LAist: The Neighborhood Project: Baldwin Hills

lrandel99

Sat, 07 Jun 2008 17:17:26 -0800

I lived in Baldwin Hills from 1952 to 1971. Does anyone remember the army fort that had three anti-aircraft gun emplacements? I viewed these when I was in Cub Scotts. It eventually was in ruins and we played in the buildings when I was a kid.

georgepeter

Sun, 24 Feb 2008 16:57:44 -0800

I grew up in Baldwin Hills. I lived there between 1956 and 1970. I remember very well the dam collapse which occurred only three weeks after President Kennedy was murdered. Interestingly, the picture of "The Bowl" in K. Hahn park is where the reservoir was seated. Imagine that area was once under 50 feet of water. For fantastic photos of what it once looked like, go to: myspace.com/baldwinhills

fabooj

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 14:49:50 -0800

Too much info! When I saw this project, I just assumed it would be all westside/valley stuff and rolled on. Now you went and told the secrets of BH. You got the houses of two family members in 3 friends posted up there! How is that even possible? And you ratted out food AND the shopping. When I lived in the Fairfax Dist. I'd go to BH for my playdates for my kids because in general the moms in my areas were uninteresting bores. Now I live in El Sereno and the only thing I miss about my old area is that it that much farther from BH.

Ryan Young

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 13:34:14 -0800

Kemp, finally got around to reading this, and it was definitely worth the wait. Loved all the pics of the park and the mural. Great job!

pinoy

Sun, 19 Aug 2007 16:21:29 -0800

Thanks Joy and Kemp for the update about the new location of Esowon Bookstore. I'll definitely check it out.

joy

Sat, 18 Aug 2007 21:05:32 -0800

Great profile. #10...Esowon is now in Leimert Park (on Degnan). Also, Creole Cafe used to be the hamburger stand made famous in "Boyz N' the Hood", where Doughboy (Ice Cube) retaliated on the gang members who shot his brother played by that fine specimen of a man, Morris Chestnut. Their salads are HUGE, delicious and it can take me 2 sittngs to finish one.

Kemp

Sat, 18 Aug 2007 20:56:46 -0800

Thanks pinoy. Yes, Esowon books is absolutely a very important bookstore staple in the area, but they moved from their spot on La Brea and Rodeo (in Baldwin Hills) nearby to 4331 Degnan Blvd in Leimert Park, just outside of the boundaries of this entry. But I didn't know about the Japanese component of Baldwin Hills. Thanks for the insight.

guest

Sat, 18 Aug 2007 14:37:52 -0800

I really enjoyed reading this. When I first moved to LA, I spent a month living in Village Green. I was still getting used to driving, so I didn't often venture outside of the neighborhood, and I came to really appreciate the place and the sense of community I found there. I never understood other people's attitude toward the area -- I would tell people where I was living and they'd act shocked that I was staying in such a place. I still feel very fond of the neighborhood every time I pass by -- and I'm definitely going to have to check out the Kenneth Hahn Recreation Area! Thank you! lisabug.net

Kemp

Sat, 18 Aug 2007 10:49:39 -0800

Thanks for all the kind words and great suggestions folks. I've added links for both the park and the lake, since lots of people seem excited to discover this great little green corner of our city. Creole Chef doesn't have a website, so I just added a link to Menu Pages which includes the telephone number and hours. Enjoy!

Kulia

Sat, 18 Aug 2007 09:12:36 -0800

I can't wait to check out that park! Thanks for a great report, can't wait to get some gumbo.

Elise Thompson

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 17:03:45 -0800

Fantastic stuff!!! Does that fisherman on the left have four arms?

hipsterorbum

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 16:55:49 -0800

I thought Pill Hill was above Silver Lake??

guest

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 16:02:44 -0800

great stuff.

