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Temple City, California

Temple City is a city in Los Angeles County, California located northeast of downtown Los Angeles and at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. Temple City is part of a cluster of cities, along with Pasadena, Arcadia, Alhambra, San Marino, and San Gabriel, in the west San Gabriel Valley.

History
The town of Temple originated on May 30, 1923, when Walter P. Temple (June 7, 1870 – November 13, 1938 ) purchased 400 acre of land 4 mi east of San Gabriel which had been part of Lucky Baldwin's Rancho Santa Anita. The original townsite (Tract 6561, recorded with the LA County Tax Assessor in June 1923) corresponds to the present-day area bounded by Garibaldi Avenue on the north, Baldwin Avenue on the east, Live Oak Avenue on the south, and Encinita Avenue on the west.

Temple, the son and tenth child of Pliny Fisk Temple and William Workman's daughter Antonia Margarita Workman, was born on Rancho La Merced, which is today part of the city of Montebello. This was the site of the original San Gabriel Mission, founded by the Franciscan Fathers next to the rich bottom lands of the San Gabriel River. Historically called "Rio de los Temblores", which means the River of the Earthquakes, it is today known as the Rio Hondo.

Temple envisioned building a community where average people could afford to live and own their homes. He then divided the area into lots and laid out the park facing Las Tunas Drive. He named other streets after friends and family: Workman, Kauffman, Rowland, Temple and Agnes. Bond issues initiated by Temple were responsible for street paving and electricity. Temple also petitioned the Pacific Electric Railway Company to extend its Los Angeles to Alhambra line to a depot adjacent to Temple City Park. The extension of the railway contributed to the steady growth of Temple City, and is commemorated by statues of railcar passengers along Rosemead Boulevard.

In 1925, the Women's Club of Temple City was founded.

City name
The town was originally named "City of Temple" after its founder, Walter Temple, but the United States Postmaster General Harry Stewart New demanded a name change in 1926 because the mail was accidentally being directed to the Phoenix suburb of Tempe. It was officially designated "Temple City" but remained a city in name only until after the post–World War II population explosion followed by incorporation on May 25, 1960, which resulted in the redundant name: "City of Temple City". (This redundancy is shared with other cities in California, such as the City of California City.) Merrill Fitzjohn, the founder and original owner of Fitzjohn Jewelers on Las Tunas Drive, was appointed as the city's first mayor.

2009 Temple City Affair
In January 2009, the Los Angeles County District Attorney began investigating allegations that Temple City's mayor, Judy Wong, along with city council members David Capra, and former mayor Cathe Wilson solicited bribes in exchange for support of the proposed $75 million Temple City Piazza mall project and both women were charged with lying on fair political practice commission disclosure forms. Randy Wang, developer of the Piazza project, made allegations that Wong, Wilson and Councilman David Capra demanded and received cash bribes for their support of the development. Wang raised the allegations as part of his counter-suit against the city, which sued him in April 2008, claiming he failed to meet contractual deadlines of construction on the 4 acre Piazza project. Temple City's lawsuit asks that the property, at Las Tunas Drive and Rosemead Boulevard, be returned to the city because of the delays after two groundbreaking ceremonies.

Wong, 55, the city's first Asian council member, was elected in 2003, was re-elected in 2007, and served as the city's first Asian mayor in 2007. Capra pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of failure to report a campaign contribution and agreed to resign as a condition for no prison time. Nine months after being indicted on charges of bribery and perjury, Wong resigned from office in March 2010; Wilson was voted out of office in spring 2009. In May 2010, Wong accepted a plea agreement of no contest for 10 counts of bribery and perjury. Wong served a 16-month sentence at Chowchilla after pleading no contest to 10 felony counts of bribery, solicitation of bribery and perjury, and she is required to pay $16,700 in restitution to developer Randy Wang. She will have to pay about $16,300 in fines and fees. The judge denied a request from Wong's attorney seeking probation for the one-time politician.

Cathe Wilson was charged with three counts each of perjury and bribery. The perjury charges included one count of lying to the Los Angeles County Grand Jury in 2008 and two counts of submitting false material in Fair Political Practices reports. Although she maintains her innocence, she chose not to plea, and her case was continued. On March 30, 2011, Wilson pleaded innocent to all charges. "Oh, yes, I've got to prove my innocence," Wilson, 78, said at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center when asked if she was going forward with the trial. "I wouldn't put my life savings … if I didn't believe in my innocence. It's all a crock." In May 2011 she was convicted on six felony counts. She was sentenced on June 23, 2011, to four years in state prison and to pay more than $10,000 in restitution to the developer. She was released under an Alternative Custody Program in 2013.

Former candidate Scott Carwile, Wilson's protege, pleaded guilty to felony perjury and was granted probation in exchange for testifying against Wilson.

As of August 2014, all persons sentenced to imprisonment in the Temple City Affair have been released.

Attempts to block housing
In the aftermath of the passage of SB9, California state housing law, that permitted owners of single-family housing to subdivide their houses into duplexes, NIMBY local officials in Temple City enacted new regulations that sought to disincentivize homeowners from creating duplexes. For example, the city required a 1,000-square-foot courtyard separating housing units, as well as enacted a string of burdensome rules and regulations. As a consequence of these rules, there was not a single application for SB9 in Temple City.

California state housing officials have warned Temple City they are potentially in violation of state housing law. According to Temple City city manager Bryan Cook, the city is working in "good faith" with California state housing officials.

2020
According to the 2020 United States census, Temple City had a population of 36,494.

2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Temple City had a population of 35,558. The population density was 8,877.2 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Temple City was 11,941 (33.6%) White (22.8% Non-Hispanic White), 283 (0.8%) African American, 150 (0.4%) Native American, 19,803 (55.7%) Asian, 31 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 2,316 (6.5%) from other races, and 1,034 (2.9%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6,853 persons (19.3%).

The census reported that 35,136 people (98.8% of the population) lived in households, 29 (0.1%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 393 (1.1%) were institutionalized.

There were 11,606 households, out of which 4,402 (37.9%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 6,605 (56.9%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 1,714 (14.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 686 (5.9%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 404 (3.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 65 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 1,973 households (17.0%) were made up of individuals, and 844 (7.3%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.03. There were 9,005 families (77.6% of all households); the average family size was 3.39.

The population was spread out, with 7,549 people (21.2%) under the age of 18, 2,887 people (8.1%) aged 18 to 24, 8,983 people (25.3%) aged 25 to 44, 10,778 people (30.3%) aged 45 to 64, and 5,361 people (15.1%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.1 males.

There were 12,117 housing units at an average density of 3,025.1 /mi2, of which 7,453 (64.2%) were owner-occupied, and 4,153 (35.8%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.2%. 23,213 people (65.3% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 11,923 people (33.5%) lived in rental housing units.

According to the 2010 United States Census, Temple City had a median household income of $97,082, with 5.9% of the population living below the federal poverty line.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.0 sqmi.

Local Government
The City Council of Temple City has five members. They are each elected by citizens for four-year term and at-large instead of geographical district. The City Council elections are held during the California Primary election starting with the 2020 election. As a legislative body, it is the duty of the council to make the laws and establish policy. In March, the city council appoints one of its members to act as Mayor and one as Mayor Pro Tempore for a 1-year term. The Mayor presides over the council meetings and represents the city at civic functions. The Mayor Pro Tempore serves in the mayor's absence.

The current city council members are:
 * Mayor: Tom Chavez
 * Mayor Pro Tem: Vincent Yu
 * Council members: Cynthia Sternquist, William Man, and Fernando Vizcarra.

List of mayors
This is a list of Temple City mayors by year.
 * 1960 Merrill Fitzjohn
 * 2007 Judy Wong.
 * 2009
 * 2011 Tom Chavez
 * 2013 Cynthia Sternquist
 * 2014 Carl Blum
 * 2015 Tom Chavez
 * 2017-2018 Cynthia Sternquist
 * 2018-2019 William Man
 * 2019-2020 Nanette Fish

State and federal
In the California State Legislature, Temple City is in, and in.

