#1 of 30 Things To Do in Whittier
Downtown City of Industry (Neighborhood)
Hacienda Heights CA
~5.31 miles from Whittier city center
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#2 of 30 Things To Do in Whittier
Industry Hills Heliport (JID)
City of Industry CA
~6.66 miles from Whittier city center
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#3 of 30 Things To Do in Whittier
Los Angeles Commerce Business Plaza Heliport (JBP)
Los Angeles CA
~7.42 miles from Whittier city center
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#4 of 30 Things To Do in Whittier
Cerritos Center for Performing Arts
Los Angeles CA
~7.87 miles from Whittier city center
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The Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts (CCPA) is the Southland's premier performing arts and conference facility, offering great performances in music, dance and theater and unique facilities for meetings, banquets and special events.
Owned and operated by the City of Cerritos, the CCPA presents an annual season from August through May. The schedule, which includes more than 150 performances, consists of an eclectic mix of artists. The CCPA has hosted performances by Frank Sinatra, Whitney Houston, Clint Black, The Chieftains, Kathleen Battle, Dance Theater of Harlem, Royal Shakespeare Company, and many others.
The CCPA features a flexible theater capable of six different seating and stage configurations, ranging from a 1,800-seat arena theater to a 900-seat recital hall setting. The Sierra Conference Center is the perfect setting for banquets, parties or special events. The Mojave Room offers space for club meetings and small receptions. The CCPA and all of its facilities are available for rental.
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#5 of 30 Things To Do in Whittier
Alhambra Golf Course
San Gabriel CA
~8.91 miles from Whittier city center
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#6 of 30 Things To Do in Whittier
Knott's Soak City USA
Los Angeles CA
~9.41 miles from Whittier city center
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A separately gated water adventure park immediately adjacent to Knott's Berry Farm, Knott's Soak City offers 13 California beach-themed acres designed for thrill seekers of all ages.
Here is a little bit of information about Knott's Soak City to help you plan your visit :
TICKETS: Knott's Soak City general admission for adults is $28.99. For children between ages 3-11 or for seniors 62+ admission is only $17.99. If you want to save a few dollars, pre-purchase your tickets online, print them at home, and knock off $5 (for adult tickets only). If you're a California resident, an adult ticket price can be purchased for $23.99.
Arriving after 3pm? Adult admission after 3pm is reduced to $17.99, child and senior prices are still $17.99 as well.
Annual Passes: Water park season passes start at $49.99 for children and seniors, and $79.99 for adults. The season pass not only includes Knott's Soak City , but also the Soak City water parks in Palm Springs and San Diego . If you're interested in the Premium Pass which also includes Knott's Berry Farm (along with the 3 water parks), children and seniors are $84.99 and adults are $139.99. Parking: for an additional $40 a season-long parking pass can be purchased (includes all 3 water parks).
PARKING: Parking is $10 per car and RVs and buses are $15 each. The parking lot is adjacent to the park.
PARK HOURS: Knott's Soak City opens at 10 am and closes at varying hours. Soak City is open daily from Memorial weekend through Labor Day weekend, and then only weekends in September. The earliest they close is at 5 pm, and the latest they close is at 7 pm. Check online to see their park hours calendar.
Soak City 's features and waterslides:
Pacific Spin: This exciting tube slide includes a 132-foot long tunnel that drops riders 75 feet into a six-story funnel. After pitching riders back and forth through 5,500 gallons of swirling water, the ride culminates in a thrilling waterfall splash. Must be at least 48" tall.
Banzai Falls: Speed fans will want to head to Banzai Falls ' six multi lane speed slides. Riders dispatch head first on a mat from a platform over 41 feet high. You must be at least 42" in height or 5 years of age.
Old Man Falls: This cluster of 3 single-rider high speed slides dispatch from a platform over 62 feet high. At the top riders choose either Pipeline, Point Break, or Riptide— two open flume slides or one completely enclosed. Must be at least 48" tall.
Malibu Run: Four individual single-person inner-tube slides send you soaring through both open flumes and enclosed dark flumes. Fly down Dropoff, Heavy Swell, Rincon, and Wave Chaser from a 39 foot high platform. Must be at least 48" tall.
