Pacific Boulevard
Encyclopedia
Pacific Boulevard is a street and principal commercial thoroughfare in the city of Huntington Park, California
. It runs from Vernon and Santa Fe Avenues in Vernon to Cudahy Avenue in South Gate before changing to Long Beach Boulevard
. The Pacific Boulevard commercial district is the third highest grossing commercial district in the County of Los Angeles. The Christmas Lane Parade, seen in millions of homes via television throughout the United States and parts of Europe, has run down Pacific Boulevard since 1946. As many as 300,000 people attend the annual Carnaval Primavera (Spring Carnival) held on Pacific Boulevard each year. Pacific Boulevard is well known to Latino residents of the L.A. area, and a magnet for commerce, culture, and night life.
Pacific Boulevard represents a "Hispanic Mecca" for shopping, culture, and people watching
. The area offers a variety of shopping options and features several national and regional tenants such as Bank of America, Chase Bank, AT&T, T-Mobile, Daniel's Jewelers, JC Penny, Foot Locker, El Gallo Giro, 3 Hermanos and Tierra Mia Coffee. Pacific Boulevard also has numerous independent clothing and specialty stores that offer products for special occasions such as baptism
s, first communion
s, quinceañera
s, formal events and wedding
s. (Id.) Several bars and restaurants feature live music and entertainment in the evenings.
Pacific Boulevard is a common location for remote broadcasts from local Spanish language media stations. Television stations often profile successful businesses and popular festivals that attract hundreds of thousands of people, bringing national attention to the area.(Id.) The Pacific Blvd. commercial area is arguably the most important area to the City
because of the tax
revenue it generates and the significant amount of employment available for residents. It is the center of the City’s Business Improvement District (B.I.D.), an organization established in 1995 to focus on community and business revitalization efforts vis-à-vis the commercial business sector.(Id.)
The stretch of Pacific Boulevard in downtown Huntington Park was a major commercial district serving the city's largely working-class residents, as well as those of neighboring cities such as Bell
, Cudahy
, and South Gate
. However, the thoroughfare was located three miles (5 km) from any freeway, and it was ill served by that feature in the freeway-oriented pulse of the region; by 1968, more than sixty of its storefronts were vacant. During the 1980s, the strip appeared to be derelict with vacancy rates up to 50 percent in its commercial spaces. But a wave of "nearly 100 percent Latino immigrants ... transformed Huntington Park's main commercial thoroughfare from what was one of the most blighted districts in central Los Angeles into one of the most profitable and heavily trafficked in the region." After its resurgence, Pacific Boulevard "competes with downtown’s Broadway
and Beverly Hills' Rodeo Drive
for the region’s highest sales volume per square foot." And it has become "an important site not only economically but socially and culturally as well."
motion picture palace that was opened in 1930. The architect was B. Marcus Priteca
, the architect who created the Pantages Theater
in Hollywood. The Warner Huntington Park is the sister theater to the Warner Beverly Hills and the Warner Grand in San Pedro. The Warner Huntington Park Theatre originally seated 1,468 people. Huntington Park also boasted of the third Pussycat Theater
to open in California. It was called The Lyric and was located at 7208 Pacific Boulevard.
Tierra Mia Coffee
opened in March 2010 adjacent to the Warner Huntington Park, in a space that formerly housed a McDonald's
restaurant for over eleven years. Tierra Mia Coffee offers a "third wave coffee
" menu featuring beverages with heart and leaf latte art
and a variety of Latin specialty drinks and pastries. The company's stated mission is to offer the highest quality coffee in a setting that is contemporary and reflective of Latin culture. Tierra Mia Coffee's Huntington Park store features an open air cafe patio and deep interior seating area and is one of two stores operated by the company in southern California, with the other being in the adjacent city of South Gate, CA.
El Gallo Giro (Lat. Am. Sp., for "The Yellow Rooster") is ranked among the 10 highest grossing restaurants in the Los Angeles area. El Gallo Giro was started in 1990. By the year 2000, it had become the 7th most profitable restaurant in L.A. county ranked by annual gross sales, with receipts of $6.7M that year. Despite its casual dining and working class clientele, its sales were such that it out-earned competitors such as the Parkway Grill in Pasadena
, the Pacific Dining Car in Hollywood
, the Paradise Cove in Malibu, and the Bel Air Hotel. El Gallo Giro's Pacific Blvd store is open 24 hours a day.
lines 60 and 251 and Metro Rapid
lines 751 and 760 operate on Pacific Boulevard.
Huntington Park, California
Huntington Park is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 58,114, down from 61,348 at the 2000 census.- History :...