In the United States House of Representatives, Temple City is in.

The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services operates the Monrovia Health Center in Monrovia, serving Temple City.

Infrastructure
Fire protection in Temple City is provided by the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) operates the Temple Station in Temple City.

Of interest
Of notable interest is that even though the chain no longer has a store within city limits, Winchell's Donuts originated in Temple City, opening on October 8, 1948. In addition, in the 1970s, Temple City was home to Pete & Jake's Hot Rod Repair, noted for custom cars, such as The California Kid.

A Beijing-based restaurant group established its first North American branch Bistro Na's at a strip mall in late 2016. The restaurant earned its first Michelin star in June 2019.

Temple City Library
A mural was mounted on the west exterior wall of the remodeled Temple City Library in the summer of 2011. The mural, which was painted by more than 20 Temple City students under the tutelage of West Los Angeles-based muralist Art Mortimer, is the first project of the city's public art advisory group formed in February. The creation of the 8-foot high, 28-foot wide mural was a partnership between the city, the advisory group, Los Angeles County and the Temple City Unified School District and designed by Temple City High school students. It shows famous authors, and is an "interesting and unique way of showing what's inside the library," Mortimer said. Further stating that "The way they depict famous writers throughout history, the things they put in the background, such as books with wings, and their ways of showing the importance of the library in the community was very charming the way they did it."

Camellia Festival
History: In 1944 a contest held by the Woman's Club of Temple City brought forth a slogan "Temple City, Home of Camellias", from which stemmed the annual Camellia Festival. It was in recognition of the significance of family life that the Camellia Festival was founded. The festival, which has attracted national recognition in ensuing years, is sponsored by the City of Temple City. Its purpose is to encourage every youngster in the community to belong to one of recognized youth organizations and to participate in the affairs of their community. Only members of recognized organizations are eligible to enter the Camellia Festival Parade. The Royalty Coronation of two first graders is held the first Friday of February.

The annual Temple City Camellia Festival takes place the last weekend in February. A parade begins the celebration on Saturday morning. The parade commences at the corner of Las Tunas Drive and Rosemead Blvd. Commercial floats are not allowed in the parade, all work is done by the youth and carry the theme of the year. A carnival is part of the three-day festivities, where the public may enjoy the hometown atmosphere in Temple City Park, while they participate in games booths and food booths, run by local service and youth organizations. Varied Cultural entertainment events are open to the community and welcomed guests.

What began in 1944 started by the Women's Club of Temple City as a small parade of youngsters who tossed camellia blossoms to parade watchers, has now become a signature event in Temple City attracting an estimated 5000 children and more than 20,000 visitors to Temple City each year. The Camellia Festival is held on the last weekend in February which is only a part of the three-day festival. A carnival in Temple City Park as well as an Art show.

Parish Fiesta
The annual Saint Luke's Parish Fiestal takes place at the St. Luke the Evangelist Catholic Church in April. Located at Broadway and Cloverly Avenue, for three days, game booths, rides and food stalls are open to the community. Today, approximately 900 volunteers, young and old, work in the food and game booths throughout the weekend. Many of the volunteers worked when the first bazaars began more than 50 years ago. Every year, approximately 10,000 people enjoy the good food, rides, and entertainment throughout the weekend.

Farmers Market
The Temple City's Farmer's Market is open every Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the parking lot between City Hall and Temple City Park.

Education
Most of Temple City is served by the Temple City Unified School District (TCUSD), although a significant portion of the resident students attend schools in Arcadia Unified School District and some attend school within the El Monte City School District. The Temple City Unified School District consists of seven schools, including La Rosa, Cloverly, Emperor, and Longden Elementary Schools; Oak Avenue Intermediate School; Temple City High School; and the Doug Sears Learning Center.

Cleminson Elementary School is physically located within the city limits of Temple City but is actually part of the El Monte City School District. Additionally, Emperor Elementary School, while part of the Temple City Unified School District, is physically located within an unincorporated region of Los Angeles County and carries a San Gabriel postal address.

The Temple City Board of Education proclaims their district as "A District of Distinguished Schools" because every school in the Temple City district has been designated a "distinguished school" by the state of California, at some time. This honor indicates that Temple City Schools are in a higher percentile in categories such as academics, deportment and other scholastic activities.

Saint Luke's Parish School, grades K–8, is located on the grounds of Saint Luke the Evangelist Church, at Broadway and Cloverly. It was founded in 1947. Temporary structures, which were formerly army barracks donated from a parish in North Hollywood housed the new school. A permanent school was opened in 1956 and by 1958 sixteen classrooms were completed.

Notable people

 * Clyde Beck, (1900–1988) - was an infielder in Major League Baseball for the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds from 1926 to 1931.
 * Richard Drew, (b 1946) is an Associated Press photo-journalist. who photographed The Falling Man.
 * Frank Finch (1911–1992) - sportswriter for the Los Angeles Times.
 * Hal Finney and Dorian Nakamoto, suspected identities of Satoshi Nakamoto.
 * David Klein,(b 1946) is an inventor of the Jelly Belly brand. In 1976, he was living in Temple City when he came up with the idea for the new candy company.
 * Steven Lindsey, (b 1960) - NASA astronaut who has flown five separate flights, including the last flight of the Space Shuttle Discovery from 1997 to 2009
 * Xpecial, (b 1992) - is a well-known professional gamer in the North American League of Legends.

Sister cities
Temple City currently has Sister City relations with the following places:

 * 🇦🇺 City of Hawkesbury, Australia (Since 1984)
 * Magdalena de Kino, Sonora, Mexico

title: Temple City, California


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Torrance, California

Torrance is a coastal city in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, located in southwest Los Angeles County, California, United States. The city is part of what is known as the South Bay region of the metropolitan area. A small section of the city, 1.5 mi, abuts the Pacific Ocean. Torrance has a moderate year-round climate with average rainfall of 12 in per year. Torrance was incorporated in 1921, and at the 2020 census had a population of 147,067 residents. Torrance has a beachfront and has 30 parks located around the city. It is also the birthplace of the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO).

Pre-colonial era
For thousands of years, the area of Torrance was occupied by the Tongva Native Americans. The land that is now part of the City of Torrance and much of the modern South Bay was part of the extensive marshlands.

Spanish and Mexican eras
In 1784, the Spanish Crown deeded Rancho San Pedro (including present-day Torrance), a tract of over 75,000 acre in the province of Las Californias of New Spain, to soldier Juan José Domínguez. It was later divided in 1846, with Governor Pío Pico granting Rancho de los Palos Verdes to José Loreto and Juan Capistrano Sepulveda in the Alta California territory of independent Mexico.

Modern Era
In the early 1900s, real estate developer Jared Sidney Torrance and other investors saw the value of creating a mixed industrial–residential community south of Los Angeles. They purchased part of an old Spanish land grant and hired landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. to design a planned community. The resulting town was founded in October 1912 and named after Torrance. The city of Torrance was formally incorporated in May 1921, the townsite initially being bounded by Western Avenue on the east, Del Amo Boulevard on the north, Crenshaw Boulevard on the west, and on the south by Plaza del Amo east of where it meets Carson Street, and by Carson Street west of where it meets Plaza del Amo.

The first residential avenue created in Torrance was Gramercy and the second avenue was Andreo. Many of the houses on these avenues reached the centennial mark in 2012. Both avenues are located in the area referred to as Old Torrance. This section of Torrance is under review to be classified as a historical district. Some of the early civic and residential buildings were designed by the renowned and innovative Southern California architect Irving Gill, in his distinctive combining of Mission Revival and early Modernist architecture.

