Willowbrook, California
Encyclopedia
Willowbrook is an unincorporated community
and census-designated place
(CDP) in Los Angeles County
, California
. The population was 35,983 at the 2010 census, up from 34,138 at the 2000 census. The community is located near the southeast edge of, and is often considered part of, South Los Angeles
. Willowbrook is often mistaken to be the city of Compton because they share the zipcode 90222, and the majority of residents use Compton as their mailing address. The north side of Willowbrook is often confused with Watts and Los Angeles City because of the zipcode 90059.
Willowbrook is the home of the troubled Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Hospital, which had been cited multiple times for failures in hospital accreditation. Also located in Willowbrook is the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
, which oversees residency training programs, allied health programs, a medical education program (jointly with the University of California, Los Angeles), a medical magnet high school, the area Head Start program, and various centers for health disparities research. Due to severe deficiencies, the former King/Drew Medical Center lost accreditation of several key residency training programs.
Willowbrook was rich in springs in the early days and winter rains would bring up fine stands of rye grass between gravelly ridges left by long-ago floods of the Los Angeles River
. As early as 1820, Anastacio Avila was grazing cattle on the land and by 1843, the Mexican governor had granted him 3599 acres (14.6 km²). This grant was named the Rancho La Tajauta
and it extended from the marshes along present Alameda Street westward to approximately the present line of the Harbor Freeway. All of present-day Willowbrook is within the area covered by Rancho La Tajauta.
The first subdivisions in the Willowbrook area were filed in 1894 and 1895 on land along what is now Rosecrans Avenue
. The first official use of the name Willowbrook came in 1903, when the Willowbrook Tract was recorded with the County Recorder. The tract straddled the newly opened Pacific Electric railway
line to Long Beach
. There is no evidence that a townsite was envisioned and street patterns were not coordinated with adjacent tracts. The name Willowbrook came into use for the whole area, because the Big Red Cars of the Pacific Electric Railroad Company stopped at 126th Street in Willowbrook.
Lot buyers in Willowbrook expected to live a definitely suburban life. The deep lots (in many cases as deep as 300 feet, or 91 meters) attracted working-class families, especially newcomers to Southern California. The Big Red Cars provided fast, reasonable transportation to department stores in downtown Los Angeles and to jobs in the Long Beach and San Pedro harbor areas. During the Depression years, residents used the land behind their homes to grow fruits and vegetables, run hogs, and raise chickens. These land uses, together with the vacant lots covered with mustard plants, intensified the area's rural appearance. After the end of the Depression and World War II, increasing suburban development occurred in Willowbrook, but not to the extent that it substantially altered the area's rural character. Even the 1965 Watts Riots
did not change that, although Willowbrook suffered damage to a number of its buildings, including Willowbrook's community library.
The mixture of suburban and rural land uses continued in Willowbrook into the early 1980s, when the area began to lose its rural character due to a redevelopment plan drafted by the Watts Labor Community Action Committee (WLCAC) under the leadership of Ted Watkins and supported by Los Angeles County. Under this plan, 365 acres (1.5 km²) of Willowbrook land was redeveloped to provide new commercial and residential facilities. As a result, present-day Willowbrook appears similar to other communities in the South Central section of Los Angeles.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP has a total area of 3.8 square miles (9.8 km²), over 99% of it land.
was 9,544.1 people per square mile (3,685.0/km²). The racial makeup of Willowbrook was 8,245 (22.9%) White, 12,387 (34.4%) African American, 273 (0.8%) Native American, 119 (0.3%) Asian, 49 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 13,858 (38.5%) from other races
, and 1,052 (2.9%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 22,979 persons (63.9%).
The Census reported that 35,577 people (98.9% of the population) lived in households, 116 (0.3%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 290 (0.8%) were institutionalized.
There were 8,721 households, out of which 4,920 (56.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 3,626 (41.6%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 2,635 (30.2%) had a female householder with no husband present, 859 (9.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 640 (7.3%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 38 (0.4%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 1,336 households (15.3%) were made up of individuals and 585 (6.7%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.08. There were 7,120 families
(81.6% of all households); the average family size was 4.38.
