miracle Mile (Manhasset), New York, a premium sho ...

shopping district.

Geography

City of Los Angeles boundaries

According to the city's official community plan, the Wilshire Community Plan Area (CPA), also known as the Wilshire District, "is bounded by Melrose Avenue and Rosewood Avenue to the north; 18th Street, Venice Boulevard and Pico Boulevard to the south; Hoover Street to the east; and the Cities of West Hollywood and Beverly Hills to the west."Wilshire Community Plan
(retrieved 2018-08-08) The adjacent CPAs are

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

to the north; South Central Los Angeles and

West Adams West Adams is a historic neighborhood in the South Los Angeles region of Los Angeles, California. The area is known for its large number of historic buildings, structures and notable houses and mansions throughout Los Angeles. It is a youth ...

– Leimert–

Baldwin Hills Baldwin Hills may refer to: Places * Baldwin Hills (mountain range), Los Angeles County, California, U.S. * Baldwin Hills, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in South Los Angeles, California, U.S. * Baldwin Village, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in South Lo ...

to the south;

Silver Lake Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...

– Echo Park– Elysian Valley and

Westlake Westlake may refer to: Places Australia * Westlake, Canberra, a ghost town suburb of Canberra * Westlake, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane New Zealand * Westlake, New Zealand, a suburb of Auckland ** Westlake Girls High School ** Westlake Boys ...

to the east; and West Los Angeles to the west. The Wilshire area includes the neighborhoods of (roughly from east to west) Wilshire Center, Koreatown (part of which extends outside the CPA),

Windsor Square Windsor Square is a small, historic neighborhood in the Wilshire region of Los Angeles, California. It is highly diverse in ethnic makeup, with an older population than the city as a whole. It is the site of the official residence of the mayor of ...

, Hancock Park, Larchmont, Mid-Wilshire, Mid-City,

, Beverly–Fairfax, and the

Carthay Carthay is a half-square-mile neighborhood in Central Los Angeles, California. It contains Carthay Circle, Carthay Square and South Carthay. Carthay Circle, South Carthay, and Carthay Square).Historic Resources Survey Report: Wilshire Community Plan Area
SurveyLA, January 23, 2015 Within the Wilshire CPA, the neighborhood of Mid-Wilshire is bounded roughly by Crenshaw Boulevard, Pico Boulevard, Fairfax Avenue, and Wilshire Boulevard. Part of Miracle Mile overlaps with Mid-Wilshire.

Mapping L.A. boundaries

Map of Mid-Wilshire, Los Angeles, California

According to the '' Los Angeles Times''

Mapping L.A. Mapping L.A. is a project of the ''Los Angeles Times'', beginning in 2009, to draw boundary lines for 158 cities and unincorporated places within Los Angeles County, California. It identified 114 neighborhoods within the City of Los Angeles and 42 ...

project, Mid-Wilshire is bounded on the north by West Third Street, on the northeast by La Brea Avenue and Wilshire Boulevard, on the east by

Crenshaw Boulevard Crenshaw Boulevard is a north-south thoroughfare in Los Angeles, California, that runs through Crenshaw and other neighborhoods along a 23-mile (37.76 km) route in the west-central part of the city. The street extends between Wilshire Boulevar ...

, on the south by

Pico Boulevard Pico may refer to: Places The Moon * Mons Pico, a lunar mountain in the northern part of the Mare Imbrium basin Portugal * Pico, a civil parish in the municipality of Vila Verde * Pico da Pedra, a civil parish in the municipality of Ribei ...

and on the west by Fairfax Avenue.
"Central L.A.," Mapping L.A., ''Los Angeles Times''
"Mid-Wilshire," Mapping L.A., ''Los Angeles Times''''The Thomas Guide,'' 2006, page 633 Mid-Wilshire is flanked by Fairfax, Los Angeles, Fairfax, Hancock Park, and

to the north; Koreatown and Arlington Heights to the east; Mid-City to the south; and Mid-City West (

Carthay Carthay is a half-square-mile neighborhood in Central Los Angeles, California. It contains Carthay Circle, Carthay Square and South Carthay. Beverly-Fairfax) to the west and northwest.

Neighborhoods

Mid-Wilshire includes the following neighborhoods:

Little Ethiopia

Little Ethiopia is a block-long stretch of Fairfax Avenue between Olympic Boulevard and Whitworth Drive in Los Angeles, California. The area has a high concentration of Ethiopian restaurants, as well as a significant concentration of residents of Ethiopian and

Eritrea Eritrea ( ; ti, ኤርትራ, Ertra, ; ar, إرتريا, ʾIritriyā), officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of Eastern Africa, with its capital and largest city at Asmara. It is bordered by Ethiopia ...

n ancestry.

