culver city, california

Culver City is a city located in western Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 38,816. Since the 1920s, Culver City has been a major center for motion picture and later television production, in part because it was the home of MGM Studios. The city is now home to the headquarters facilities for National Public Radio West and for Sony Pictures Entertainment.

History

Culver City was founded by Harry Culver in 1913 and the city was incorporated in 1917. The first film studio in Culver City was built by Thomas Ince in 1918. In the 1920s, silent film comedy producer Hal Roach and Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) would build studios in Culver City. During Prohibition, speakeasies and nightclubs such as the Cotton Club lined Washington Boulevard near the studios; as with West Hollywood to the north, their presence was a major factor in the city's resistance of annexation by Los Angeles. In the 1960s, much of the MGM lot was sold off to build condominiums and gated townhouse communities. The decline of neighboring South Central Los Angeles brought gang and narcotics problems to Culver City in the 1970s, and for some time Culver City (especially the city's eastern end) was considered a relatively undesirable area. However, in the 1990s, it launched a successful revitalization program in which it renovated its downtown as well as several shopping centers in the Sepulveda Boulevard corridor near Fox Hills Mall. Around the same time, the relocation of Sony's motion picture operations to the former MGM studios at Washington Boulevard and Overland Avenue also brought much-needed jobs to the city. Although property crime is still an issue (as in most areas of Los Angeles), Culver City is now a diverse, prosperous middle-class community. Roman Catholic Holy Cross Cemetery and Jewish Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery contain the remains of many celebrities and local residents.

Neighborhoods

Sunkist Park
Federal Park
Carlson Park
Hayden Tract
Culver Crest
Rancho Higuera

Geography

The city is surrounded by the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Mar Vista, West Los Angeles, Palms and Beverlywood to the north; Westchester to the south; the Baldwin Hills and Ladera Heights unincorporated areas to the east; and the L.A. neighborhoods of Venice and Playa Vista to the west, along with the unincorporated area of Marina Del Rey. The major geographic feature of Culver City is Ballona Creek, which runs northeast to southwest through most of the city before it drains into Santa Monica Bay in Marina Del Rey. Culver City is served by the San Diego, Santa Monica, and Marina freeways. Since the early 1980s, plans have been in the works to begin light rail service from downtown Los Angeles to Culver City on the former Pacific Electric Railroad right-of-way along Exposition and National Boulevards, but lawsuits by Cheviot Hills residents over noise issues have delayed the project for a quarter-century. As of this writing (October 2004), the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority does not plan to begin work on the project until 2007. Culver City is located at 34°0'28" North, 118°24'3" West (34.007761, -118.400905). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 13.3 km² (5.1 mi²). 13.2 km² (5.1 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.39% water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 38,816 people, 16,611 households, and 9,518 families residing in the city. The population density is 2,932.9/km² (7,589.8/mi²). There are 17,130 housing units at an average density of 1,294.3/km ² (3,349.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 59.24% White, 11.96% Black or African American, 0.71% Native American, 12.02% Asian, 0.21% Pacific Islander, 10.16% from other races, and 5.69% from two or more races. 23.70% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 16,611 households out of which 26.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.8% are married couples living together, 12.8% have a female householder with no husband present, and 42.7% are non-families. 34.5% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.3% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.31 and the average family size is 3.02. In the city the population is spread out with 20.9% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 33.3% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 39 years. For every 100 females there are 87.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 82.7 males. The median income for a household in the city is $51,792, and the median income for a family is $61,451. Males have a median income of $46,683 versus $41,478 for females. The per capita income for the city is $29,025. 8.6% of the population and 5.5% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 12.1% of those under the age of 18 and 5.1% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

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