The population was spread out with 11,790 people (32.8%) under the age of 18, 4,500 people (12.5%) aged 18 to 24, 9,595 people (26.7%) aged 25 to 44, 7,200 people (20.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 2,898 people (8.1%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28.2 years. For every 100 females there were 92.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.2 males.
There were 9,600 housing units at an average density of 2,546.3 per square mile (983.1/km²), of which 4,525 (51.9%) were owner-occupied, and 4,196 (48.1%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.5%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.9%. 19,021 people (52.9% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 16,556 people (46.0%) lived in rental housing units.
of 2000, there were 34,138 people, 8,476 households, and 6,823 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 9,121.6 inhabitants per square mile (3,524.3/km²). There were 9,042 housing units at an average density of 2,416.0 per square mile (933.5/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 16.06% White, 44.91% African American, 0.72% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 34.98% from other races
, and 2.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 53.60% of the population.
There were 8,476 households out of which 47.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.5% were married couples
living together, 29.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.5% were non-families. 16.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.97 and the average family size was 4.35.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 37.3% under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 14.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females there were 93.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.6 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $27,811, and the median income for a family was $30,107. Males had a median income of $22,250 versus $23,615 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $9,865. About 26.8% of families and 30.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.5% of those under age 18 and 16.8% of those age 65 or over.
Willowbrook is located in the 25th and 26th Senate
Districts, represented by Democrats Edward Vincent
and Curren D. Price, Jr.
respectively, and in the 51st and 52nd Assembly
Districts, represented by Democrats Steven Bradford
and Isadore Hall, III
respectively. Federally, Willowbrook is located in California's 37th
and 39th
congressional districts, which have Cook PVIs
of D +27 and D +13 respectively and are represented by Democrats Laura Richardson
and Linda Sánchez
respectively.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
(LASD) operates the Century Station in Lynwood
, serving Willowbrook.
The United States Postal Service
Willowbrook Post Office is located at 2241 East El Segundo Boulevard in the CDP.
Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Hospital is in Willowbrook.
(Metro) provides bus services to the Willowbrook area.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works
also operates two shuttle services that serve the Willowbrook area: the Hahn's Trolley and Shuttle Service, and the Rosewood Smart Shuttle.http://ladpw.org/PDD/Transit/Page_02.cfm
is located in Willowbrook.
. Zoned elementary schools within the CDP include Anderson, Carver, Jefferson, King, and Lincoln. Bunche Middle School, Willowbrook Middle School and Centennial High School
are located outside of the CDP in Compton
. Cesar Chavez Continuation High School is in Willowbrook.
Avalon Gardens Elementary School, in Willowbrook, serves the LAUSD areas. Residents of the LAUSD areas continue to Locke High School
in Watts
. Banneker Special Education Center, a special LAUSD school, and King Drew Magnet High School of Medicine and Science
, an LAUSD magnet school, are in Willowbrook.
operates the Willowbrook Library at 11838 South Wilmington Avenue, inside the CDP.
The 7.22 acres (29,218.3 m²) George Washington Carver Park (previously Willowbrook Neighborhood Park) has a lighted baseball field, an arts and crafts room, a "Nike GO" outdoor basketball court, a community room, a lighted softball field, a multipurpose field, a multipurpose room, picnic areas with barbecue pits, a swimming pool
The 94 acres (380,404.8 m²) Earvin "Magic" Johnson County Recreation Area, mostly in Willowbrook and partially in Los Angeles, has play areas for children, picnic areas with barbecue pits, two fishing lakes, soccer fields, toilet facilities, and walking paths.
Enterprise County Park, a 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) park located in the Rosewood neighborhood in Willowbrook, has an athletic field, a lighted baseball/softball diamond, a community recreation room, a gymnasium, a multi-purpose field, picnic areas with barbecue pits, and a swimming pool.
