Lawndale is a city in
Los Angeles CountyLos Angeles County is a county in California and is by far the most populous county in the United States. Figures from the U.S. Census Bureau give an estimated 2008 population of 9,862,049 residents, while the California State government's population bureau lists a January 1, 2009, estimate of...
,
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 31,711 according to the 2000 census.
History
From the 1780s onward, the area that is now Lawndale was part of the
Rancho Sausal RedondoRancho Sausal Redondo was a Mexican land grant in present day Los Angeles County, California given in 1837 to Antonio Ygnacio Avila by Juan Alvarado Governor of Alta California. The Spanish words, Rancho Sausal Redondo, mean a large circular ranch of pasture with a grove of willows on it...
, a
land grantA land grant is a gift of real estate - land or privileges - made by a government or other authority as a reward for services to an individual, especially as rewards for military service...
given by the
SpanishSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
colonial government that includes much of what is now the
South BayThe South Bay is a region of the southwest peninsula of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The name stems from its geographic features stretching along the southern shores of Santa Monica Bay which forms its western border.The picture at right uses the broadest definition of the...
region. In 1905 Charles B. Hopper first subdivided the area and named it after a
ChicagoChicago is the largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois, and with more than 2.8 million people, the 3rd largest city in the United States...
suburb. Lots sold slowly and different promotions were tried such as promoting Lawndale as a chicken raising area. The first railway to run through Lawndale was the Inglewood Division of the Redondo Railway which would later become part of the Pacific Electric "Red Car" system. It ran down the middle of Railway Ave. (now Hawthorne Blvd.) until 1933. In 1927 the
Santa FeThe Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The company was first chartered in February 1859...
railroad arrived. After
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the immense demand for housing from returning veterans and California newcomers resulted in Lawndale's formation as a bedroom community. In December 28, 1959 it was incorporated as a city in Los Angeles county.
Starting in the 1970s Lawndale's relatively low housing prices but less desirable location relative to its neighboring cities attracted
absentee landlordAbsentee landlord is an economic term for a person who owns and rents out a profit-earning property, but does not live within the property's local economic region...
s and a substantial portion of its residents increasingly became renters.
For a time in the 1980s, with new cycle of expansion of
defense industryThe defense industry, also called the military industry, comprises government and commercial industry involved in research, development, production, and service of military equipment and facilities...
nearby, many young people who wished to live in the Beach Cities found that they simply could not afford to do so, and settled in less glamorous inland cities such as Lawndale. But with the contraction of this industry after the
cold warThe Cold War was the continuing state of political conflict, military tension, and economic competition existing after World War II , primarily between the USSR and its satellite states, and the powers of the Western world, including the United States...
, Lawndale reverted back to its previous pattern. Lawndale has attempted to attract more owner–residents, as well as tourists with the 2003 completion of the "Beautify Lawndale"
urban renewalUrban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of reconstruction...
project along the city's stretch of Hawthorne Boulevard (State Route 107), a major
South BayThe South Bay is a region of the southwest peninsula of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The name stems from its geographic features stretching along the southern shores of Santa Monica Bay which forms its western border.The picture at right uses the broadest definition of the...
thoroughfare.
A large electronic billboard was installed and began running advertising in 2004 until it was realized that the sign violated a city ordinance prohibiting advertising of out-of-town businesses on signs of that nature. For its first 18 months the sign was sponsored by Fox and promoted upcoming television shows and movies under the Fox label. It also later gained and lost a sponsorship with Acura before its current sponsorship for Los Angeles radio station 100.3 - The Sound. The billboard is said to generate Lawndale $200,000 annually.
Lawndale Community Television
Lawndale Community Cable Television is on Channel 22. The City of Lawndale's Cable Television Department is funded by the Lawndale Cable Usage Corporation and the City of Lawndale through Local Access Fees and Franchise Fees provided by the local cable company, Time Warner Cable. The Lawndale Cable Usage Corporation is the non-profit, California corporation that receives these fees, and provides for the development of Lawndale Community Cable Television.
The Lawndalian
The Lawndalian a city wide news letter that informs the residents of Lawndale about programs and events happening in the city of Lawndale. The Lawndalian is now available Online at the city's website.
Government and infrastructure
The
United States Postal ServiceThe United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States. It is one of the few government agencies explicitly authorized by the United States Constitution. Within the United States, it is commonly...
Lawndale Post Office is located at 4320 Marine Avenue.
General Post Office Hours are Monday thru Thursday, 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Education
Lawndale Elementary School DistrictLawndale Elementary School District is a school district headquartered in Lawndale, California, United States.The district serves Lawndale and portions of Hawthorne as well as unincorporated areas in Los Angeles County.-Middle schools:*...