Lindsay William-Ross

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 11:53:56 -0800

guest #13--you've uncovered one of the tragic flaws of the neighborhood project: unincorporated areas of los angeles. ladera heights is one such area, since it is not in the city of los angeles it is not destined to be covered as part of our neighborhood project. which is too bad, because i would have signed up to cover it; i used to work in ladera and would have loved to have written about it. kemp: awesome job! you're inspiring me to get back out there and get myself to my next neighborhood project subject area. and i'm with everyone about the buffet--name the date and i'll see you guys there.

guest

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 11:48:55 -0800

I loved this. Read it twice, in fact.

enhager

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 11:20:38 -0800

This is the best review of the neighborhoods south of the 10 and east of La Brea that I've seen. You have a nuance and understanding of the city as a whole not usually expressed. Baldwin Hills - "Usually considered: "The 'hood" to most people who live north of the I-10." That is so true. We moved to Leimert Park three years ago and couldn't be happier - and we looked at several underpriced townhomes in the amazing Village Green as well. And this as well - so true - "I've got to give QT credit, because he probably guessed (correctly) most westsiders wouldn't check the theater out for themselves. Didn't really care for "Crash" as a movie but its theme of a city divided by race and wealth are so visible when you look from this view." Can't wait for the Leimert Park story. Until then, come for a visit and check out what's going on at Leimert Park as well. http://LeimertPark.ning.com

guest

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 11:11:07 -0800

Marvelous job! Especially the historical section. There was another natural disaster which affected many homes in Balwin Hills in 1985: A brush fire on the La Brea hillside swept up the hills. Wikipedia says that 53 homes were destroyed and 3 people died. Why not discuss the mall as a whole? Even though it may be split between the Crenshaw District and Baldwin Hills, that's not how people see it when they go there (at least I don't). The Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Mall acutally has three anchor tenants: Wal Mart, Macy's and Sears (I was there over the weekend). It also has a TJ Maxx store, but it's not an anchor. Originally there was a Robinson's-Ma and The Broadway, but both of those department stores were purchased by Macy's. As for the Magic Johnson Theatres, they were state of the art when the opened, but so many other new theatres have opened over the last 12 years (The Bridge, ArcLight, Grove, AMC Century City, The Landmark), that I would have to rank them in the 2nd tier. The ArcLight and the Grove are still at the top. Can't wait for you to do Ladera Heights (where I live). Again, you really did a fantastic job, Kemp. Cheers!

Michele Reverte

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 11:07:40 -0800

This post had it all! Kudos to you, Kemp.

guest

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 11:05:58 -0800

Great profile! Perhaps the best yet. You''ll be happy to learn that there are plans to expand Kenneth Hahn SRA westward... I'll see if I can't find details and post them here.

pinoy

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 11:05:50 -0800

I wish Kemp featured the Esowon bookstore on La Brea and Rodeo. I would swing by there whenever I take a quick traffic detour to Rodeo. There's a considerable amount of Japanese families that used to live in some of the homes in Baldwin Hills. Hence, some of the homes still maintained the Bonsai tree in their front lawns.

Anti

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 11:00:22 -0800

kemp, you're an example for us all!

guest

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 10:45:47 -0800

I really liked this one. When I'm in LA I live so close to Baldwin Hills and I didn't even know about this mall. I'm checking out the buffet next time in town. Thanks!

guest

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 10:42:52 -0800

This really is a great series. I live in SF (east coast native) and sometimes dream/fantasize/nightmare about moving to LA. This series is really helping me understand the parts of town that I don't know much about. I'll definintely be expanding my next tour of So Cal based on your online tours!

guest

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 10:28:57 -0800

Awesome. I HEART this project. I eagerly await the next neighborhood.

guest

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 10:28:28 -0800

Which big blue bus is that?

guest

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 10:17:27 -0800

This article is a shining example of why this Neighborhood Guide series is so fantastic. I'm filled with desire to know My City better, and this Baldwin Bills Guide wets my whistle enough to want to go in for a big gulp. _C$

guest

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 10:13:00 -0800

Loved it. I really want to get me to Baldwin Hills now, which all the best entries in this series do.

guest

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 09:53:34 -0800

Great profile! It has sparked the interest of this westsider, who was blown away by the pictures of that park and the presence of Cajun food. I think I need to pay a visit very soon.

Elina Shatkin

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 09:43:31 -0800

Great overview of Baldwin Hills! All of your neighborhood project entries have rocked, Kemp, but this may be my favorite. I only recently discovered Village Green because a friend of mine bought a house there. I'm glad to to see it mentioned among the notable neighborhood sites.