The 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) Athens County Park, within the Athens Village area and in Willowbrook, has two lighted baseball/softball diamonds, a basketball court, children's play areas, a community recreation multipurpose room, a computer lab, a gymnasium, a multi-purpose field, picnic areas with barbecue pits, a swimming pool, tennis courts, and toilet facilities. Mona County Park, an 8.4 acres (33,993.6 m²) park, has a lighted baseball/softball diamond, an outdoor basketball court, a children's play area, a community room, a gymnasium, a shaded picnic shelter, a swimming pool, and the Tiny Tot Learning Center.
Unincorporated area
In 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, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
and census-designated place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) in Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The population was 35,983 at the 2010 census, up from 34,138 at the 2000 census. The community is located near the southeast edge of, and is often considered part of, South Los Angeles
South Los Angeles
South Los Angeles, often abbreviated as South L.A. and formerly South Central Los Angeles, is the official name for a large geographic and cultural portion lying to the southwest and southeast of downtown Los Angeles, California. The area was formerly called South Central, and is still widely known...
. Willowbrook is often mistaken to be the city of Compton because they share the zipcode 90222, and the majority of residents use Compton as their mailing address. The north side of Willowbrook is often confused with Watts and Los Angeles City because of the zipcode 90059.
Willowbrook is the home of the troubled Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Hospital, which had been cited multiple times for failures in hospital accreditation. Also located in Willowbrook is the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science is a WASC accredited, private, non-profit school located in Willowbrook, unincorporated Los Angeles County, California, United States. It was founded in 1966 in response to inadequate medical facilities within the Watts region of Los Angeles,...
, which oversees residency training programs, allied health programs, a medical education program (jointly with the University of California, Los Angeles), a medical magnet high school, the area Head Start program, and various centers for health disparities research. Due to severe deficiencies, the former King/Drew Medical Center lost accreditation of several key residency training programs.
History
Willows and a slow, shallow brook distinguished this portion of the Los Angeles plain long before it was given the name "Willowbrook." A lone-standing streamside willow tree near the present intersection of 125th Street and Mona Boulevard was an original rancho boundary marker in the 1840s.Willowbrook was rich in springs in the early days and winter rains would bring up fine stands of rye grass between gravelly ridges left by long-ago floods of the Los Angeles River
Los Angeles River
The Los Angeles River is a river that starts in the San Fernando Valley, in the Simi Hills and Santa Susana Mountains, and flows through Los Angeles County, California, from Canoga Park in the western end of the San Fernando Valley, nearly southeast to its mouth in Long Beach...
. As early as 1820, Anastacio Avila was grazing cattle on the land and by 1843, the Mexican governor had granted him 3599 acres (14.6 km²). This grant was named the Rancho La Tajauta
Rancho La Tajauta
Rancho Tajauta was a Mexican land grant in present day Los Angeles County, California given in 1843 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena to Anastasio Avila. The grant was named for the Gabrielino/Tongva place name of Tajáuta...
and it extended from the marshes along present Alameda Street westward to approximately the present line of the Harbor Freeway. All of present-day Willowbrook is within the area covered by Rancho La Tajauta.
The first subdivisions in the Willowbrook area were filed in 1894 and 1895 on land along what is now Rosecrans Avenue
Rosecrans Avenue
Rosecrans Avenue is a major west-east thoroughfare in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, California, USA. It has a total length of 27.5 miles . The street is named after Union General William S. Rosecrans, who spent his later years in Southern California.-Route:Rosecrans Avenue begins at Ocean...
. The first official use of the name Willowbrook came in 1903, when the Willowbrook Tract was recorded with the County Recorder. The tract straddled the newly opened Pacific Electric railway
Pacific Electric Railway
The Pacific Electric Railway , also known as the Red Car system, was a mass transit system in Southern California using streetcars, light rail, and buses...
line to Long Beach
Long Beach
-United States:*Long Beach, California, most populous city with this name**Long Beach Airport**Long Beach Naval Shipyard**Long Beach Search & Rescue**Long Beach Unified School District**Port of Long Beach*Long Beach, Indiana*Long Beach, Minnesota...