. It runs from Vernon and Santa Fe Avenues in Vernon to Cudahy Avenue in South Gate before changing to Long Beach Boulevard
Long Beach Boulevard
Long Beach Boulevard is a north south thoroughfare in Los Angeles County.-Geography:Long Beach Boulevard starts off as a continuation of Pacific Boulevard south of Cudahy Avenue in South Gate. Long Beach Boulevard passes through South Gate, Lynwood, Compton and Long Beach...
. The Pacific Boulevard commercial district is the third highest grossing commercial district in the County of Los Angeles. The Christmas Lane Parade, seen in millions of homes via television throughout the United States and parts of Europe, has run down Pacific Boulevard since 1946. As many as 300,000 people attend the annual Carnaval Primavera (Spring Carnival) held on Pacific Boulevard each year. Pacific Boulevard is well known to Latino residents of the L.A. area, and a magnet for commerce, culture, and night life.
Pacific Boulevard represents a "Hispanic Mecca" for shopping, culture, and people watching
People watching
People watching or crowd watching is the act of observing people and their interactions, usually without their knowledge. This differs from voyeurism in that it does not relate to sex or sexual gratification...
. The area offers a variety of shopping options and features several national and regional tenants such as Bank of America, Chase Bank, AT&T, T-Mobile, Daniel's Jewelers, JC Penny, Foot Locker, El Gallo Giro, 3 Hermanos and Tierra Mia Coffee. Pacific Boulevard also has numerous independent clothing and specialty stores that offer products for special occasions such as baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
s, first communion
First Communion
The First Communion, or First Holy Communion, is a Catholic Church ceremony. It is the colloquial name for a person's first reception of the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. Catholics believe this event to be very important, as the Eucharist is one of the central focuses of the Catholic Church...
s, quinceañera
Quinceañera
Quinceañera , sometimes called "Fiesta de quince años", "Fiesta de Quinceañera", "Quince años" or simply "quince", is the celebration of a girl's fifteenth birthday in parts of Latin America and elsewhere in communities of immigrants from Latin America...
s, formal events and wedding
Wedding
A wedding is the ceremony in which two people are united in marriage or a similar institution. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes...
s. (Id.) Several bars and restaurants feature live music and entertainment in the evenings.
Pacific Boulevard is a common location for remote broadcasts from local Spanish language media stations. Television stations often profile successful businesses and popular festivals that attract hundreds of thousands of people, bringing national attention to the area.(Id.) The Pacific Blvd. commercial area is arguably the most important area to the City
Huntington Park, California
Huntington Park is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 58,114, down from 61,348 at the 2000 census.- History :...
because of the tax
Tax
To tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon a taxpayer by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law. Taxes are also imposed by many subnational entities...
revenue it generates and the significant amount of employment available for residents. It is the center of the City’s Business Improvement District (B.I.D.), an organization established in 1995 to focus on community and business revitalization efforts vis-à-vis the commercial business sector.(Id.)
History
A New York Times article observed that Pacific Boulevard was once, "the apotheosis of the postwar California dream, an all-white working-class Beverly Hills with swank department stores, auto dealerships and first-run cinemas." To its residents, it was an idyllic spot: "Pacific Boulevard in Huntington Park was truly magical for me, with Christmas decorations stretched across the wide boulevard, decorated store windows and the Christmas parade on Pacific."The stretch of Pacific Boulevard in downtown Huntington Park was a major commercial district serving the city's largely working-class residents, as well as those of neighboring cities such as Bell
Bell, California
Bell is a city in Los Angeles County, California. Its population was 35,477 at the 2010 census, down from 36,664 in the 2000 census. Bell is located on the west bank of the Los Angeles River and is a suburb of the city of Los Angeles...
, Cudahy
Cudahy, California
Cudahy is a city located in southeastern Los Angeles County, California. In terms of area, Cudahy is the second smallest city in Los Angeles County, after Hawaiian Gardens. with one of the highest population densities of any incorporated city in the United States...
, and South Gate
South Gate, California
South Gate is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The sixteenth largest city in Los Angeles County, it encompasses . South Gate is located just southeast of downtown Los Angeles It is part of the Gateway Cities region of southeastern Los Angeles County...