Historic Olmstead District
Torrance was planned as a new prototype of a balanced industrial city based on the principles of the Garden City Movement. The original tract developed by the Olmstead Brothers consists of 109 city blocks divided into three sub-districts: residential, commercial, and industrial. The plan is most notable for its axial landscaped downtown commercial neighborhood aligned to have a view of Mount San Antonio in the San Gabriel Mountains. The Olmsted Tract includes a number of buildings designed by the noted Southern California Architect Irving Gill, including the original train depot.

The footprint of the downtown neighborhood, now called Old Torrance, was designed on a diagonal to allow the trade breezes coming from the Pacific Ocean to keep the air clean from industrial pollution for the residential and commercial neighborhoods. The industrial sections of the city were placed on the eastern side of the original tract.

Public transportation played a key role in the founding of Torrance. The Pacific Electric Red Car connected downtown Los Angeles to the new development of downtown Torrance. Designed in 1912 by Irving Gill, the terminus depot of the Red Car line was designed in a Spanish revival style popularized during this era. In May 1913, the Pacific Electric Railroad Bridge was built. Often called the "El Prado Bridge", it further expanded the industrial heart of the South Bay. The concrete double-tracked arch bridge was the Pacific Electric Railway's first interurban line that connected north–south to San Pedro via the Gardena Line. The bridge was used for transporting freight and commuting workers to Torrance factories. The Red Car line connected under the bridge as it connected to the train depot located on Cabrillo Avenue. The bridge no longer carries any rail cars, with Pacific Electric closing the Red Car line to Torrance in the 1940s. The bridge became the city of Torrance's second entry in the National Register of Historic Places on July 13, 1989, and is used as a logo for the city's new wayfinding signage and city materials.

Geography

Torrance is a coastal community in southwestern Los Angeles County sharing the climate and geographical features common to the Greater Los Angeles area. Its boundaries are: Redondo Beach Boulevard and the cities of Lawndale and Gardena to the north; Western Avenue and the Harbor Gateway neighborhood of Los Angeles to the east; the Palos Verdes Hills with the cities of Lomita, Rolling Hills Estates and Palos Verdes Estates on the south; and the Pacific Ocean and the city of Redondo Beach to the west.

The western portion of Torrance is in ZIP Code 90277 which is a city of Redondo Beach postal address. It is about 20 mi southwest of Downtown Los Angeles.

Torrance Beach lies between Redondo Beach and Malaga Cove on Santa Monica Bay. The southernmost stretch of Torrance Beach, on a cove at the northern end of the Palos Verdes peninsula, is known to locals as Rat Beach (Right After Torrance).

An urban wetland, the Madrona Marsh is a nature preserve on land once set for oil production and saved from development, with restoration projects enhancing the vital habitat for birds, wildlife, and native plants.

Climate
Torrance has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csb), bordering with a semi-arid climate (Bsk). The rainy season is November through March, as shown in the adjacent table. Summers tend to be warm and humid due to Torrance's proximity to the coast.

2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Torrance had a population of 145,438. The population density was 7,076.1 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Torrance was 74,333 (51.1%) White (42.3% Non-Hispanic White), 50,240 (34.5%) Asian, 3,955 (2.7%) African American, 554 (0.4%) Native American, 530 (0.4%) Pacific Islander, 7,808 (5.4%) from other races, and 8,018 (5.5%) from two or more races. There were 23,440 Hispanic or Latino residents, of any race (16.1%).

The Census reported that 144,292 people (99.2% of the population) lived in households, 506 (0.3%) homeless who lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 640 (0.4%) were institutionalized.

There were 56,001 households, out of which 18,558 (33.1%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 29,754 (53.1%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 6,148 (11.0%) had a female householder with no husband present, 2,510 (4.5%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 2,152 (3.8%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 309 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 14,472 households (25.8%) were made up of individuals, and 5,611 (10.0%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58. There were 38,412 families (68.6% of all households); the average family size was 3.14.

There were 31,831 people (21.9%) under the age of 18, 10,875 (7.5%) aged 18 to 24, 38,296 (26.3%) aged 25 to 44, 42,710 (29.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 21,726 (14.9%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.8 males.

There were 58,377 housing units at an average density of 2,840.3 /mi2, of which 31,621 (56.5%) were owner-occupied, and 24,380 (43.5%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.8%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.3%. 85,308 people (58.7% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units, and 58,984 people (40.6%) lived in rental housing units.

As of March 2019, Torrance had a median household income of $85,070 and a median family income of $102,637.

Torrance has the second-highest percentage of residents of Japanese ancestry in California (8.9%), after the neighboring city of Gardena.

2000
As of the census of 2000, there were 137,946 people, 54,542 households, and 36,270 families residing in the city. The population density was 6,715.7 PD/sqmi. There were 55,967 housing units at an average density of 2,724.7 /mi2. The racial makeup of the city was 59.2% White, 28.6% Asian, 2.2% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.4% Pacific Islander, 4.6% from other races, and 4.7% from two or more races. 12.8% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 54,542 households, out of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.1% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.5% were non-families. 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.10.

In the city, 23.0% of the population was under the age of 18, 6.8% was from 18 to 24, 32.4% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city in 2008 was $79,312, and the median income for a family was $98,473. Males had a median income of $50,606 versus $36,334 for females. The per capita income for the city was $39,118. About 4.7% of families and 5.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.7% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.

Japanese Americans
As of 2014, Torrance had the second-largest concentration of people of Japanese ancestry of any U.S. city, after Honolulu. The city has offices of numerous Japanese companies, including those in the automotive industry. Because of this, many Japanese restaurants and other cultural offerings are in the city, and Willy Blackmore of L.A. Weekly wrote that Torrance was "essentially Japan's 48th prefecture". A Mitsuwa supermarket, Japanese schools, and Japanese banks serve the community.

In the pre-World War II period, the South Bay region was one of the few areas that allowed non-U.S. citizens to acquire property, so a Japanese presence came. According to John Kaji, a Torrance resident quoted in Public Radio International who was the son of Toyota's first American-based accountant, the Japanese corporate presence in Torrance, beginning with Toyota, attracted many ethnic Japanese. Toyota moved its operations to its Torrance campus in 1982 because of its proximity to the Port of Long Beach and Los Angeles International Airport, and many other Japanese companies followed suit. In 2014, Toyota announced it was moving its U.S. headquarters to Plano, Texas.

Korean Americans
, about 60% of the Korean population in the South Bay region lived in Torrance and Gardena. In 1990, 5,888 ethnic Koreans lived in Torrance, a 256% increase from the 1980 figure of 1,652.

Homelessness
In 2022, Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority's Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count counted 306 homeless individuals in Torrance.

Economy
Torrance is home to the U.S. headquarters of Japanese automaker American Honda Motor Company and its luxury vehicle division, Acura. Robinson Helicopters are designed and built in Torrance as are Honeywell's Garrett turbochargers, used on automobile engines worldwide. Alcoa Fastening Systems (now known as Arconic) is headquartered in Torrance, producing aerospace fasteners. Pacific Sales, Pelican Products, Virco, and Rapiscan Systems are among the other companies based in Torrance.

According to the city's 2021 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the city's top 10 employers (by number of employees) are:

The Del Amo Fashion Center, at 2.5 e6ft2, is one of the five largest malls in the United States by gross leasable area. The current mall was created when Del Amo Center, built in 1958, merged with Del Amo Fashion Square, built in 1972. Once located on opposite sides of Carson Street, an expansion of the mall spanning Carson Street joined the two centers by 1982, making it the largest mall in the world at the time. In 2005, the east end of the original mall north of Carson Street was demolished to make way for a new open-air shopping center, opened in mid-September 2006. This was followed in 2015 by the opening of an expanded northern Fashion Wing, with Nordstrom as the mall anchor and supplemented by luxury retailers such as Kate Spade, Hugo Boss, Uniqlo, Michael Kors, and Ben Bridge. The Old Towne Mall was an entertainment-themed mall operating in the 1970s.

