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Palms is a neighborhood in western Los Angeles. It is bounded by Culver City to the southeast, Rancho Park to the north, West Los Angeles to the northwest, and Mar Vista to the southwest. It is served by the San Diego and Santa Monica freeways, whose intersection forms the northwest corner of the district. The principal thoroughfares are National, Palms, Venice, and Sepulveda Boulevards and Overland and Motor Avenues. The portion of the neighborhood bounded by Overland, Sepulveda, the Santa Monica Freeway, and Charnock Road was developed in the 1930s as Westside Village, and is officially a distinct neighborhood, but is generally considered to be a part of Palms.
Palms is largely residential and lacks a centralized commercial district, but lies near major business districts in West Los Angeles, Culver City, Century City, Santa Monica, and Beverly Hills.
History
The oldest community on the West Side of Los Angeles, Palms was founded in 1886 at a midpoint on an electric rail line (which soon became part of the famous Pacific Electric "Red Car" system) between Los Angeles and Santa Monica. In 1915, during the short term of Los Angeles mayor Charles E. Sebastian, the residents of Palms voted to be annexed to Los Angeles. Originally dominated by Victorian mansions and Craftsman bungalows, Palms' housing stock is now almost completely composed of two- or three-story, concrete-and-stucco apartment buildings. (Westside Village contains the only significant concentration of single-family homes in the district.)
The decline of South Central Los Angeles in the 1970s, with a resulting increase in crime, caused ripple effects throughout the surrounding neighborhoods. Palms was no exception: much of its white population fled to the San Fernando Valley and Orange County at this time. The 1992 Los Angeles Riots marked the neighborhood's low point. However, the 1990s saw a considerable revival of Palms' fortunes, with the revival of Culver City adding new life to the area. Palms' growth will probably continue well into the 21st century with the arrival of a long-delayed MTA light rail line. Slated to open in 2009, the line will connect downtown Los Angeles to Culver City and Santa Monica, passing through Palms on a considerable portion of its route.
Demographics
General population is upwards of 50,000 persons and household income is roughly $45,000 annually. It is ethnically diverse: 53% Caucasian (including a large Middle Eastern population ), 26% Hispanic (white and non-white), 17% African-American, and 16% Asian/Pacific Islander. Palms is generally considered the most working-class neighborhood on the West Side. However, its median income figure is deceptively low, as much of its population consists of recent college graduates and students at nearby UCLA and USC.
Landmarks and attractions
Palms' diversity is reflected in its neighborhood landmarks. Its major religious landmarks are the headquarters complexes of the International Society of Krishna Consciousness and the Iranian-American Muslim Association of North America (IMAN). The Lycee Francais du Los Angeles, a French school that boasts actress Jodie Foster among its alumni, occupies several buildings in various parts of the neighborhood. Palms boasts a large number of Indian and Pakistani restaurants and businesses. In addition, it is also one of the centers of the Brazilian community in Los Angeles, with a number of Brazilian-oriented restaurants, shops, and nightclubs. The area is host to two unusual museums, the Museum of Jurassic Technology and the Center for Land Use Interpretation.
External links
Palms Neighborhood Council (http://www.palms-california.us)
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