. However, the thoroughfare was located three miles (5 km) from any freeway, and it was ill served by that feature in the freeway-oriented pulse of the region; by 1968, more than sixty of its storefronts were vacant. During the 1980s, the strip appeared to be derelict with vacancy rates up to 50 percent in its commercial spaces. But a wave of "nearly 100 percent Latino immigrants ... transformed Huntington Park's main commercial thoroughfare from what was one of the most blighted districts in central Los Angeles into one of the most profitable and heavily trafficked in the region." After its resurgence, Pacific Boulevard "competes with downtown’s Broadway
Broadway (Los Angeles)
Broadway is a major thoroughfare in Los Angeles, California, that runs from Lincoln Heights on the Eastside, through Chinatown, passing through Central Plaza and the Dragon Gate, the Los Angeles Civic Center, passing the Los Angeles Times building at First Street, and Broadway's historic commercial...
and Beverly Hills' Rodeo Drive
Rodeo Drive
Rodeo Drive of Beverly Hills, California is a shopping district known for designer label and haute couture fashion. The name generally refers to a three-block long stretch of boutiques and shops but the street stretches further north and south....
for the region’s highest sales volume per square foot." And it has become "an important site not only economically but socially and culturally as well."
Attractions
The Warner Huntington Park is an Art DecoArt Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
motion picture palace that was opened in 1930. The architect was B. Marcus Priteca
B. Marcus Priteca
Benjamin Marcus Priteca was born in Glasgow, Scotland. A theater architect, he is best-known for his work for Alexander Pantages. He graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 1907 and later attended the Royal College of Art...
, the architect who created the Pantages Theater
Pantages Theatre (Hollywood)
The Pantages Theatre, formerly known as RKO Pantages Theatre, is located at Hollywood and Vine , Hollywood, California, USA. Designed by architect B. Marcus Priteca, it was the last theater built by the vaudeville impresario Alexander Pantages...
in Hollywood. The Warner Huntington Park is the sister theater to the Warner Beverly Hills and the Warner Grand in San Pedro. The Warner Huntington Park Theatre originally seated 1,468 people. Huntington Park also boasted of the third Pussycat Theater
Pussycat Theater
The Pussycat Theaters were a chain of porn theaters in the 1960s to the 1980s. Pussycat Theaters had 47 locations in California. They were known for their cat-girl logo.-History:...
to open in California. It was called The Lyric and was located at 7208 Pacific Boulevard.
Tierra Mia Coffee
Tierra Mia Coffee
Tierra Mia Coffee Company is a specialty coffee retailer that operates three stores in Southern California, United States. The company opened its first coffeehouse in March 2008 in the city of South Gate at the intersection of Firestone Boulevard and Atlantic Boulevard...
opened in March 2010 adjacent to the Warner Huntington Park, in a space that formerly housed a McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
restaurant for over eleven years. Tierra Mia Coffee offers a "third wave coffee
Third Wave Coffee
The Third Wave of Coffee refers to a current movement to produce high-quality coffee, and consider coffee as an artisanal foodstuff, like wine, rather than a commodity, like wheat...
" menu featuring beverages with heart and leaf latte art
Latte Art
Latte art is a method of preparing coffee created by pouring steamed milk into a shot of espresso and resulting in a pattern or design on the surface of the resulting latte. It can also be created or embellished by simply "drawing" in the top layer of foam...
and a variety of Latin specialty drinks and pastries. The company's stated mission is to offer the highest quality coffee in a setting that is contemporary and reflective of Latin culture. Tierra Mia Coffee's Huntington Park store features an open air cafe patio and deep interior seating area and is one of two stores operated by the company in southern California, with the other being in the adjacent city of South Gate, CA.
El Gallo Giro (Lat. Am. Sp., for "The Yellow Rooster") is ranked among the 10 highest grossing restaurants in the Los Angeles area. El Gallo Giro was started in 1990. By the year 2000, it had become the 7th most profitable restaurant in L.A. county ranked by annual gross sales, with receipts of $6.7M that year. Despite its casual dining and working class clientele, its sales were such that it out-earned competitors such as the Parkway Grill in Pasadena
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
, the Pacific Dining Car in Hollywood
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...
, the Paradise Cove in Malibu, and the Bel Air Hotel. El Gallo Giro's Pacific Blvd store is open 24 hours a day.
Local transportation
Metro LocalMetro Local
Metro Local is a bus system in Los Angeles County operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority . This retronym designation was placed to differentiate it from the Metro Rapid service...
lines 60 and 251 and Metro Rapid
Metro Rapid
Metro Rapid is a bus rapid transit service in Los Angeles County, California that operates in mixed traffic environments and has fewer stops than the Metro Local service. The system is mainly operated by LACMTA. Two routes are operated by Santa Monica Transit and one by Culver City Transit...
lines 751 and 760 operate on Pacific Boulevard.