As a major oil-producing region, Torrance was once dotted with thousands of oil wells and oil derricks. Though the oil wells are not as common as they once were, the Torrance oil refinery owned by PBF Energy in the north end of the city is responsible for much of Southern California's gasoline supply. Torrance was an important hub and shop site of the Pacific Electric Railway.

Torrance has a general aviation airport, originally named simply "Torrance Airport" and since renamed Zamperini Field after local track star, World War II hero and Torrance High graduate Louis Zamperini. The airport handles approximately 175,000 annual take-offs and landings (473 per day), down from the 1974 record of 428,000 operations. Airport noise abatement is a major local issue.

Torrance is also home to the main bakery facility for King's Hawaiian, the dominant brand of Hawaiian bread in North America. Younger Optics, Torrance's 10th-largest employer, created the first seamless or "invisible" bifocal.

The headquarters of Mitsuwa Marketplace and Nijiya Market are both located in Torrance.

Operations of foreign companies
All Nippon Airways operates its United States headquarters, a customer relations and services office, in Torrance.

The Toyota Motor Company of Japan established a U.S. headquarters on October 31, 1957, at a former Rambler dealership in Hollywood. Toyota sold 287 Toyopet Crowns and one Land Cruiser during the company's first year of U.S. operation. It moved Toyota Motor Sales USA operations to Torrance in 1982, because of easy access to port facilities and the LAX airport. In 2013, it sold 2.2 million vehicles in the U.S. In 2014, it announced it would move 3,000 of its white-collar employees to Plano, Texas to be closer to its American factories. Numerous other Japanese firms followed Toyota to Los Angeles, because of its location and its reputation as the national trend-setter.

The Los Angeles South Bay area, as of 2014, has the largest concentration of Japanese companies in the United States.

Arts and culture

The Armed Forces Day Parade in Torrance, which was first produced in 1960, is the longest-running military parade sponsored by a city. It is held annually on Armed Forces Day, and runs down Torrance Boulevard. The parade features military vehicles, school bands, and prominent community members.

The Torrance Cultural Arts Center hosts cultural events year-round. In partnership with the City of Torrance, the Torrance Cultural Arts Foundation (TOCA) provides diverse cultural, educational and entertainment experiences. Additional performances are provided by the Torrance Performing Arts Consortium, including The Aerospace Players, Torrance Art Museum, Los Cancioneros Master Chorale, South Bay Ballet, South Bay Conservatory, and The Torrance Symphony.

In the 2010 Rose Parade, City of Torrance's entry won the top Lathrop K. Leishman trophy for its Garden of Dreams float, judged as the "Most Beautiful Non-Commercial" float. In 2011, Torrance won the Tournament Volunteers' Trophy for best floral design of parade theme under 35 feet in length. In 2012, the city's entry won the Governor's Trophy for best depiction of life in California. In 2015, an entry honoring Rose Parade Grand Marshal Louis Zamperini won the Theme trophy for excellence in presenting parade theme. In 2016, the City of Torrance float won the Princess trophy for most beautiful float 35 feet and under.

Historic landmarks
These Torrance landmarks are on the National Register of Historic Places:
 * Main Building (Torrance High School) – Mediterranean Revival architecture, 1917 and 1921
 * Original Science Building – Current Home Economics Building (Torrance High School)
 * Auditorium (Torrance High School) – Streamline Moderne, 1938
 * Torrance Elementary School – Current High School Annex – Mediterranean Revival
 * Pacific Electric Railroad Bridge – designed by Irving Gill, 1913

City parks

The Torrance City Parks Department directs and maintains the thirty Torrance City Parks. They include:
 * Wilson Park – the 44 acre park has picnic and sports facilities, including a gymnasium, skatepark, and roller-hockey rink. Wilson Park also hosts the Torrance Farmers Market.
 * The Southern California Live Steamers Miniature Railroad is located at the Southeast corner of Charles H. Wilson Park. Free train rides on actual miniature live steam trains are given on the first Sunday and third Saturday of each month and the 4th of July. SCLS was one of the first live steam clubs in California started in 1946 with original members like Walt Disney, Olie Johnston and Ward Kimball all of Disney fame. The club moved to Torrance in 1986 after leaving the Lomita Railway Museum property.
 * Madrona Marsh Wildlife Preserve & Nature Center – a rare Southern California wetlands habitat with higher Coastal sage community native plants areas, wildlife and birdwatching, and a Nature center with natural gardens classes.
 * Columbia Park – the large recreational urban regional park has picnic areas, field sports facilities, walking paths, jogging trails, and a competitive cross country running racecourse. The cherry blossom tree grove, part of Living Tree Dedication program, is in Columbia Park.
 * Torrance Smart Gardening Center – Columbia Park features a Community Garden providing planting beds and "community" for residents. It is one of twelve county-operated Smart Gardening Centers around the region. Columbia Park additionally serves as home to the Home Garden Learning Center, and is a backyard composting demonstration center provided by Los Angeles County.
 * Living Tribute Trees park program – The Torrance Parks Living Dedication Tree Program is coordinated and by the city, so that families, individuals, and groups can sponsor the planting of a new tree in the park to honor a person or commemorate an event with a living tribute Tree Dedication.
 * Torrance Beach Park, and the beach along the Pacific Coast of Torrance, known as "RAT Beach".
 * Marvin Braude Bike Trail (The Strand), a paved bicycle path that runs mostly along the Pacific Ocean shoreline in Los Angeles County, ends there.

Local government
The City of Torrance is a charter city. The original city charter was voted on and ratified by the qualified electors at an election held August 20, 1946, and filed with the Secretary of State January 7, 1947. The elective officers of the city are the mayor, six members of the City Council, five members of the Board of Education, the City Clerk and the City Treasurer.

Using the council-manager form of government, the City Council, as the elected body, adopts legislation, sets policy, adjudicates issues, and establishes the budget of the city. The City Council appoints the City Manager and the City Attorney. The city has 13 appointed boards and commissions which advise the council on matters of concern to local residents, such as the city airport, arts, parks, and libraries.

State and federal representation
In the California State Senate, Torrance is split between, and. In the California State Assembly, it is in.

In the United States House of Representatives, Torrance is split between, and.

Postal service
The United States Postal Service operates the Torrance Post Office at 2510 Monterey Street, the Marcelina Post Office at 1433 Marcelina Avenue, the Walteria Post Office at 4216 Pacific Coast Highway, the North Torrance Post Office at 18080 Crenshaw Boulevard, and the Del Amo Post Office at 291 Del Amo Fashion Square. Zip codes 90277, 90501, 90503, 90504, 90505.

Healthcare
There are two major hospitals in Torrance: Torrance Memorial Medical Center and Little Company of Mary Hospital. A third hospital, Los Angeles County Department of Health Services Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, lies just outside the city limits (in unincorporated West Carson).

The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services operates the Torrance Health Center in Harbor Gateway, Los Angeles.

Fire

 * Torrance Fire Department staffs seven Engine Companies, five Paramedic Rescue Squads, and two Truck Companies. The department operates out of six Fire Stations providing Fire and EMS coverage for the City and Mutual Aid to the surrounding communities. Torrance Memorial Medical Center, Little Company of Mary Hospital, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Kaiser Hospital-South Bay, and Memorial Hospital of Gardena are receiving hospitals for residents in Torrance who call 911 for medical assistance. The department is a Class 1 rated Fire Department, the Fire Chief is Martin Serna. Ambulance transportation is provided through McCormick Ambulance.