- Will Rogers Middle School serving 6th, 7th and 8th grades
- Jane Addams Middle School
- F.D.R Elementary School
- William Anderson Elementary School
- William Green Elementary School
- Mark Twain Elementary School
- Billy Mitchell Elementary School
- Lucille J. Smith Elementary School
Centinela Valley Union High School DistrictCentinela Valley Union High School District is a school district headquartered in Hawthorne, California, United States. The district operates high schools serving Lawndale, most of Hawthorne, and a portion of El Segundo.- History :...
- Lawndale High School
- Overview :Lawndale High School is one of three high schools in Lawndale, California. This is significant in that Lawndale, California is only 2 square miles of bedroom community is SW Los Angeles County....
- Leuzinger High School
Leuzinger High School is a 9th through 12th grade public high school in Lawndale, California. It is in the Centinela Valley Union High School District....
- Lloyde High School
Environmental Charter High SchoolEnvironmental Charter High School is a 9th through 12th grade public charter high school in Lawndale, California. It is one of the distungished schools in Lawndale and in the Los Angeles County....
is a
charter schoolCharter schools are elementary or secondary schools in the United States that receive public money but have been freed from some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools in exchange for some type of accountability for producing certain results, which are set forth...
in Lawndale.
Geography
Lawndale is located at (33.886764, -118.353556).
According to the
United States Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data. As part of the United States Department of Commerce, the Census Bureau serves as the leading source of quality data about...
, the city has a total area of 5.1 km² (2.0 mi²), all land.
Lawndale is bordered by
Redondo BeachRedondo Beach is one of the three Beach Cities in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 63,261 at the 2000 census. The city is located in the South Bay region of the greater Los Angeles area....
on the West and Southwest,
HawthorneHawthorne is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California. The city in 2000 had a population of 84,112.- History :Hawthorne's first known residents were Indians of the Shoshonian linguistic group, occupying the South Bay, Los Angeles area as early as the 1500s...
on the North,
TorranceTorrance is a city located in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. Torrance's 1.5 miles of attractive beach coastline is less well-known than those of its immediate neighbors to the North, Redondo Beach, or to the South, Palos Verdes Estates...
on the Southeast, and
unincorporated areaIn law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality. To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city or town with its own government. Thus, an unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
of El Camino Village (also known as Alondra Park) on the East.
Since Lawndale is about ten minutes from Manhattan Beach the weather is nice and warm all year long.
Demographics
As of the
censusA "census" is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population.In other words every 10 years...next one would be in 2010 The term is used mostly in connection with...
of 2000, there were 31,711 people, 9,555 households, and 7,022 families residing in the city. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans. It is a key term used in geography....
was 6,183.7/km² (16,036.7/mi²). There were 9,869 housing units at an average density of 1,924.5/km² (4,990.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 42.24% White, 12.61% African American, 0.99% Native American, 9.63% Asian, 0.91% Pacific Islander, 27.07% from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 6.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 52.08% of the population.
There were 9,555 households out of which 45.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.8% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between individuals that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged by a variety of ways, depending on the culture or demographic...
living together, and 26.5% were non-families. 18.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.31 and the average family size was 3.80.
In the city the population was spread out with 31.9% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 35.8% from 25 to 44, 16.4% from 45 to 64, and 5.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 102.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $39,012, and the median income for a family was $37,909. Males had a median income of $29,033 versus $29,025.00 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income means how much each individual receives, in monetary terms, of the yearly income generated in the country. This is what each citizen is to receive if the yearly national income is divided equally among everyone. Per capita income is usually reported in units of currency per year...
for the city was $13,702. About 14.3% of families and 17.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.4% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.
Since Lawndale has a large amount of elderly residents the city uses its resources to help, providing free trips for seniors on the citys bus The Lawndale Beat, the city also provides a meals on wheels program as well as a seniors travel club.
Politics
In the
state legislatureThe California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...
Lawndale is located in the 25th
SenateThe California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 State Senators. The state legislature meets in the state capital, Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
District, represented by Democrat
Edward VincentEdward Vincent was elected to the California State Senate in November, 2000, and represents the 25th Senatorial District which includes Compton, Gardena, Hawthorne, Inglewood, Lawndale, Lynwood, Los Angeles, Long Beach, San Pedro and the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Vincent and his wife Marilyn of 40...
, and in the 51st
AssemblyThe California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
District, represented by Democrat Curren D. Price Jr.. Federally, Lawndale is located in
California's 35th congressional districtCalifornia's 35th congressional district covers part of Los Angeles County. It is one of 53 California Congressional Districts.The congressional district is composed of parts of the Westchester district of the City of Los Angeles, and parts of the cities of Inglewood, Hawthorne, Gardena and...
, which has a
Cook PVIThe Cook Partisan Voting Index , sometimes referred to as simply the Partisan Voting Index , is a measurement of how strongly an American congressional district or state leans toward one political party compared to the nation as a whole...
of D +33 and is represented by Democrat
Maxine WatersMaxine Waters is a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 1991, representing California's 35th congressional district . She resides in the Hancock Park area of Los Angeles, which is approximately six miles west of downtown...
.
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