In the s and s, several families closed their farms. That land was then rezoned and subdivided for residential use.
Mansions," Chandler said. Some of these families, he added, wanted bigger homes to accommodate many generations living together under one roof. Sho Tay, Arcadia's current mayor, saw it happen firsthand. Born in Taiwan, Tay was part of the first wave of immigrants to the area in , which was followed by another from Hong Kong. But it was the migration of mainland Chinese people to Arcadia in the late s that transformed the city, he said.
That wave was exceptionally wealthy, and the people who came found it cheaper to build a big home in Arcadia than China. The school system was another big draw. Tay moved to the city to start a family because of the district's reputation, and so did Thai's parents in the mids.
In fact, Thai's alma mater Arcadia High had a rare percent graduation rate in Arcadia's largest mall, Westfield Santa Anita, is one of the best places to see how the city's rich Asian residents spend their money and eat extravagantly. There are mall staples like Nordstrom and Swarovski. But next to them are places like Wing Hop Fung, a speciality Asian general store first established in downtown L.
That's especially true for food. There's Din Tai Fung , the restaurant famous for its xiaolongbao, dumplings bursting with brothy soup. If you're lucky, you can head across the hall to Uncle Tetsu to snag a slice of Japanese cheesecake, which is more light and fluffy than its American cousin.
And the late food critic Jonathan Gold loved Side Chick for its Hainan chicken, where chicken is poached in a rich ginger-scallion broth and served with a side of garlicky rice. The food options are part of a concerted effort by the mall to serve the community. The company's architects congregated these restaurants in a promenade inspired by the hutons of Beijing , where narrow alleys and streets converge around a courtyard.
The company even helps stores translate signage into Chinese with staffers in the corporate office who can speak Mandarin, Taiwanese, Cantonese, Spanish and English. Santa Anita Park opened in It's where the legendary horse Seabiscuit made a name for himself, and it's one of the most prestigious horse race tracks in the country.
Live horse racing begins on September 28th, but fans can come any time of the year to watch races around the world and place bets. The park also hosts an array of events like Night Market , a dream for Instagram-loving foodies. A post shared by Night Market nightmarket. Thai even got her diploma on the race track, itself, when she graduated high school this past spring. But Santa Anita Park has a dark past. The last leader of the municipality served as mayor and city council member for 50 years!
His grandfather founded the city. His colleagues in city government? Yes, the city owns all residential property in its jurisdiction. The effect on civic health is predictable:. Later this year, the California legislature is expected to vote on whether or not to strip Vernon of its status as a city. If they do so, it will operate as an unincorporated area under the jurisdiction of Los Angeles County. On a recent evening, I listened as a couple people I know talked about Metro LA's crazy patchwork of civic jurisdictions.
We were in a nice backyard in Santa Monica. Here's how the conversation proceeded. I mean, that's not what I'm saying. But I hadn't thought of it that way.
So make everything part of L. For all sorts of reasons, Greater LA is going to blunder on with its current system mostly intact, giving some of its residents greater local autonomy, and consigning others to marginally more corruption as a result. Skip to content Site Navigation The Atlantic. Popular Latest. The Atlantic Crossword. Sign In Subscribe. Vernon has become the center of a vast and costly power struggle, as state officials have embarked on an extraordinary campaign to legally abolish the city and make it part of Los Angeles County This tiny city has responded with a sophisticated, high-priced battle with the trappings of a national campaign.
It has hired a fleet of some of the highest-paid lobbyists, lawyers, political consultants and communications experts in the country. Vernon officials argued that businesses would shut down if Vernon is dis-incorporated, that the Legislature has no legal standing to abolish it and that corruption here has been cleaned up.
To be a councilman in Vernon is to be a chosen one. You don't just move into town and get involved in community affairs. Live Stream Schedule In Person. We're recruiting listeners and readers to take us to the neighborhoods they live in and love. Like many parts of Southern California, Native Americans first called the land home before Spanish settlers took over. It wasn't until that the city got its name. Then in the s, it developed Grand Central Air Terminal , one of the the most important sites in America for the development of planes and air travel.
At the same time, the population took off, transforming Glendale into a sleepy bedroom community for L. It was also known as being a "sundown town," meaning that minorities -- mostly blacks -- were not allowed to be on the streets after sundown. On top of that, it was selected to be the West Coast headquarters of the American Nazi Party in they moved out in But the city's demographics and values started to change in the early s when migrants from Iran, Cuba, Korea and other countries were able to move in.
Armenian immigrants led that wave even though decades before, some were not seen as "white enough" to escape discrimination , and now nearly 3 in 10 people identify as non-white, according to the Census.
Today, Glendale is the third largest city by population in the county behind Los Angeles and Long Beach. It's also a powerhouse shopping area that includes the Americana and the Galleria. Mathew and Khorsrovian later married, and are co-founders of Greenbar Distillery in downtown L. She suggests starting at the acre Brand Park and taking a trail that leads up to the hillside overlooking the Valley.
One block east of the Glendale Americana is Artsakh Avenue, a street once known as Maryland Avenue that went through a name change last fall. Artsakh is a region mostly populated by Armenians, and the avenue's new name is a tribute to the large Armenian population that also calls Glendale home. They make up the largest ethnic group in the city, and Glendale has the biggest concentration of them in the U.
Stop by Urartu Coffee for a coffee or tea. Owner Urik Ghazalian features the work of Armenian artists on the walls, and welcomes local musicians occasionally. Urartu also hosts coffee readings, where people like Ani Carla Kalafian will study the grounds at the bottom of finished cup to foretell people's futures.
Then grab dinner at Raffi's Place just off Artsakh Avenue for Persian cuisine like soltani kabob and ghormesabzi, before stopping by Abril Books to pick up some Armenian reading or gifts for home. It will educate the public on the story of Armenians, while also being a center for people to learn about their culture's own history.
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