Police

 * Torrance Police Department provides 24-hour law enforcement coverage to the city. The department is broken down into four major divisions, each with its own subdivisions. The department has one main station located at the Civic Center near City Hall. It houses the administrative offices, the city jail, and the public safety dispatch center. The department works closely with other local law enforcement agencies for training and SWAT operations. The police chief is Jeremiah Hart.
 * Torrance operates its own 911 dispatch center located at the police station, and is responsible for all 911 calls originating in Torrance. The communications center answers emergency and non-emergency calls and requests for assistance in addition to dispatching for both the Fire and Police Departments.

Public library
The City of Torrance operates a main library facility (named after former mayor Katy Geissert) in the city Civic Center, plus five branches at locations throughout the city.

Transportation
Zamperini Field (IATA: TOA ICAO: KTOA) is a general aviation airport. Commercial airlines service is within 15 minutes at Los Angeles International Airport and Long Beach Airport.

Highways and freeways in the region include I-110, I-405, SR 91, SR 107, and SR 1. The city is served by Torrance Transit, LACMTA Metro bus, and LADOT services.

Rail
Union Pacific currently operates what is left of the Pacific Electric's San Pedro via Gardena Line and Torrance Loop Line both built in 1911 (passenger service was provided until 1940, afterwards only the Torrance shop train was operated for employees). The Pacific Electric Torrance Shops were completed in 1918 and closed in 1955 two years after all passenger service was taken over by Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority. Freight operations were taken over by PE's parent company, Southern Pacific, in 1965. SP was merged into UP in 1996.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro) plans to complete the C Line Extension of their Metro Rail system from Redondo Beach sometime between 2030 and 2033, though there are plans to accelerate the project as part of the Twenty-eight by '28 initiative so it can be done by the 2028 Olympics.

Freight to Torrance is served by BNSF and Union Pacific. BNSF operates on the former Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Harbor Subdivision line originally built in the 1920s. AT&SF was merged with Burlington Northern in 1996 to form BNSF.

Proposed metro expansion
There have been proposals to expand the LA Metro to Torrance, but these proposals have faced opposition by Torrance politicians. In 2023, members of the Torrance City Council, Aurelio Mattucci and Jon Kaji, sought to block the expansion, arguing that the Metro would bring crime and homelessness to Torrance.

Public schools
Torrance Unified School District (TUSD) was established in 1947 and unified in 1948. The district comprises the City of Torrance, bordered by the Palos Verdes Peninsula on the south, the cities of Redondo Beach and Gardena on the north, the City of Los Angeles (Harbor Gateway) on the east and the Pacific Ocean on the west. The district's jurisdiction covers approximately 21 sqmi, and it operates 17 elementary schools, eight middle schools, five high schools (one of which is a continuation school), three adult education centers, and a child development center.

The Torrance Unified School District's five high schools are:
 * Torrance High School
 * North High School
 * South High School
 * West High School
 * Kurt Shery High School (continuation)

The Torrance Unified School District's eight middle schools are:
 * Calle Mayor Middle School
 * Casimir Middle School
 * Bert Lynn Middle School
 * J.H. Hull Middle School
 * Jefferson Middle School
 * Madrona Middle School
 * Philip Magruder Middle School
 * Richardson Middle School

The Torrance Unified School District's 17 elementary schools are: Area districts have created the Southern California Regional Occupational Center (SCROC) to teach technical classes to their students and to local adults. TUSD is a participant feeder district of the California Academy of Mathematics and Science or CAMS, a mathematics and science magnet high school, administered by the Long Beach Unified School District.
 * Hickory Elementary School
 * John Adams Elementary School
 * Torrance Elementary School
 * Howard Wood Elementary School
 * Anza Elementary School
 * Arlington Elementary School
 * Arnold Elementary School
 * Carr Elementary School
 * Yukon Elementary School
 * Walteria Elementary School
 * Riviera Elementary School
 * Towers Elementary School
 * Fern Elementary School
 * Edison Elementary School
 * Lincoln Elementary School
 * Seaside Elementary School
 * Victor Elementary School

Private schools
Torrance also has several private schools. Catholic schools under the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles include Bishop Montgomery High School, Nativity Catholic School, St James Catholic School and St Catherine Laboure Catholic School. Protestant private schools include Ascension Lutheran School and First Lutheran School.

In 1980 the Lycée Français de Los Angeles bought the 6.2 acre former Parkway School property, located in the Hollywood Riviera section of Torrance, from TUSD. This property became the Lycee's Torrance campus, and as of February 1990 the campus had 100 students. In November 1989 the Lycee sold the property for $2.65 million to Manhattan Holding Co. and scheduled to transfer the students to its West Los Angeles campuses. As of February 1990 neighbors of the campus site were asking the City of Torrance to not modify the zoning of this property. The Lycee stated that the campus closed due to low enrollment.

At one time, Coast Christian Schools (now Valor Christian Academy) maintained a high school campus in Torrance.

Colleges and universities
Torrance is in the El Camino Community College District. The campus El Camino College is mostly outside the city limits in unincorporated Alondra Park, while a portion is in the Torrance City limits. El Camino College was founded in 1947, and the campus covers 126 acre. As of 2011, the college enrolls over 25,000 students each semester.

Miscellaneous education
In 1980, Asahi Gakuen, a weekend Japanese-language education institution, began renting space in South Torrance High School. The weekend school continues to use the high school for its Torrance Campus (トーランス校 Tōransu-kō). Asahi Gakuen has its administrative offices in Harbor Gateway, near Torrance.

Media
The Los Angeles Times is the metropolitan area's newspaper.

The Daily Breeze, a 70,000-circulation daily newspaper, is published in Torrance. It serves the South Bay cities of Los Angeles County. Its slogan is "LAX to LA Harbor". Herald Publications, media group started the Torrance Tribune, a community newspaper, which was started November 2010, it has a distribution of 15,000 newspapers to single-family homes and businesses in the City of Torrance.

Torrance CitiCABLE, shown on KNET 25.2, Spectrum 3, Frontier FiOS 31 is the government access channel. Programming includes news, sports, entertainment, information, public affairs, and city council meetings.