. There is no evidence that a townsite was envisioned and street patterns were not coordinated with adjacent tracts. The name Willowbrook came into use for the whole area, because the Big Red Cars of the Pacific Electric Railroad Company stopped at 126th Street in Willowbrook.
Lot buyers in Willowbrook expected to live a definitely suburban life. The deep lots (in many cases as deep as 300 feet, or 91 meters) attracted working-class families, especially newcomers to Southern California. The Big Red Cars provided fast, reasonable transportation to department stores in downtown Los Angeles and to jobs in the Long Beach and San Pedro harbor areas. During the Depression years, residents used the land behind their homes to grow fruits and vegetables, run hogs, and raise chickens. These land uses, together with the vacant lots covered with mustard plants, intensified the area's rural appearance. After the end of the Depression and World War II, increasing suburban development occurred in Willowbrook, but not to the extent that it substantially altered the area's rural character. Even the 1965 Watts Riots
Watts Riots
The Watts Riots or the Watts Rebellion was a civil disturbance in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, California from August 11 to August 15, 1965. The 5-day riot resulted in 34 deaths, 1,032 injuries, and 3,438 arrests...
did not change that, although Willowbrook suffered damage to a number of its buildings, including Willowbrook's community library.
The mixture of suburban and rural land uses continued in Willowbrook into the early 1980s, when the area began to lose its rural character due to a redevelopment plan drafted by the Watts Labor Community Action Committee (WLCAC) under the leadership of Ted Watkins and supported by Los Angeles County. Under this plan, 365 acres (1.5 km²) of Willowbrook land was redeveloped to provide new commercial and residential facilities. As a result, present-day Willowbrook appears similar to other communities in the South Central section of Los Angeles.
Geography
Willowbrook is located at 33°55′3"N 118°15′10"W (33.917515, -118.252705).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The 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...
, the CDP has a total area of 3.8 square miles (9.8 km²), over 99% of it land.
Demographics
2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Willowbrook had a population of 35,983. The population densityPopulation density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 9,544.1 people per square mile (3,685.0/km²). The racial makeup of Willowbrook was 8,245 (22.9%) White, 12,387 (34.4%) African American, 273 (0.8%) Native American, 119 (0.3%) Asian, 49 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 13,858 (38.5%) from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, 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 1,052 (2.9%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 22,979 persons (63.9%).
The Census reported that 35,577 people (98.9% of the population) lived in households, 116 (0.3%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 290 (0.8%) were institutionalized.
There were 8,721 households, out of which 4,920 (56.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 3,626 (41.6%) were opposite-sex married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 2,635 (30.2%) had a female householder with no husband present, 859 (9.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 640 (7.3%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
POSSLQ
POSSLQ is an abbreviation for "Persons of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters," a term coined in the late 1970s by the United States Census Bureau as part of an effort to more accurately gauge the prevalence of cohabitation in American households....
, and 38 (0.4%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 1,336 households (15.3%) were made up of individuals and 585 (6.7%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.08. There were 7,120 families
Family (U.S. Census)
A family or family household is defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes as "a householder and one or more other people related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. They do not include same-sex married couples even if the marriage was performed in a state...
(81.6% of all households); the average family size was 4.38.
The population was spread out with 11,790 people (32.8%) under the age of 18, 4,500 people (12.5%) aged 18 to 24, 9,595 people (26.7%) aged 25 to 44, 7,200 people (20.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 2,898 people (8.1%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28.2 years. For every 100 females there were 92.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.2 males.
There were 9,600 housing units at an average density of 2,546.3 per square mile (983.1/km²), of which 4,525 (51.9%) were owner-occupied, and 4,196 (48.1%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.5%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.9%. 19,021 people (52.9% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 16,556 people (46.0%) lived in rental housing units.