Laguna Storm Water: Ride down by yourself or with a partner through three different inner-tube slides dropping from a platform over 43 feet high. The Cyclone, Tornado, or Typhoon are three wet and wild rides. Must be between 42"- 48" tall to ride with a life vest or 48" tall to ride without a life vest.
Tidal Wave Bay: This 750,000 gallon wave pool provides the perfect spot for the wave riders. A Lifejacket is required for anyone who is less than 48" in bare feet or is an inexperienced or non-swimmer.
Sunset River: Let the relaxing current drift you down the 1/3 mile long river. Great for inner-tube riders and the whole family. A Lifejacket is required for anyone who is less than 48" in bare feet or is an inexperienced or non-swimmer.
Gremmie Lagoon: For the little ones, Gremmie Lagoon is the kid's water wonderland. Perfect children's pool and activity area.
Toyota®Beach House: The three story hands-on house where everyone can soak, squirt, splash and startle anyone who dares to enter. Also includes two water slides.
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#7 of 30 Things To Do in Whittier
Brea Mall
Disneyland - Anaheim CA
~9.47 miles from Whittier city center
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The Brea Mall is a shopping mall located in the northern Orange County city of Brea, California. Brea is within minutes of California State University, Fullerton. It is owned and operated by the Simon Property Group, and is home to four major department stores, over 175 specialty shops and boutiques, and a food court. It is approximately 1,310,000 square feet (1.31 million).
Originally, the mall was anchored by The Broadway, Sears, May Company California, J. W. Robinson's, and Nordstrom. Nordstrom replaced its original store with a newer and larger store in the late 1980s. In 1993, May Department Stores merged J. W. Robinson's and May Company California to form the former Robinsons-May. As a result, the J. W. Robinson's store was sold to J.C. Penney, and the May Company California location was renamed Robinsons-May and later expanded. The Broadway was converted to Macy's after Federated Department Stores purchase of The Broadway's parent company Carter Hawley Hale Stores in 1996. In 2006, due to the merger between Federated Department Stores and May Department Stores, the Robinsons-May location was converted to a Macy's Furniture Store. In the 1970s it also had an ice skating rink where the food court now resides.
The Brea Mall has also been host to recording artists such as Ashlee Simpson, Mýa, Ryan Cabrera, and The Summer Obsession.
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#8 of 30 Things To Do in Whittier
Alhambra (Neighborhood)
Los Angeles CA
~9.49 miles from Whittier city center
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#9 of 30 Things To Do in Whittier
West Coast Deaf Bible College
2660 W Woodland Dr Anaheim CA - 714-527-4031
~9.58 miles from Whittier city center
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#10 of 30 Things To Do in Whittier
Fullerton College
Disneyland - Anaheim CA
~9.66 miles from Whittier city center
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Fullerton College is a public community college located in Fullerton, California. It is the oldest community college in continuous operation within the state of California, having been established in 1913. Originally enrolling 28 students during its first year in 1913, currently enrolling over 20,000.
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#11 of 30 Things To Do in Whittier
Buena Park Mall
Disneyland - Anaheim CA
~9.67 miles from Whittier city center
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Buena Park Downtown, formerly Buena Park Mall, is an enclosed shopping mall located on La Palma Avenue in Buena Park, California, near the Knott's Berry Farm theme park. Currently managed by Developers Diversified Realty, the mall is anchored by Bed Bath & Beyond, DSW Shoe Warehouse, Ross Dress For Less, Sears and Wal-Mart. DDR also owns the adjacent Buena Park Place shopping center, which features Petsmart, Office Depot, Kohl's and Circuit City as primary tenants.
As of 2007 it is the 20th largest mall in Orange County around 1,100,000 square feet (102,000 m2) of retail space. It has languished in sales, however; at $123 million, it brings in half of other malls its size, such as Simon Property Group's Westminster Mall and Westfield MainPlace.
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#12 of 30 Things To Do in Whittier
Knotts Berry Farm
Los Angeles CA
~9.84 miles from Whittier city center
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Knott's Berry Farm is the brand name of two separate entities: a theme park in Buena Park, California, and a manufacturer of food specialty products (primarily jams and preserves) based in Placentia, California. The theme park is owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company which has made a deal to be acquired by an affiliate of Apollo Global Management, and the food specialty business is part of The J. M. Smucker Company.