Notable people

 * Albert Isen, first directly elected mayor
 * Jason "Wee-Man" Acuña, TV host and actor
 * Guillermo "Memo" Arzate, former professional soccer player
 * Bela Bajaria, Netflix Chief Content Officer, Time 100 Most Influential People (2022); attended Torrance High
 * Brian Bonsall, actor in Blank Check (1994 Disney film)
 * Jonathan Bornstein (born 1984), soccer left back/midfielder (Chicago Fire FC and national team)
 * John Butler, leader of the John Butler Trio
 * Brandon Call, actor on Step by Step
 * Larry Carlton, guitarist
 * John Chiang, California State Controller
 * Kraig Chiles, professional soccer player for the San Diego Sockers
 * Roger Clinton, half-brother of President Bill Clinton
 * Chase d'Arnaud, former Major League Baseball player
 * Peter Daut, news anchor, KCBS-TV
 * Rosemary Decamp, actress
 * Chris Demaria, former MLB pitcher for the Royals and Brewers
 * Bo Derek, actress
 * Michael Dudikoff, actor
 * Bobby East, NASCAR driver
 * Ryan Ellis, NASCAR driver
 * Whitney Engen, player for the United States women's national soccer team
 * Carla Esparza, mixed martial artist; former UFC strawweight champion
 * Kellen Goff, voice actor
 * Ben Going, YouTube celebrity
 * Tony Gonzalez, retired tight end for the Atlanta Falcons; 11-time Pro Bowl selection
 * Rorion Gracie & Royce Gracie, mixed martial arts practitioners and UFC fighters
 * Bart Johnson, retired MLB pitcher
 * Parnelli Jones, USAC driver and his son, P. J. Jones, IRL driver
 * Spike Jonze, director, producer, screenwriter and actor; part owner of skateboard company Girl Skateboards
 * Fred Kendall, former MLB catcher and manager
 * Jason Kendall, former MLB catcher
 * Dave Kerman, drummer
 * Chloe Kim, professional snowboarder, 2018 Winter Olympics gold medalist
 * Kevin Kim, professional tennis player
 * Jennifer Kita, Angel/Lil Angel of the Harajuku Girls
 * Alix Klineman (born 1989), volleyball player
 * Scott Kolden, actor
 * Michelle Kwan, 5-time world figure skating champion and Olympian
 * Dave LaRoche, former MLB pitcher; father of MLB players Adam LaRoche and Andy LaRoche
 * Jennifer Lee (TOKiMONSTA), electronic music producer and DJ
 * Ted Lieu, Democratic Party, U.S. Representative for California's 33rd congressional district
 * Ted Lilly, retired MLB starting pitcher
 * Jeremy Lin, professional basketball player
 * Nancy Lopez, Hall of Fame professional golfer
 * Joyce Manor, emo/punk band
 * Brandon Manumaleuna, NFL tight end for the Chicago Bears
 * Rami Malek, actor
 * Antonio Margarito, Mexican-American professional boxer
 * Francisco Mendoza, MLS player
 * Alyson and Amanda Michalka (Aly & AJ), singers and actresses
 * Justin Miller, MLB pitcher
 * Ethan Moreau, former Los Angeles Kings hockey player
 * Lisa Moretti, WWE's "Ivory"
 * Chad Morton, NFL player
 * Johnnie Morton, former NFL player
 * Paul Moyer, television news broadcaster
 * George Nakano, California politician
 * Don Newcombe, former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher; first winner of Rookie of the Year, MVP, and Cy Young awards
 * Steve Nguyen, director, producer, and screenwriter
 * Chuck Norris, karate expert and actor; raised in Torrance; opened his first dojo in Torrance
 * Amy Okuda, actress
 * Brian Ortega, mixed martial artist
 * the Pedregon family, professional drag racers Frank Sr., Cruz, Frank Jr., and Tony
 * Greg Popovich, founder and owner of Castle Rock Winery
 * Jolene Purdy, actress, best known for role in Under the Dome as Dodee
 * Daryl Sabara & Evan Sabara, actors (Spy Kids and Keeping Up with the Steins)
 * Adán Sánchez, Mexican-American corrido singer
 * Steve Sarkisian, Current head football coach at the University of Texas at Austin
 * Sigi Schmid, LA Galaxy head coach
 * Skip Schumaker, MLB outfielder
 * Justin Shenkarow, actor
 * Bud Smith, retired MLB player; threw no-hitter in his rookie season (2001)
 * Snoop Dogg, rapper, actor; owns mansion in Hollywood Riviera neighborhood
 * Joe Stevenson, mixed martial arts practitioner and UFC fighter
 * Jack Stewart, soccer player, Carolina RailHawks in USL-1
 * Royle Stillman, MLB outfielder
 * William Suff, serial killer
 * Quentin Tarantino, filmmaker
 * Ron Taylor, film and television actor, pro basketball player (ABA and Austrian League)
 * Tyrone Taylor, center fielder for the New York Mets
 * Deon Thompson, North Carolina Tar Heels basketball player
 * Connor Tingley, artist
 * Billy Traber, Major League Baseball pitcher
 * Tiffany van Soest, kickboxer
 * Janeene Vickers, 1992 Barcelona Olympics medalist
 * Chauncey Washington, former NFL running back
 * Glen Walker, NFL player
 * J. Warner Wallace, homicide detective and Christian apologist
 * David Wells, former MLB pitcher
 * Paul Westphal, NBA player and former head coach
 * Ryan Wheeler, MLB third baseman
 * Denzel Whitaker, actor
 * John White, CFL player
 * Steven Wright, starting pitcher for Boston Red Sox
 * Louis Zamperini, 1936 Olympic track star, World War II veteran, author, speaker; subject of Unbroken
 * Latrice Royale, drag queen; best known for competing on the fourth season of RuPaul's Drag Race and the fourth season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars

Sister cities
In 1973, Torrance established a sister-city relationship with Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan, as part of the Sister Cities International program. Since then, citizens of Torrance have regularly engaged in cultural exchange with Kashiwa through the guidance of the Torrance Sister City Association, which facilitates a Japanese cultural festival, a yearly student exchange program, and contact between officials of the two cities. North High is the official sister high school of Kashiwa Municipal High. Torrance has also a sister-city relationship with Konya, Türkiye since 1958.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Torrance, California


text:
Val Verde, California

Val Verde (Spanish for "Green Valley") is an unincorporated community in the southeastern Topatopa Mountains foothills, and in northwestern Los Angeles County, California. The unincorporated community of Valencia (Newhall Ranch) is southeast, and the city of Santa Clarita is east of the community. Its population was 2,468 at the 2010 census, up from 1,472 at the 2000 census. For statistical purposes the Census Bureau has defined Val Verde as a census-designated place (CDP).

Geography
Val Verde is located in the San Martinez Chiquito Canyon in the southeastern foothills of the Topatopa Mountains at an elevation ranging from 1,250-1,400 ft. The canyon contains a creek with runs intermittently through the community. It is about 50 miles northwest of the county seat in downtown Los Angeles and west of the community of Valencia and city of Santa Clarita.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP boundary has a total area of 1641.81 acre, all of it land.

Vegetation
The area is a coastal sage scrub and chaparral habitat. The area is surrounded by mature trees, including native Coast Live Oaks and California Sycamores, as well as introduced trees that were planted in Val Verde Park like River She-Oak, Deodar Cedar, Silk Oak, and Ash.

History
The area of modern-day Val Verde was part of the territory of the Tataviam people who had migrated to the region before the mid-5th century AD. One of the nearest settlements to the Val Verde area was called Chaguibit, located to the east of the confluence of the Santa Clara River and Castaic Creek.

Spanish and Mexican era
Spanish colonization of the region began in the late 1700s. With the establishment of the San Fernando Rey de España Mission in 1797, the native populations around this mission, named fernandeños by the Spanish, were relocated from their ancestral settlements, referred to as rancherías, to the mission where they were coerced into conversion and forced labor with the purpose of Christianization and assimilation. By 1810, nearly the entire Tataviam population had been displaced to the mission lands and baptized under the Spanish mission system. In 1804, the Santa Clarita Valley began to be used by the Spanish when the missionaries established the San Francisco Xavier Estancia near the Santa Clara and Castaic confluence to supplement agricultural and livestock production for the San Fernando Mission using native labor.

Following the independence of Mexico, the missions went through a process of secularization and mission lands were inventoried and sold off by the government as ranchos; the lands were supposed to be returned to the natives who had belonged to the missions, but this principle was not followed. The former estancia lands were sold as Rancho San Francisco by California governor Juan Bautista Alvarado to his friend lieutenant Antonio del Valle on January 22, 1839. The northern boundaries of this rancho ran along the north bank of the Santa Clara River up to an area near the current intersection of Chiquito Canyon Road and Henry Mayo Drive and up along the mountains east of Val Verde.

In 1842 Francisco López, a relative of Del Valle, found gold in Placerita Canyon, leading to a small local gold rush in which Mexican settlers, many of them from Sonora, came to the rancho to mine gold. The original settlement of Val Verde was a short-lived boom town built by colonial Mexican settlers. During the Mexican–American War, Del Valle destroyed the mine to prevent the United States from gaining its control.

The rancho stayed in the Del Valle family through the occupation and annexation of Alta California by the United States until 1862 when economic strife caused by floods and droughts forced him to sell most of the land to speculators, eventually ending up in the hands of Henry Newhall.

Val Verde Ranch
By the early 1900s, the Janes family owned the 10,200-acre Val Verde Ranch where the modern settlement is located. Laura C. Janes, a wealthy white woman from Pasadena, opened her ranch to African Americans in the 1910s in response to the discrimination they faced which excluded them from public recreational facilities and prevented them from owning and developing property in certain areas. Under these conditions of segregation and discrimination, a group of prominent members of the African American community in Los Angeles searched for locations to create a place of recreation for their families. The group was led by real estate entrepreneur Sidney Preston Dones and other investors like Norman O. Houston, Charlotta Bass, and Hattie S. Baldwin. The group ended up connecting with Laura C. Janes.