2000
As of the censusCensus
A 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. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 34,138 people, 8,476 households, and 6,823 families residing in the CDP. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 9,121.6 inhabitants per square mile (3,524.3/km²). There were 9,042 housing units at an average density of 2,416.0 per square mile (933.5/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 16.06% White, 44.91% African American, 0.72% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 34.98% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, 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 2.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 53.60% of the population.
There were 8,476 households out of which 47.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.5% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 29.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.5% were non-families. 16.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.97 and the average family size was 4.35.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 37.3% under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 14.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females there were 93.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.6 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $27,811, and the median income for a family was $30,107. Males had a median income of $22,250 versus $23,615 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the CDP was $9,865. About 26.8% of families and 30.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.5% of those under age 18 and 16.8% of those age 65 or over.
Government and infrastructure
In the state legislatureCalifornia State Legislature
The 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...
Willowbrook is located in the 25th and 26th Senate
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
Districts, represented by Democrats Edward Vincent
Edward Vincent
Edward 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 have...
and Curren D. Price, Jr.
Curren D. Price, Jr.
Curren De Mille Price, Jr. is a California politician from the Democratic Party, currently serving as senator for the California State Senate, representing the state's 26th Senate District which he won in the May 19, 2009 special election to fill the seat vacated by Mark Ridley-Thomas...
respectively, and in the 51st and 52nd Assembly
California State Assembly
The 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...
Districts, represented by Democrats Steven Bradford
Steven Bradford
Steven C. Bradford is the Democratic Assemblymember for the 51st district of the California State Assembly, encompassing Alondra Park, Del Aire, Gardena, Hawthorne, Inglewood, Lawndale, Lennox, West Athens, and West Compton, and parts of Ladera Heights, Los Angeles, View Park-Windsor Hills, and...
and Isadore Hall, III
Isadore Hall, III
Isadore Hall, III is an American politician. He currently represents the 52nd district in the California State Assembly, encompassing parts of central Los Angeles County, including Compton, Paramount, and parts of Long Beach...
respectively. Federally, Willowbrook is located in California's 37th
California's 37th congressional district
California's 37th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California based in Los Angeles County. The district encompasses most of Long Beach and Compton as well as Carson, Signal Hill, and parts of other adjacent municipalities and neighborhoods in Greater Los...
and 39th
California's 39th congressional district
California's 39th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California based in Los Angeles County. The district covers part of southeastern Los Angeles County and includes Lynwood, Cerritos, Lakewood, La Mirada, and Whittier....
congressional districts, which have Cook PVIs
Cook Partisan Voting Index
The 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 +27 and D +13 respectively and are represented by Democrats Laura Richardson
Laura Richardson
Laura Richardson is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district encompasses the inland section of Long Beach, Carson, Compton and Signal Hill, as well as parts of other municipalities.She previously represented the 55th district in the...
and Linda Sánchez
Linda Sánchez
Linda T. Sánchez is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. She is a member of the Democratic Party.-Early life, education and career:...
respectively.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is a local county law enforcement agency that serves Los Angeles County, California. It is the fourth largest local policing agency in the United States, with the New York City Police Department being the first. The second largest is the Chicago Police...
(LASD) operates the Century Station in Lynwood
Lynwood, California
Lynwood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States of America. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 69,772, down from 69,845 at the 2000 census. Lynwood is located near South Gate and Compton in the southern portion of the Los Angeles Basin. Incorporated in...
, serving Willowbrook.
The United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
Willowbrook Post Office is located at 2241 East El Segundo Boulevard in the CDP.
Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Hospital is in Willowbrook.
Transportation
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation AuthorityLos Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority is the California state-chartered regional transportation planning agency and public transportation operating agency for the County of Los Angeles formed in 1993 out of a merger of the Southern California Rapid Transit District and the...
(Metro) provides bus services to the Willowbrook area.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works
Los Angeles County Department of Public Works
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works is responsible for the construction and operation of Los Angeles County's roads, building safety, sewerage, and flood control...
also operates two shuttle services that serve the Willowbrook area: the Hahn's Trolley and Shuttle Service, and the Rosewood Smart Shuttle.http://ladpw.org/PDD/Transit/Page_02.cfm
Colleges and universities
Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and ScienceCharles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science is a WASC accredited, private, non-profit school located in Willowbrook, unincorporated Los Angeles County, California, United States. It was founded in 1966 in response to inadequate medical facilities within the Watts region of Los Angeles,...
is located in Willowbrook.