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#13 of 30 Things To Do in Whittier
California State University Los Angeles
5151 State University Drive Los Angeles CA - 323-343-3000
~9.88 miles from Whittier city center
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California State University, Los Angeles (also known as Cal State L.A., CSULA, or CSLA) is a public university, part of the California State University system. The campus is located in the eastern region of Los Angeles, California, United States, in the University Hills district at the center of Los Angeles metropolitan area just five miles (8 km) from Los Angeles civic and cultural center. It is located next to two major interstate highways: Interstate 10 and Interstate 710.
http://www.calstatela.edu
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#14 of 30 Things To Do in Whittier
South Gate (Neighborhood)
Los Angeles CA
~10.34 miles from Whittier city center
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South Gate is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is part of the Gateway Cities region of southeastern Los Angeles County. As of January 1, 2009, the city had a total population of 102,770. The "City of South Gate" was incorporated on January 20, 1923, by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.
In 1990, South Gate was one of ten U.S. communities to receive the All-America City Award from the National Civic League.
The city was named in 1918 after the South Gate Gardens on the Cudahy Ranch. The city was incorporated five years later using a shortened form of that name. The name refers to the city's being south of Los Angeles.
South Gate is located at 33°56'39?N 118°11'42?W (33.944264, -118.194903).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 19.4 km² (7.5 mi²). 19.1 km² (7.4 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 1.60% water.
The Los Angeles River runs through the eastern part of South Gate.
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#15 of 30 Things To Do in Whittier
Arcadia Historical Society
5639 Gary Park Ave. Arcadia CA - 626-446-8512
~10.52 miles from Whittier city center
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The Arcadia Historical Society, founded in 1954, was created for the purpose of collecting and displaying artifacts and materials which preserve the rich heritage of Arcadia.
http://www.ci.arcadia.ca.us/home/index.asp?page=1363
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#16 of 30 Things To Do in Whittier
California State University Fullerton
Fullerton CA - 714-278-2011
~10.71 miles from Whittier city center
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Cal State Fullerton became the 12th state college in California in 1957. California State University, Fullerton, commonly known as CSUF, CSU Fullerton, or Cal State Fullerton, is currently the second largest California State University campus. The University is located in the city of Fullerton, in Orange County, California, USA.
http://www.fullerton.edu
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#17 of 30 Things To Do in Whittier
Science Education Adventure
6900 Orange Ave Long Beach CA - 562-529-7383
~10.84 miles from Whittier city center
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#18 of 30 Things To Do in Whittier
Santa Anita Race Track
285 W Huntington Dr Arcadia CA
~10.86 miles from Whittier city center
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Santa Anita Park is a thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. It offers some of the prominent racing events in the United States during the autumn and in winter. The track is home to numerous prestigious races including both the Santa Anita Derby and the Santa Anita Handicap. As of March 5, 2009, Santa Anita's parent company (Magna Entertainment Corp.) filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy.
Santa Anita Park opens annually on December 26, with daily racing continuing through April 20. In addition, Santa Anita's fall meeting, presented by the Oak Tree Racing Association, takes to the track from late September to early November every year and will be home to the 2008 Breeders' Cup World Championships.
http://www.santaanita.com
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#19 of 30 Things To Do in Whittier
Trinity College Graduate Study
1661 N Raymond Ave # 140 Anaheim CA - 714-992-9123
~10.87 miles from Whittier city center
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Trinity College of Graduate Studies. Integrating Christian Spirituality and Psychology. 1661 Raymond Ave. Ste. 140 , Anaheim , CA 92801 ...
www.tcgs.edu/
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#20 of 30 Things To Do in Whittier
Huntington Park (Neighborhood)
Los Angeles CA
~11.08 miles from Whittier city center
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Huntington Park is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 61,348.
This section does not cite any references or sources.
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2008)
Named for prominent industrialist Henry Huntington, Huntington Park was incorporated in 1906 as a streetcar suburb for workers in the rapidly expanding industries to the southeast of downtown Los Angeles. (To this day, about 30% of its residents work at factories in nearby Vernon and Commerce.) 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, South Gate, and Downey. As with most of the other cities along the corridor stretching along the Los Angeles River to the south and southeast of downtown Los Angeles, Huntington Park was an almost exclusively white community during most of its history; Alameda Street and Slauson Avenue, which were fiercely defended segregation lines in the 1950s, separated it from black areas.