Miracle Mile

Miracle Mile is a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) stretch of Wilshire Boulevard between

Fairfax Fairfax may refer to: Places United States * Fairfax, California * Fairfax Avenue, a major thoroughfare in Los Angeles, California * Fairfax District, Los Angeles, California, centered on Fairfax Avenue * Fairfax, Georgia * Fairfax, Indiana * Fa ...

and Highland Avenues. In the early 1920s, Wilshire Boulevard west of Western Avenue was an unpaved farm road, extending through dairy farms and bean fields. Developer A. W. Ross saw the area's potential and developed Wilshire as a commercial district to rival downtown Los Angeles.

Oxford Square

Oxford Square is an historic neighborhood which, according to the Oxford Square Neighborhood Association, lies between

and Olympic Boulevard and includes both sides of Victoria Avenue and South Windsor Boulevard. In 1910 the neighborhood was laid out between Wilshire Boulevard on the north and Pico Street on the south, west of the Los Angeles Country Club. It was served by the Pico Street streetcar line. The unimproved lots offered by developer Emil Firth ranged from 50 to 100 feet on the street and were 171 feet deep. The streets were 70 feet wide, with 15-foot sidewalks and parkways, which were to be planted with palm trees and flowers. Ornamental

electrolier Electrolier is a fixture for holding electric lamps. Normally, the term designates an elaborate light fixture suspended from above, such as a large, multi-bulb pendant light. Additionally, the term is used by architects in the United States to ...

s were to be placed every 300 feet. Lot prices ranged from $1,000 to $2,500. Earlier, in 1907. the Harriman interests had begun a four-track subway line across Oxford Square, south of Wilshire Boulevard. In 1991 the City Council approved a request by Oxford Square - Windsor Village residents to close 10th Street at Victoria Avenue in an effort to reduce crime in the communities after a recent outbreak of burglaries and robberies, as well as one homicide. In February 2015 the neighborhood association was lobbying to form an Historic Preservation Overlay Zone (HPOZ). That would have put a temporary moratorium on the issuance of city building and demolition permits. Los Angeles City Council approved the HPOZ, adopting its preservation plan effective March 26, 2017.

Park La Brea

Park La Brea is an apartment complex bounded by 3rd Street on the north, Cochran Avenue on the east, Sixth Street on the south, and Fairfax Avenue on the west. With 4,255 units located in eighteen 13-story towers and 31 two-story "garden apartment buildings," it is the largest housing development in the United States.R. Daniel Foster
"Park La Brea, 70-year-old design still feels the love (and hate)"
'' Los Angeles Times'', February 24, 2012. (In February 25, 2012 print edition, p. E5, under headline "Park La Brea: monster or jewel?")

Park Mile

Park Mile is a commercial strip that lies along Wilshire Boulevard between Highland Avenue on the west, Wilton Place on the east, Sixth Street on the north and Eighth Street on the south. Some of the office buildings in the district have been designed to harmonize with the nearby Hancock Park area, with long, horizontal warm look of brick and other textures rather than a vertical high-tech design. Construction is regulated by the Park Mile Ordinance, adopted by the city in 1979. It was designed to protect the single-family nature of the residential area and to promote development that provided Park Mile with an "image and sense of continuity." There is a three-story height limit along Park Mile, as well as a ban on painted signs on the outside of buildings. In 1990 a Park Mile-Wilshire District neighborhood design review board, composed of five to seven volunteers appointed by City Council members, was one of four such local boards throughout the city that oversaw architectural planning.

Sycamore Square

Sycamore Square is a neighborhood located between Hancock Park to the north, Miracle Mile to the west, and Brookside to the east. It is bordered by Wilshire Boulevard to the north, Olympic Boulevard to the south, La Brea Avenue to the west, and both sides of Citrus Avenue to the east.

Wilshire Vista

Wilshire Vista is a neighborhood of 1700 homes. It contains two Los Angeles Cultural Historic Monuments.

Population

The

2000 U.S. Census The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 cen ...

counted 41,683 residents in the 2.78-square-mile neighborhood—an average of 14,988 people per square mile, among the highest

population densities Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

for the city and the county. In 2008 the city estimated that the population had increased to 47,176. The median age for residents was 34, about the city's average. Mid-Wilshire was said to be "highly diverse" when compared to the city at large. The ethnic breakdown in 2000 was whites, 33.6%; blacks, 22.7%; Latinos, 19.9%;

Asians Asian people (or Asians, sometimes referred to as Asiatic people)United States National Library of Medicine. Medical Subject Headings. 2004. November 17, 200Nlm.nih.gov: ''Asian Continental Ancestry Group'' is also used for categorical purpos ...

, 19.8%; and others, 3.9%. Mexico (16.1%) and Korea (24%) were the most common places of birth for the 25.1% of the residents who were born abroad, a figure that was considered average for the city as a whole. The median household income in 2008 dollars was $58,483, average for Los Angeles. The average household size of 2.1 people was low for Los Angeles. Renters occupied 78.3% of the housing units, and home- or apartment owners the rest. Mid-Wilshire residents aged 25 and older holding a four-year degree amounted to 45.2% of the population in 2000, a high rate for both the city and the county. The percentage of residents with a master's degree was also high.

