Discovering Westwood, Los Angeles: A Vibrant Neighborhood of Culture and Commerce

Westwood, a dynamic commercial and residential neighborhood, graces the northern-central part of Los Angeles' Westside region in California. Renowned as the home of the prestigious University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Westwood offers a blend of urban sophistication and academic charm.

Geographical Boundaries and Climate

As delineated by the Los Angeles Times, Westwood is a 3.68-square-mile area with a population density of approximately 13,036 people per square mile. The neighborhood is bordered by various landmarks and other neighborhoods. Westwood Village is immediately south of the UCLA campus, bounded by LeConte, Gayley, Thornton (between Lindbrook and Wilshire: Glendon) and Wilshire Boulevard. A portion of Holmby Hills, home to the Playboy Mansion, south of Sunset Blvd., east of both Beverly Glen Bl. and Comstock Av., and west of the L.A. Country Club, is within Westwood.

Westwood enjoys a Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb) characterized by dry summers, relatively wet winters, and mild temperatures throughout the year. Similar to other coastal areas in Los Angeles County, Westwood experiences an Indian summer, with the warmest temperatures occurring towards the end of summer and early fall. The average precipitation in Westwood is 17.43 inches, higher than most populated places in LA County due to its proximity to the ocean and hillside location.

Historical Development

Westwood's development began on the lands of the historic Wolfskill Ranch, a 3,000-acre (12 km2) parcel purchased in 1919 by Arthur Letts, the founder of the Broadway and Bullock's department stores. Upon Letts' death, his son-in-law, Harold Janss, vice president of the Janss Investment Company, inherited the land.

In 1922, the Los Angeles Times announced the subdivision of the Wolfskill Ranch, renaming it Westwood. Meanwhile, the Southern Branch of the University of California was seeking a new campus due to rapid enrollment growth. In 1925, the selection of the Westwood hills as the site for the new campus was announced. The Janss brothers agreed to sell the property for approximately $1 million (equivalent to $14 million in 2023), less than one-third of the land's value.

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Westwood Village: A Pioneering Shopping District

Westwood Village, a planned, 55-acre suburban shopping district (22 ha) immediately south of the UCLA campus, opened in 1929. It was created by the Janss Investment Company as a shopping district and headquarters of the Janss Company. It was only the second such district on this scale ever to be built worldwide, preceded only by Country Club Plaza (1922-23) in Kansas City. The design was considered one of the nation's best-planned and beautifully laid out commercial areas. Harold Janss hired major architects and instructed them to follow a Mediterranean theme, with clay tile roofs, decorative Spanish tile, paseos, patios and courtyards. Buildings at strategic points, including theaters, used towers to serve as beacons for drivers on Wilshire Boulevard.

The architectural style met a turning point in 1970, when a 24-story office building now known as the Oppenheimer Tower was built in the neighborhood and the design of new buildings soon became a blend of styles.

Wilshire Boulevard Corridor

Wilshire Boulevard through Westwood is a major corridor of condominium towers, from Westwood Boulevard east towards the Beverly Hills city line, and of Class A office towers, at Westwood Boulevard and westward.

Challenges and Revitalization Efforts in Westwood Village

The Village suffered a major setback in the late 1980s, when gangs began to frequent the neighborhood and crime increased. The Los Angeles establishment reacted with horror. Newspapers and television headlined the story for days. Police patrols in Westwood tripled, and the L.A.P.D.

A 2014 report for the Westwood Village Improvement Association reported that Westwood Village, although still a busy place, was no longer the Westside's dominant retail and entertainment destinations as it had been for decades. The Village suffered from deteriorating public spaces and a high number of vacancies. Multiple revitalization efforts over decades were unsuccessful and the Village's image and reputation suffered. Even a quarter century later, Los Angeles Magazine referred to the 1988 gang‐related murder of an innocent bystander as a cause of Westwood Village's diminished activity. Limited and expensive parking remained a problem.

Demographics and Socioeconomic Profile

According to a 2000 census, the Westwood neighborhood had 47,916 residents, with an average population density of 13,036 people per square mile. In 2008, the city estimated that the population had increased to 52,041. The neighborhood is considered moderately diverse ethnically. The breakdown was 62.9% Non-Hispanic White, 23.1% Asian, 7.0% Hispanic or Latino, 2.0% Black, and 4.9% of other origins.

The median yearly household income in 2008 dollars was $68,716, a high figure for Los Angeles. The percentages of households that earned $125,000 yearly and higher or that earned $20,000 or less were high for Los Angeles County. The average household size of two people was low for Los Angeles. Renters occupied 64.1% of the housing stock and house-or-apartment owners held 35.9%. The percentages of never-married men and women were among the county's highest. In 2000 there were 309 families headed by single parents, a low percentage for the city.

Cultural and Entertainment Attractions

Westwood is home to several cultural and entertainment attractions, including:

Fox Village Theater: A historic movie theater that opened in 1931, designed by architect Percy Parke Lewis.
Bruin Theater: Another historic movie theater.
Hammer Museum: An art museum and cultural center affiliated with UCLA, known for its artist-centric and progressive array of exhibitions and public programs.
Geffen Playhouse Theater: Originally built in 1929 as the Masonic Affiliates Club, it is now a renowned theater.

Religious Institutions

The Los Angeles California Temple, the second-largest temple operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is located on Santa Monica Boulevard in Westwood. The temple grounds also include a Visitors' Center open to the public and the headquarters for the Church's missionary efforts in Los Angeles. The temple grounds are also home to the Los Angeles Regional Family History Center (LARFHC), which is open to the public as well.

Parks and Recreation

The Westwood Recreation Center offers a variety of facilities, including barbecue pits, a lighted baseball diamond, lighted outdoor basketball courts, racquetball courts, a children's play area, a community room, an indoor gymnasium with weights, and a picnic table. The center also has Aidan's Place, which opened on December 5, 2001.

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Education

Sixty-six percent of Westwood residents aged 25 and older had earned a four-year degree by 2000, a high figure for both the city and the county. The Los Angeles Unified School District operates public schools. UCLA Lab School Corinne A. Seeds Campus, formerly the Corinne A.

Public Services

Fire and emergency medical services are provided by the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Transportation

The D Line subway extension is underway, with Section 1 nearing completion.

Westwood Today

UCLA commands a prime location in Westwood, a desirable neighborhood in West Los Angeles. Despite high rents and competition for housing near campus, two-thirds of UCLA's students choose to live within five miles of campus, half of that number within a mile. Students may find rooms to rent in the area east of campus, or in the apartments on Hilgard Avenue, along which most sororities are also located. However, the area west of campus is dense with apartments (“North Westwood Village”).

Aside from campus, the nearest services are in Westwood Village, just south of campus. There are lots of restaurants, movie theaters, clothing, and convenience stores. No laundromats located in Westwood Village, although the nearest laundromat is south on Westwood Boulevard, right past Santa Monica Boulevard.

Expansion of UCLA Health

UCLA Health completed the acquisition of a West Hills hospital on March 28, according to UCLA representatives. “This acquisition represents a strategic investment in our community and our mission,” said Johnese Spisso, president of UCLA Health and CEO of the UCLA Hospital System in a statement. “We are pleased to welcome West Hills staff members as UCLA Health employees as we work together to serve the community. The hospital has seven operating rooms and a free-standing ambulatory surgery center.

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