The changes that shaped Los Angeles from the late 1970s onward—the decline of American manufacturing that began in the 1970s; the rapid growth of newer suburbs in Orange County, the eastern San Gabriel, western San Fernando and Conejo valleys; the collapse of the aerospace and defense industry at the end of the Cold War; and the implosion of the Southern California real estate boom in the early 1990s—resulted in the wholesale departure of virtually all of the white population of Huntington Park by the mid-1990s. The vacuum was filled almost entirely by two groups of Latinos: upwardly mobile families eager to leave the barrios of East Los Angeles, and recent Mexican immigrants. Today, Pacific Boulevard is once again a thriving commercial strip, serving once again as a major retail center for working-class residents of southeastern Los Angeles County—but unlike its previous heyday of the 1930s, the signs along the avenue's storefronts are now primarily in Spanish.
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#21 of 30 Things To Do in Whittier
Huntington Library
Los Angeles CA
~11.19 miles from Whittier city center
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The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens (or The Huntington[1]) is an educational and research institution established by Henry E. Huntington in San Marino, California, USA. In addition to the library, the site houses an art collection strong in English portraits and French eighteenth-century furniture and botanical gardens that feature North America's strongest collection of cycads.
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#22 of 30 Things To Do in Whittier
Los Angeles Arboretum and Botanic Gardens
Los Angeles CA
~11.37 miles from Whittier city center
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The Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, 127 acres (51.4 ha), is an arboretum, botanical garden, and historical site nestled into hills near the San Gabriel Mountains, at 301 North Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia, California, USA. It is open daily during business hours, for a fee.
The Arboretum is located across the street from the Santa Anita Park, the horse racetrack, and the shopping mall Santa Anita Fashion Park, now known as Westfield Santa Anita.
Important in prehistory as a year round source of water fed by the Raymond Fault, the body of water known as Baldwin Lake attracted both waterfowl and other animals as well as arriving Native Americans. No documentation of the original appearance has survived, however it is safe to assume it would have been a natural wetland with tules and other vegetation as well as standing pools of water. Permanent Native American habitation in the are is believed to have been sited on nearby Tallac Knoll, but with the exception of excavations at the site of Hugo Reid Adobe, no archaeological work has been conducted on the present day Arboretum site. Close proximity to the nearby San Gabriel Mission may have led to the siting of a small seasonal dwelling at the site for shepherds or hunters. After a period of dispute, the grant to the land was awarded to Hugo Reid (1809-1852) and his Tongva wife, Victoria Bartolomea Comicrabit. Reid was an educated Scotsman known for a series of letters describing Tongva culture as well as his role in the 1849 California Constitutional Convention. Afflicted with tuberculosis, he died at the age of 43. A series of short term owners of the property, Rancho Santa Anita, followed.
A series of subsequent owners followed; in sequence they were Henry Dalton, Joseph A. Rowe, Albert Dibblee in partnership with William Corbett and a Mr. Barker, Leonard Rose and William Wolfskill, Alfred Chapman with Harris Newmark until finally the property was sold to Elias Jackson Baldwin. With each transition beginning with the sale to Rose and Wolfskill, a portion of the ranch was sold off. Every owner in some ways typifies the history of southern California during the period. Agricultural innovation is a feature which persisted taking advantage of the climate and the new crops that it made possible as well as a growing body of consumers and new markets opened by transportation innovations.
The site's modern history began in 1875 when Elias Jackson "Lucky" Baldwin purchased Rancho Santa Anita and constructed its buildings and grounds. Baldwin's influence was a strong presence on the site. A certain flamboyance was evident in the creation of a showcase at Santa Anita. Baldwin in some ways anticipated the development of Las Vegas creating Arcadia as a kind of prototype destination resort. The Oakwood Hotel, the Santa Anita racetrack and the creation of Arcadia as an independent city made it possible for Baldwin to become its first Mayor. The first liquor license was issued to his oldest daughter Clara Baldwin. This becomes more significant when one understands that Pasadena which borders Arcadia was dry from its founding in 1886. A major motivation for incorporation being the banning of liquor in the city. Although many towns in southern California were dry, commercial viticulture flourished around the San Gabriel Mission since mission days. Baldwin started an award winning winery to supply the thirsty tourists, sold land to settlers as well as running a private water company and brick works. A partnership with Henry Huntington and the Santa Fe Railroad insured that passengers could arrive by rail from Los Angeles and other locations as well as bringing freight, such as building supplies and taking away ranch produce for sale.