Primary and secondary schools
Most residents are zoned to schools in the Compton Unified School DistrictCompton Unified School District
Compton Unified School District is a school district headquartered in Compton, California, United States.The district serves Compton, portions of Paramount, portions of Carson, and the unincorporated Los Angeles County neighborhoods of West Compton and East Compton.-High schools:Zoned* Centennial...
. Zoned elementary schools within the CDP include Anderson, Carver, Jefferson, King, and Lincoln. Bunche Middle School, Willowbrook Middle School and Centennial High School
Centennial High School (Compton, California)
Centennial High School is a public high school in Compton, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area....
are located outside of the CDP in Compton
Compton, California
Compton is a city in southern Los Angeles County, California, United States, southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The city of Compton is one of the oldest cities in the county and on May 11, 1888, was the eighth city to incorporate. The city is considered part of the South side by residents of Los...
. Cesar Chavez Continuation High School is in Willowbrook.
Avalon Gardens Elementary School, in Willowbrook, serves the LAUSD areas. Residents of the LAUSD areas continue to Locke High School
Locke High School
Alain Leroy Locke High School is a Title 1 co-educational charter high school located in Los Angeles, California, United States, and is part of the Los Angeles Unified School District/Green Dot Public Schools. It is named after Alain LeRoy Locke....
in Watts
Watts, Los Angeles, California
Watts is a mostly residential neighborhood in South Los Angeles, California.-History:The area now known as Watts is located on the Rancho La Tajauta Mexican land grant...
. Banneker Special Education Center, a special LAUSD school, and King Drew Magnet High School of Medicine and Science
King Drew Magnet High School of Medicine and Science
King Drew Magnet High School of Medicine and Science is an alternative high school of the Los Angeles Unified School District, located in Willowbrook, unincorporated Los Angeles County, California....
, an LAUSD magnet school, are in Willowbrook.
Public libraries
County of Los Angeles Public LibraryCounty of Los Angeles Public Library
-Library System:The County of Los Angeles Public Library is the 4th largest public library system in the United States which serves residents living in 51 of the 88 incorporated cities of Los Angeles County, California...
operates the Willowbrook Library at 11838 South Wilmington Avenue, inside the CDP.
Parks and recreation
Los Angeles County operates area parks.The 7.22 acres (29,218.3 m²) George Washington Carver Park (previously Willowbrook Neighborhood Park) has a lighted baseball field, an arts and crafts room, a "Nike GO" outdoor basketball court, a community room, a lighted softball field, a multipurpose field, a multipurpose room, picnic areas with barbecue pits, a swimming pool
The 94 acres (380,404.8 m²) Earvin "Magic" Johnson County Recreation Area, mostly in Willowbrook and partially in Los Angeles, has play areas for children, picnic areas with barbecue pits, two fishing lakes, soccer fields, toilet facilities, and walking paths.
Enterprise County Park, a 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) park located in the Rosewood neighborhood in Willowbrook, has an athletic field, a lighted baseball/softball diamond, a community recreation room, a gymnasium, a multi-purpose field, picnic areas with barbecue pits, and a swimming pool.
The 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) Athens County Park, within the Athens Village area and in Willowbrook, has two lighted baseball/softball diamonds, a basketball court, children's play areas, a community recreation multipurpose room, a computer lab, a gymnasium, a multi-purpose field, picnic areas with barbecue pits, a swimming pool, tennis courts, and toilet facilities. Mona County Park, an 8.4 acres (33,993.6 m²) park, has a lighted baseball/softball diamond, an outdoor basketball court, a children's play area, a community room, a gymnasium, a shaded picnic shelter, a swimming pool, and the Tiny Tot Learning Center.