Libraries and parks

Public facilities are provided by City of Los Angeles: the Department of Recreation and Parks and the Los Angeles Public Library. Public schools are part of the

Los Angeles Unified School District Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is a public school district in Los Angeles, California, United States. It is the largest public school system in California in terms of number of students and the 2nd largest public school district in ...

, The schools operating within Mid-Wilshire are:
"Mid-Wilshire Schools," Mapping L.A., ''Los Angeles Times'' * Los Angeles High School, Los Angeles Senior High School,

LAUSD Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is a public school district in Los Angeles, California, United States. It is the largest public school system in California in terms of number of students and the 2nd largest public school district in ...

, 4650 West Olympic Boulevard * Los Angeles Community Adult School, 4650 West Olympic Boulevard * Hancock Park Elementary School, LAUSD, 408 South Fairfax Avenue * Wilshire Crest Elementary School, LAUSD, 5241 West Olympic Boulevard * Queen Anne Place Elementary School, LAUSD, 1212 Queen Anne Place * Queen Anne Recreation Center, Recreation and Parks, 1240 West Blvd

Landmarks and attractions

* The

Wilshire Ebell Theater The Ebell of Los Angeles is a women-led and women-centered nonprofit housed in an historic campus in the Mid-Wilshire section of Los Angeles, California. It includes numerous performance spaces, meeting rooms, classrooms and the 1,238-seat Wilshir ...

, Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #250. * Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the

Page Museum La Brea Tar Pits is an active paleontological research site in urban Los Angeles. Hancock Park was formed around a group of tar pits where natural asphalt (also called asphaltum, bitumen, or pitch; ''brea'' in Spanish) has seeped up from the gro ...

, Hancock Park and the

La Brea Tar Pits La Brea Tar Pits is an active paleontological research site in urban Los Angeles. Hancock Park was formed around a group of tar pits where natural asphalt (also called asphaltum, bitumen, or pitch; ''brea'' in Spanish) has seeped up from the gro ...

on the north side of Wilshire Boulevard between Fairfax and Curson avenues. * The

, a commercial strip on Wilshire Boulevard east of Fairfax Avenue designed in the 1920s by developer A. W. Ross to attract and serve automobile traffic rather than pedestrian shoppers. *

, on the southeast corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue. One of the world's largest automobile museums, the Petersen is a nonprofit organization specializing in automobile history and related educational programs. * Olympia Medical Center, formerly Midway Hospital Medical Center, between

Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...

and San Vicente boulevards. *

Harold A. Henry Harold A. Henry (October 20, 1895 – May 1, 1966) was a community newspaper publisher who was elected to the Los Angeles City Council in 1945 and was its president for four terms from 1947 to 1962. Biography Henry was born October 20, 1895, in ...

Park, named after the former city councilman, at Ninth Street and Plymouth Boulevard. * Los Angeles High School Memorial Park, with its associated Memorial Library, dedicated to the L.A. High graduates who took part in World War I. It is on Olympic Boulevard between Mulllen and Muirfield avenues, facing Los Angeles High across the street. * Queen Anne Recreation Center, at 12th Street and West Boulevard, with an auditorium, barbecue pits, a baseball diamond, basketball courts, children's play area, picnic tables, and tennis courts. * Town and Country shopping center, on the southeast corner of Third Street and Fairfax Avenue. * William Grant Still Residence, located at 1262 South Victoria Avenue; Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #169.

Notable residents

* Christian Audigier French fashion designer * Leonard Cohen - Canadian singer and novelist *

William Grant Still William Grant Still Jr. (May 11, 1895 – December 3, 1978) was an American composer of nearly two hundred works, including five symphonies, four ballets, nine operas, over thirty choral works, plus art songs, chamber music and works fo ...

- African-American composer, known for Symphony No. 1 "Afro-American"

References

External links

* Seal, Kathy.
MID-WILSHIRE : Minorities' Private School Connection
" '' Los Angeles Times''. June 11, 1995. * Doherty, Jake.
Lawmaker Opposes Site for School : Education: Density that would result from a Temple-Beaudry facility is 'not good planning,' Assemblyman Richard Polanco says.
'' Los Angeles Times''. January 16, 1994.

Los Angeles City Park Mile ordinance.

Letters in the ''Larchmont Chronicle'' concerning the Park Mile Specific Plan, May 29, 2014
LA Times: Mid-Wilshire crime map and statistics

Wilshire Community Plan, Los Angeles Department of City Planning, April 2005 {{Portal bar, Los Angeles Mid-Wilshire, Los Angeles, Neighborhoods in Los Angeles Central Los Angeles Wilshire, Los Angeles Los Angeles County, California regions West Los Angeles Westside (Los Angeles County) Edge cities in Greater Los Angeles