The arboretum itself began in 1947 with California and Los Angeles jointly purchasing 111 acres (44.9 ha) to create an arboretum around the Baldwin site. By 1949, the first greenhouse had been constructed and the site's plants inventoried. In 1951, the first 1,000 trees were planted, and in 1956 the arboretum was opened to the public. Ongoing construction of gardens and greenhouses took place during the 1950s and 1960s, and in 1975-1976 the Tropical Greenhouse was opened and the Prehistoric and Jungle Garden completed. Construction and renovation of both greenhouses and gardens has continued to this day.
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#23 of 30 Things To Do in Whittier
Los Angeles County Arboretum
301 N Baldwin Ave Arcadia CA - 626-821-3222
~11.40 miles from Whittier city center
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The Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, 127 acres (51.4 ha), is an arboretum, botanical garden, and historical site nestled into hills near the San Gabriel Mountains, at 301 North Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia, California, USA. It is open daily during business hours, for a fee.
The Arboretum is located across the street from the Santa Anita Park, the horse racetrack, and the shopping mall Santa Anita Fashion Park, now known as Westfield Santa Anita.
http://www.arboretum.org
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#24 of 30 Things To Do in Whittier
Lincoln Heights (Neighborhood)
Los Angeles CA
~11.62 miles from Whittier city center
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Lincoln Heights is a neighborhood east of downtown Los Angeles, California.
Lincoln Heights is bounded by the Los Angeles River on the west, the San Bernardino Freeway (I-10) on the south, and Indiana Street on the east; the district's northern border is unclear due to the area's uneven terrain. Adjacent communities include El Sereno on the east, City Terrace on the southeast, Boyle Heights on the south, Chinatown and Solano Canyon on the west, Cypress Park on the northwest, Mt. Washington on the north, and Montecito Heights on the northeast. Major thoroughfares include Valley Boulevard; Mission Road; Pasadena Avenue; North Main, Marengo, Daly, and Figueroa Streets; and North Broadway. The Golden State Freeway (I-5) runs through the district, and the Metro Gold Line has a stop in the far northwestern portion of the district. Lincoln Heights' ZIP Code is 90031.
Lincoln Heights is considered to be the oldest neighborhood in Los Angeles, dating to the 1830s. Perched on bluffs above the Los Angeles River, it was originally home to some of the city's wealthiest residents, who built a large number of Victorian mansions in the district (many of which have been preserved under the city's historic preservation program). North Broadway became a busy commercial strip, which it remains today. By the turn of the 20th century, however, the rapid industrial development along the riverbanks made it less appealing for wealthy Angelenos, who moved on first to the Arroyo Seco area and Hollywood, then (from the 1920s onward) to rapidly developing Mid-Wilshire. As wealthy residents departed, Lincoln Heights became home to a large Italian American population, as well as an increasingly large Mexican American population. It and its cross-river neighbor "Little Italy" (what is now Chinatown) formed the heart of southern California's Italian-American community. One of the major landmarks from this period, the San Antonio Winery, continues to operate today, albeit with non-local grapes.
Beginning just after World War II, Italians and some Mexicans began migrating out of Lincoln Heights and into working-class and middle-class suburbs in the San Gabriel Valley, including Alhambra, San Gabriel, Rosemead, Montebello,California, and Temple City, California . This process accelerated during the 1950s with the construction of the Golden State Freeway, which split the district right down the middle and devastated the neighborhoods through which it passed. Ever since, Lincoln Heights has been a poor-to-working class Chicano and Latin American immigrant barrio. Many ethnic Chinese immigrants from Vietnam and their US-born children also reside in Lincoln Heights, due to its proximity to Chinatown.
The case of the missing child Walter Collins was kidnapped in his home in Lincoln Heights. The Clint Eastwood film Changeling was based on it.
As of the 2005 census Lincoln Heights had an estimated population of 80,000, one of the largest of any Los Angeles neighborhood. The racial makeup of the neighborhood is 80.1% Latino, 17.3% Asian, 3.6% were Non-Hispanic Black and White. Lincoln Heights is known for its Hispanic population as well as its growing Asian population, but many Italians still reside in the area.