Eureka Villa and Val Verde
In 1924, the modern settlement was founded by Sidney P. Dones and his group of investors. It was named Eureka Villa. That settlement was designed as a resort community for African Americans, as in that period, African Americans were frequently barred from public beaches and swimming pools. The town became known as the "Black Palm Springs". By the 1930s, the area was wildly popular, mainly because it was one of only a few places blacks could go for recreation.

Other Southern California destinations included Lake Elsinore reservoir in Riverside County, a section of Venice Beach, Bruce's Beach in the South Bay, and a park in Pasadena only open to blacks one day a year.

Two land tracts were being sold, one was the Eureka Villa Tract and the other was the Val Verde Tract. Eureka Villa was the land running north-south along the east side of Chiquito Canyon Road while Val Verde covered the east-west area of land. Newspaper promotions focused on Black Angelenos and encouraged them to invest in these properties to build vacation homes. 50 feet by 80 feet and larger sites were offered starting at $75, including the full deed and title and a paid lifetime membership to the community club. Eventually, Dones and his group along with Janes discontinued their management of sales for the Val Verde Tract, focusing only on Eureka Villa and Harry M. Waterman, another white landowner who was instrumental in the development and management of the lots, took charge of Val Verde.

In 1927, a 53-acre property was donated to the county by white landowners led by Harry M. Waterman which later became Val Verde Park. By this time, the area was known simply as Val Verde and Waterman continued to be an important developer of the community. Cafés, restaurants, and nightclubs were opened along with motels, lodges, and campgrounds. Entertainers like Ella Fitzgerald and Lena Horne made appearances in the town.

By 1939, prices for the lots ranged from $99 to $400 and more than fifty homes had been built. The park continued to be the site of gatherings. In 1939, the cornerstone for the Olympic swimming pool was laid in a ceremony attended by the community and thousands of others and presided over by actress Hattie McDaniel. The 1994 Northridge earthquake damaged the original pool. Advertising for the area continued in the 1940s. Leon Perdue began to serve as Val Verde Park's director in 1942, becoming the first African American to have this permanent position for the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation. Perdue worked with the Chamber of Commerce to orchestrate various programs including the Bathing Beauty Pageant, the Musclemen Shows, Fourth of July Dances, Christmas programs among others. In 1945 William S. Hart High School was built and students no longer had to travel 20 miles to San Fernando High School as they had to before. Elementary school-aged kids traveled to Castaic Elementary.

In the 1950s and 60s, the main employers in the community were Thatcher Glass in Saugus, Burmite Powder Company, and Kaiser Manufacturing. African Americans continued to compose the majority of the population in the 50s. A Baptist church opened in 1953 which is now the Castaic Community African Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1951, the Val Verde Improvement Association initiated a water and lighting district to improve the poor water supply system in the community.

The Val Verde Chamber of Commerce appointed Marguerite Carr as president in 1960 after James Barksdale resigned due to declining health. She had promoted the park's first Goodwill Relationship Day to bring together members of different racial groups in the area starting in 1952. She was instrumental in the establishment of a post office branch in the community in June 1956.

Despite the community having been built as a safe-haven for African Americans, residents still faced difficulties. In 1964, a home owned by Frank D. Godden, an African American World War II veteran and community developer, was burned down by members of the Klan who had a "nucleus" in the area at that time.

Post-1960s
With the advent of civil-rights reforms in the 1960s and the unenforceability of racial covenants, many African Americans moved out of the area for larger areas from which they were previously segregated. Farm workers from nearby agricultural areas began to move to the area. The town now has a large percentage of Latinos and Whites.

By the 1970's the population was nearing 500. In 1973, 126 new homes were built. In November 1971, the California Institute of the Arts established their Valencia campus and instructors and alumni moved to the area. In the 1980s, the total population had risen to between 600 and 1,000 people with 10% to 15% being white. The area began to decline as vacation homes that weren't intended to be permanent became dilapidated. In 1980, city officials reported that half of the houses were deemed sub-standard. Many of the dwellings were rented out.

In the early 1990s the Chiquito Canyon Landfill, which had been constructed near the community in 1971, faced resistance as its expansion was sought. As part of negotiations, the Landfill provides the community with funds for scholarship programs.

The 1994 Northridge earthquake wreaked tremendous havoc on the town, damaging most of the original structures. The original pool was damaged and has since been repaired and shortened. The pool is part of the Los Angeles County Park system. It opens late spring until early fall. Day and evening swimming sessions occur daily.

In 2011, Verizon Wireless attempted to build a 30,000 watt, 12-panel antenna array cell site in Val Verde, less than 50 ft from an adjacent residence. Verizon Wireless and its contractor claimed that the main reason for the cell site was for community of Val Verde, but inquiries were made and the cell site is designed to fill coverage holes in the adjacent Valencia Commerce Center industrial park, Hasley Hills housing tract, and for future developments outside of Val Verde. Local residents banded together and protested the cell site, claiming that big business was trying to run rampant over the little community of Val Verde. As of early 2013, Verizon Wireless has not built the cell tower, and has decided to build the tower on a hillside away from homes.

On May 16, 2017, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department seized 7,000 cockfighting birds at a ranch on Jackson Street in Val Verde. Although 2,700 birds had been seized from the same location in 2007, the 2017 raid was the "largest cockfighting bust in U.S. history" according to The Los Angeles Times, while the sheriff department said it was, "one of the largest seizures of flying fowl used for illegal cockfighting and (for) breeding for illegal cockfighting purposes." However, the owner was not arrested.

2020
At the 2020 census Val Verde had a total population of 2,399 and a population density of 935.1630213 PD/sqmi. The median age was 35.8 years.

The makeup of racial identification was: 819 (34.1%) White with 627 (26.1%) Non-Hispanic; 73 (3%) African American; 42 (1.8%) Native American; 70 (2.9%) Asian; 4 (0.2%) Pacific Islander. 892 (37.2%) identified as some other race and 499 (20.8%) identified with two or more races. 1,549 (64.6%) identified as Hispanic or Latino.

100% of the population lived in households, none lived in either institutionalized or non-institutionalized group quarters. The makeup of housing relationships was 723 (30.1%) householders; 358 (14.9%) opposite-sex spouses and 5 (0.2%) same-sex spouses; 44 (1.8%) opposite-sex unmarried partners and 2 (0.1%) same-sex unmarried partners; 805 (33.6%) children under 18; 109 (4.5) grandchildren; 234 (9.8) other relatives and 119 (5%) nonrelatives.

There were 689 households with the makeup of householders being: 401 (58.2%) married couples with 178 (25.8%) living with their own children (under 18 y/o); 38 (5.5%) cohabiting couples with 20 (2.9%) living with their own children (under 18 y/o); 130 (18.9%) single males, with 70 (3.3%) being 65 years and over and living alone, and 16 (2.3%) living with their own children (under 18 y/o); 120 (17.4%) single females, with 16 (2.3%) being 65 years and over and living alone, and 15 (2.2%) living with their own children (under 18 y/o). 262 (38%) households had individuals under 18 years old and 190 (27.6%) had individuals 65 years and over.

There were 719 total housing units, 689 (95.8%) of which were occupied, leaving 30 (4.2%) vacant. Of the occupied housing units, 590 (85.6%) were occupied by homeowners and 99 (14.4%) were occupied by renters.

2010
At the 2010 census Val Verde had a population of 2,468. The population density was 962.1 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Val Verde was 1,404 (56.9%) White (29.9% Non-Hispanic White), 105 (4.3%) African American, 26 (1.1%) Native American, 48 (1.9%) Asian, 1 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 732 (29.7%) from other races, and 152 (6.2%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1,507 persons (61.1%).