North Broadway is Lincoln Heights' focal point with its various restaurants and grocery stores. Councilman Ed Reyes's office is in the south Broadway area nearer to Downtown LA.
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#25 of 30 Things To Do in Whittier
Long Beach City College
4901 E. Carson St. Long Beach CA
~11.77 miles from Whittier city center
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Long Beach City College, established in 1927, is a community college located in Long Beach, California. It is divided into two campuses. The Liberal Arts Campus, known as LAC, is located in the residential community of the Lakewood Village section of Long Beach, on Carson Street west of Clark Avenue. The Pacific Coast Campus, known as PCC, is located in central Long Beach, near the city of Signal Hill, on Pacific Coast Highway east of Orange Avenue. It is the only college in the Long Beach Community College District.
The college as a whole is known as LBCC, as well as “City.” LBCC serves the cities of Long Beach, Lakewood, Signal Hill, and Santa Catalina Island. As of the Spring 2007 semester, the college has an enrollment of 26,729.
The superintendent-president of the College is Eloy Oakley.
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#26 of 30 Things To Do in Whittier
California Institute of Technology
Los Angeles CA
~12.07 miles from Whittier city center
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The California Institute of Technology (commonly referred to as Caltech) is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. The Institute maintains a strong emphasis on the natural sciences and engineering, and operates and manages NASA's neighboring Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Caltech is a small school, with only about 2100 students (about 900 undergraduates and 1200 graduate students), but it is ranked in the top ten universities worldwide by metrics such as Science Watch, Nobel Prizes, and general university rankings.
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#27 of 30 Things To Do in Whittier
Anaheim Museum
Po Box 1122 Anaheim CA - 714-778-3301
~12.11 miles from Whittier city center
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#28 of 30 Things To Do in Whittier
Watts Tower
Los Angeles CA
~12.30 miles from Whittier city center
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The Watts Towers or Towers of Simon Rodia in the Watts district of Los Angeles, California, is a collection of 17 interconnected structures, two of which reach heights of over 99 feet (30 m). The Towers were built by Italian immigrant construction worker Sabato ("Sam" or "Simon") Rodia in his spare time over a period of 33 years, from 1921 to 1954. The work is an example of non-traditional vernacular architecture and American Naïve art The Towers are located near (and visible from) the 103rd Street-Kenneth Hahn Station of the Metro Rail LACMTA Blue Line.
The Watts Towers were designated a National Historic Landmark in 1990. According to reviewer Robert Koehler in Variety, the documentary film I Build the Tower is "the most complete visual account of self-made architect Simon Rodia and his masterpiece."
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#29 of 30 Things To Do in Whittier
Watts (Neighborhood)
Los Angeles CA
~12.31 miles from Whittier city center
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Watts is a mostly residential neighborhood in South Los Angeles, California.
The area now known as Watts is located on the Rancho La Tajauta Mexican land grant. As on all ranchos, the principal vocation was grazing and beef production.
With the influx of white American settlers into Southern California in the 1870s, La Tajuata land was sold off and subdivided for smaller farms and homes. In those days each Tajuata farm had an artesian well. The arrival of the railroad spurred the development of the area, and in 1907 Watts was incorporated as a separate city, named after the first railroad station, Watts Station, that was built in the town. The city voted to annex itself to Los Angeles in 1926.
Along with more Caucasian Americans, Mexican and Mexican American railroad workers ("traqueros") settled in the community. African-Americans came in later and many of the men were Pullman car porters and other railroad workers. Schoolroom photos from 1909 and 1911 show only two or three black faces among the 30 or so children pictured. By 1914, a black realtor, Charles C. Leake, was doing business in the area.
Watts did not become predominantly black until the 1940s, as the Second Great Migration brought tens of thousands of migrants from Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas who left segregated states in search of better opportunities in California. During World War II, the city built several large housing projects (including Nickerson Gardens, Jordan Downs, and Imperial Courts) for the thousands of new workers in war industries. By the early 1960s, these projects had become nearly 100 percent black, as whites moved on to new suburbs outside the central city. As industrial jobs disappeared from the area, the projects housed many more poor families than they had traditionally.
Longstanding resentment by Los Angeles' working-class black community over discriminatory treatment by police and inadequate public services (especially schools and hospitals) exploded on August 11, 1965, into what were commonly known as the Watts Riots. The event that precipitated the disturbances, the arrest of a black youth by the California Highway Patrol on drunk-driving charges, actually occurred outside Watts. Mobs did the most property damage in Watts in the turmoil.
Watts suffered further in the 1970s, as gangs gained strength and raised the level of violence in the neighborhood. Between 1989 and 2005, police reported more than 500 homicides in Watts, most of them gang-related and tied to wars over control of the lucrative illicit market created by illegal drugs. Four of Watts' influential gangs— Watts Cirkle City Piru Bloods, Grape Street Watts Crips, Bounty Hunter Watts Bloods, and PJ Watts Crips—formed a Peace Treaty agreement in 1992 following just over 4 years of peace talks which were initiated in July 1988 with the support of the local community. The spokespersons for the groups taking part in the peace talks were Twilight and Twelve.
Twilight and Twelve photos from the 1988 Peace Talks press conference were printed on the front pages of regional and local newspapers and their interviews with TV news crews were on every news channel. In the months and years to follow Twilight would appear on National TV talk shows, radio talk shows and speak at several college and university campuses. Both Twilight and Twelve received death threats due to misinterpretation of newspaper articles by their peers, many of whom would join the peace movement in the months and years to come.
After four years of peace talks the Peace Treaty would be drafted and then agreed the day before the 1992 Los Angeles riots. The pact supported by a community based education initiatives and private investments from prominent members of the community e.g. Jim Brown continues to contribute to the decrease in gang related death in Watts and the greater South Los Angeles area since 1992. Key hallmarks of the pact continue to influence life in Watts to date, with colors and territory having little to do with gang-related crime.
Beginning in the 1980s, due to gentrification, those African Americans who could, left Watts for other parts of South Los Angeles, and suburban locations in the Antelope Valley, the Inland Empire, The San Gabriel Valley, Orange County, and the San Joaquin Valley. This process, which some call black flight, is simply part of the increasing gentrification of Non-white inner-city communities implemented in the 1980s, in a journey typical of the larger American society. The black population in Watts has been replaced by successor migrants, primarily Hispanic immigrants of Mexican and Central American ancestry, as well as a smaller proportion of Ethiopian and Indian ancestry. This process of gentrification accelerated after the 1992 riots.
In addition, there has been a net migration of African Americans out of California to return to the South in a New Great Migration. From 1995–2000, California was a net loser of African-American residents. With new jobs, Southern states have attracted the most black college graduates since 1995.
Neighborhood leaders have begun a strategy to overcome Watts' reputation as a violence-prone and impoverished area. Special promotion has been given to the museums and art galleries opened in the area surrounding Watts Towers at 1765 East 107th St, near the Imperial Highway and suburb of Lynwood. This sculptural and architectural landmark has attracted many artists and professionals to the area. I Build the Tower, a feature-length documentary film about the Watts Towers and their creator, Simon Rodia, provides a history of Watts from the 1920s to the present and a record of the activities of the Watts Towers Arts Center.
Watts is bordered by the cities of South Gate on the east and Lynwood on the southeast, and the unincorporated areas of Willowbrook on the south and Florence on the north.
The district's boundaries are Firestone Boulevard on the north, Alameda Street on the east, Imperial Highway on the south, and Central Avenue on the west. Principal thoroughfares through the district include Santa Ana Boulevard; Compton and Wilmington Avenues; and 108th Street. In addition to buses, mass transit is provided by the Blue and Green light rail lines of the Los Angeles Metro system, at the 103rd Street/Kenneth Hahn station on the Blue Line and the Imperial/Wilmington/Rosa Parks station where the Blue and Green lines meet.
Watts is split between ZIP Codes 90002 and 90059.
As of the 2000 census, total population in the district was 34,830. Ethnically, 60.8% of residents were Latino, 38.0% African American, 0.6% White, 0.1% Asian, and 0.6% other races. The median household income stood $24,728, one of the lowest in the city of Los Angeles. Per capita income stood at $6,681; 49.7% of families and 49.1% of individuals were below the poverty line.
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#30 of 30 Things To Do in Whittier
Kidspace An Interactive Museum
390 S El Molino Ave Pasadena CA - 626-449-9143
~12.56 miles from Whittier city center
Hotels Close to Kidspace An Interactive Museum
Kidspace Children's Museum is located next to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.