The census reported that 2,466 people (99.9% of the population) lived in households, 2 (0.1%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and no one was institutionalized.

Of the 671 households, 331 (49.3%) had children under 18 living in them, 404 (60.2%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 87 (13.0%) had a female householder with no husband present, and 43 (6.4%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 37 (5.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 1 (0.1%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 90 households (13.4%) were one person and 22 (3.3%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 3.68. There were 534 families (79.6% of households); the average family size was 4.00.

The age distribution was 706 people (28.6%) under 18, 288 people (11.7%) aged 18 to 24, 726 people (29.4%) aged 25 to 44, 624 people (25.3%) aged 45 to 64, and 124 people (5.0%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 31.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.1 males.

There were 715 housing units at an average density of 278.7 per square mile, of the occupied units 521 (77.6%) were owner-occupied and 150 (22.4%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.2%; the rental vacancy rate was 2.6%. 1,873 people (75.9% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 593 people (24.0%) lived in rental housing units.

According to the 2010 United States Census, Val Verde had a median household income of $58,971, with 18.6% of the population living below the federal poverty line.

2000
At the 2000 census there were 1,472 people, 424 households, and 318 families in the CDP. The population density was 4,428.8 PD/sqmi. There were 444 housing units at an average density of 1,335.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 55.98% White, 4.28% African American, 0.68% Native American, 1.63% Asian, 0.20% Pacific Islander, 33.22% from other races, and 4.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 51.63%.

Of the 424 households, 50.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.3% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.0% were not families. About 16.0% of households were one person, and 2.1% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.47, and the average family size was 3.89.

The age distribution was 33.4% under the age of 18, 12.4% from 18 to 24, 36.0% from 25 to 44, 15.0% from 45 to 64, and 3.2% 65 or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.2 males.

The median household income was $52,593 and the median family income was $53,843. Males had a median income of $30,583 versus $24,861 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $15,626. About 3.6% of families and 6.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 37.1% of those age 65 or over.

Religion
As of 2021, there are two churches in the community, the Castaic Community African Methodist Episcopal Church and the Macedonia Church of God in Christ.

Economy
Val Verde has one convenience store in the community. There is also a rustic ranch with cottages for vacation rentals, a family farm which produces organic produce and the 250-acre SilverStrand movie ranch.

Government
In the California State Legislature, Val Verde is in, and in.

In the United States House of Representatives, Val Verde is in.

Val Verde has a civic association of volunteers, the Val Verde Civic Association (VVCA), which is the liaison between the LA County 5th District Supervisor, community leaders and the residents. The VVCA is a 501(c)(4) non-profit corporation and has an elected six-member board of directors with up to three appointed Associate Board Members. Monthly meetings are held on the second Thursday of every month at 7 pm in the community clubhouse. Guest speakers give presentations to the community regarding issues from fire safety, CERT, Department of Public Works, Deputies from the Supervisor's office and the Sheriff's office, CHP updates and the Waterworks District. Residents have the opportunity to learn about the community and to voice their opinions.

Chiquita Canyon provided its 2015 annual grant of over $350,000 to the Val Verde Community Benefits Funding Committee (CBFC) as part of its 1997 Agreement with Val Verde. The Val Verde community has received funds from Chiquita for over 15 years. The CBFC provides funding from the landfill to support after-school programs, tutoring, scholarships, bus passes, groceries for needy families, youth sports programs, etc. all for Val Verde residents.

Val Verde has two seats on the Castaic Area Town Council (CATC). The CATC is the liaison between the LA County 5th District Supervisor, community leaders and the residents of the 5 areas of Castaic. The CATC holds a meeting every third Wednesday of the month at 6:30 pm at the Castaic School District Office. Residents are invited to attend the meeting, as local officials make presentations to the Board and the audience.

Infrastructure
Vehicular access to the community from two points in the north and south on paved two-lane roads. The Chiquito Canyon Road branches off from State Route 126, here named Henry Mayo Drive, and enters the community from the south; from the north, Del Valle Road branches off from Hasley Canyon Road to enter the community. Other than these public roads, there are dirt mountain roads that give emergency access to the surrounding mountains. The majority of public residential roads are paved; there are no paved sidewalks in the semi-rural community. The main east-west thoroughfare is San Martinez Road.

The City of Santa Clarita Transit service operates route 2 which runs through from the McBean Regional Transit Center in Santa Clarita, with four stops on Chiquito Canyon Road, three on San Martinez Road including one in Val Verde Park, and one on Del Valle Road.

Home construction ranges from wood-frame with stucco facades to large multi-bedroom houses.

Residents use septic tanks for their sewage, discouraging development.

title: Val Verde, California


text:
Valinda, California

Valinda is a census-designated place (CDP) in the San Gabriel Valley, in Los Angeles County, California, in the United States. At the 2010 census, the population was 22,822, up from 21,776 at the 2000 census.

Geography
Valinda is located at 34.03778°N, -117.92889°W (34.037760, -117.928939).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 2.0 sqmi, all land.

2010
At the 2010 census Valinda had a population of 22,822. The population density was 11,330.9 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Valinda was 11,058 (48.5%) White (7.0% Non-Hispanic White), 439 (1.9%) African American, 240 (1.1%) Native American, 2,718 (11.9%) Asian, 42 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 7,530 (33.0%) from other races, and 795 (3.5%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17,977 persons (78.8%).

The census reported that 22,733 people (99.6% of the population) lived in households, 83 (0.4%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 6 (0%) were institutionalized.

There were 4,927 households, 2,852 (57.9%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 3,100 (62.9%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 814 (16.5%) had a female householder with no husband present, 479 (9.7%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 243 (4.9%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 31 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 375 households (7.6%) were one person and 183 (3.7%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 4.61. There were 4,393 families (89.2% of households); the average family size was 4.63.

The age distribution was 6,672 people (29.2%) under the age of 18, 2,651 people (11.6%) aged 18 to 24, 6,320 people (27.7%) aged 25 to 44, 5,191 people (22.7%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,988 people (8.7%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 31.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.1 males.

There were 5,071 housing units at an average density of 2,517.7 per square mile, of the occupied units 3,755 (76.2%) were owner-occupied and 1,172 (23.8%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.9%; the rental vacancy rate was 3.3%. 17,054 people (74.7% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 5,679 people (24.9%) lived in rental housing units.

According to the 2010 United States Census, Valinda had a median household income of $66,727, with 11.1% of the population living below the federal poverty line.

2000
At the 2000 census there were 21,776 people, 4,753 households, and 4,258 families in the CDP. The population density was 10,830.8 PD/sqmi. There were 4,851 housing units at an average density of 2,412.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 40.47% White, 2.46% African American, 1.18% Native American, 9.42% Asian, 0.19% Pacific Islander, 41.08% from other races, and 5.19% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 74.72%.

Of the 4,753 households 52.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.3% were married couples living together, 15.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 10.4% were non-families. 7.1% of households were one person and 3.3% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 4.57 and the average family size was 4.64.

The age distribution was 34.3% under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 17.8% from 45 to 64, and 7.0% 65 or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.1 males.

The median household income was $49,578 and the median family income was $49,653. Males had a median income of $28,388 versus $25,330 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $12,949. About 10.5% of families and 12.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.0% of those under age 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or over.

Government and infrastructure
In the state legislature Valinda is located in the 24th Senate District, represented by Democrat Gloria Romero, and in the 57th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Edward P. Hernandez. Federally, Valinda is located in California's California's 32nd congressional district, which is represented by Democrat Grace Napolitano.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department operates the Industry Station in the City of Industry, serving Valinda.

The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services operates the Pomona Health Center in Pomona, serving Valinda.

Education
The majority of the CDP is served by the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District while a portion of Northern Valinda is served by the West Covina Unified School District.

title: Valinda, California