Since the December 2004 opening of its new facility in Brookside Park, Pasadena, Kidspace Children’s Museum has provided local community children with a space for creative and interactive learning.
1979: Kidspace Children's Museum officially launched at the California Institute of Technology. A community project of the Junior League of Pasadena, Kidspace addressed a critical educational need in the San Gabriel Valley: increased access to the arts, humanities and sciences for children. Volunteers created and presented a prototype interactive exhibit, "Making Senses," designed to stimulate the interest and curiosity of children by featuring robotics and neon light displays. More than 10,000 young visitors, their parents and teachers participated in the first exhibition during its six-week run, a significantly larger turnout than the 2,000 visitors expected.
1980: The Museum opened its doors in the Rosemont Pavilion on scenic Arroyo Seco parkland with long-term "hands-on" exhibits. Among other organizations, exhibit design and construction were the product of community collaborations with NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Art Center College of Design and UNOCAL. Volunteers helping create the new museum included a Pasadena Unified School District superintendent, a Jet Propulsion Laboratory director and an originating director of the Princeton Junior Museum, all of whom provided expertise and guidance as members of the Museum's first Board of Advisors.
1981: With burgeoning support, Kidspace leased a larger and more accessible site from Pasadena Unified School District in the heart of Pasadena. Later that year, Kidspace Children's Museum was incorporated as a private, nonprofit children's museum with a mission of enriching the lives of children through an interactive learning environment that is fun for families.
1982-1990: Kidspace introduced participatory exhibits and educational programs that engaged and educated children in the arts, humanities and sciences. Quarterly themes, such as Homes and Habitats, Seasons and Celebrations and Children of the World at Play, provided focus during public programming and school tours.
1991-1995: Kidspace had established its reputation as an innovative institution in the community. A new school programs coordinator met specific needs of teachers to coordinate curriculum with visits to the museum. In addition, campers enrolled in summer workshops and "Toddlers on the Move" provided popular and effective parenting classes and developmental play. With the energetic support of community volunteers and the Circle of Friends support group, the staff produced a range of annual events, including the Rosebud Parade (a child-sized Rose Parade), the "creatively creepy" Haunted House, Critter Expo and the Eco-Arts Festival. This period of growth was charted by Kidspace's first comprehensive strategic plan to broaden its reach into the community, fortify its volunteer base and respond to the critical needs of the community's schools, children and families.
1996: The Kidspace Board of Directors adopted a strategic plan to grow the museum from a small local attraction to a major Southern California cultural and educational destination. 2002: Kidspace closed its former site at McKinley School in Pasadena and began renovation of the historic Fannie Morrison Horticultural Center buildings at Brookside Park in the Arroyo Seco.
2005: The new Kidspace features world-class exhibitry and 2.2 acres (8,900 m2) of gardens designed to encourage children to discover the excitement of learning, while engaging in the creativity of play. Two three-story climbing towers and more than 2 acres (8,100 m2) of outdoor arroyo-scape environments designed by Nancy Goslee Power include 14 different seasonal gardens and 10 unique exploration and discovery stations.
Over the years Kidspace has received funding from many individuals including Jud and Marilyn Roberts, the Boone Family, Mark Taper, and others. Community partnerships have been formed with the City of Pasadena, the Junior League of Pasadena, Nestle Corporation, and others.
Kidspace features exhibits, programs and activities that encourage a child’s growth and development through explorations of the environment, investigations in science, and artistic forms of expression that captivate the inquisitive and growing minds of children ages 2 to 10.
Inside the museum are a variety of different exhibits and displays:
Bugsy's Diner Learn about the anatomy and feeding habits of insects and take down some recipe ideas from “The Bug Food Channel,” such as baby bee dip, banana worm bread, or roasted cricket pizza.
The Dig Uncover plant and animal fossils native to the arroyo and discover past life forms! Play the part of a paleontologist, while you investigate the dig site. Or stop by the life size vintage utility vehicle.
Shake Zone Create an earthquake by pushing large tectonic plates against each other to see how the Earth’s own shifting and sliding causes those quakes. Learn how mountains erode, and check out the map of the local area to track recent earthquake activity in Southern California.
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