Alhambra, California

Alhambra (/ælˈhæmbrə/ (listen), /ɑːlˈhɑːmbrə/ (listen), Spanish: Alhambra; Chinese: 阿罕布拉市) is a city located in the western San Gabriel Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, United States, approximately eight miles from the Downtown Los Angeles civic center. It was incorporated on July 11, 1903. As of the 2010 census, the population was 83,089. The city's ZIP Codes are 91801 and 91803 (plus 91802 for P.O. boxes).[7]

This article is about the city in Los Angeles County in Southern California. For the creek and valley in Martinez in Northern California, see Alhambra Creek.

Alhambra, California
City
Alhambra welcome sign
Seal
Motto(s): 
"Gateway to San Gabriel Valley"
Location of Alhambra within Los Angeles County, California
Alhambra
Location in California
Alhambra
Alhambra (the United States)
Alhambra
Alhambra (North America)
Coordinates: 34°4′55″N 118°8′6″W
Country United States
State California
County Los Angeles
IncorporatedJuly 11, 1903[1]
Named forTales of the Alhambra
Government
 • TypeCity council[2]
 • Councilor (District 1)Katherine Lee (I)
 • Councilor (District 2)Ross J. Maza (D)
 • Councilor (District 3)Jeffrey Koji Maloney (D)
 • Councilor (District 4)Sasha Renée Pérez (D)
 • Councilor (District 5)Adele Andrade-Stadler (I)
Area
 • Total7.63 sq mi (19.77 km2)
 • Land7.63 sq mi (19.76 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)  0.01%
Elevation492 ft (150 m)
Population
 • Total83,089
 • Estimate 
(2019)[6]
83,750
 • Density10,974.97/sq mi (4,237.45/km2)
Time zoneUTC−8 (Pacific)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−7 (PDT)
ZIP Codes
91801−91803
Area codes626, 323
FIPS code06-00884
GNIS feature IDs1660243, 2409681
Websitewww.cityofalhambra.org

History

The original inhabitants of the land where Alhambra now sits are the Tongva.

The San Gabriel Mission was founded nearby on September 8, 1771 as part of the Spanish conquest and occupation of Alta California. The land that would later become Alhambra was part of a 300,000 acre land grant given to Manuel Nieto, a soldier from the Los Angeles Presidio. In 1820 Mexico won its independence from the Spanish crown and lands once ruled by them became part of the Mexican Republic. These lands then transferred into the hands of the United States following the defeat in the Mexican–American War. A wealthy developer, Benjamin Davis Wilson, married Ramona Yorba, daughter of Bernardo Yorba, who owned the land which would become Alhambra. With the persuasion of his daughter, Ruth, Yorba named the land after a book she was reading, Washington Irving's Tales of the Alhambra, which he was inspired to write by his extended visit to the Alhambra palace in Granada, Spain.[8] Alhambra was founded as a suburb of Los Angeles that remained an unincorporated area during the mid-19th century. The first school in Alhambra was Ramona Convent Secondary School, built on hillside property donated by the prominent James de Barth Shorb family. Thirteen years before the city was incorporated, several prominent San Gabriel Valley families interested in the Catholic education of their daughters established the school in 1890. The city's first public high school, Alhambra High School, was established in 1898, five years before the city's incorporation. On July 11, 1903, the City of Alhambra was incorporated. The Alhambra Fire Department was established in 1906.

Alhambra was originally promoted as a "city of homes", and many of its homes have historical significance. They include styles such as craftsman, bungalow, Spanish Mediterranean, Spanish colonial, Italian beaux-arts, and arts and crafts. Twenty-six single-family residential areas have been designated historic neighborhoods by the city, including the Bean Tract (formerly owned by early resident Jacob Bean), the Midwick Tract (site of the former Midwick Country Club), the Airport Tract (formerly the landing pad for Alhambra Airport), and the Emery Park area.[9][10] There are also a large number of condominiums, rental apartments, and mixed-use residential/commercial buildings, especially in the downtown area.

Downtown Alhambra, Garfield and Main, 1890

Alhambra's main business district, at the intersection of Main and Garfield, has been a center of commerce since 1895.[11] By the 1950s, it had taken on an upscale look and was "the" place to go in the San Gabriel Valley. While many of the classic historical buildings have been torn down over the years, the rebuilding of Main Street has led to numerous dining, retail, and entertainment establishments. Alhambra has experienced waves of new immigrants, beginning with Italians in the 1950s, Mexicans in the 1960s, and Chinese in the 1980s. As a result, a very active Chinese business district has developed on Valley Boulevard, including Chinese supermarkets, restaurants, shops, banks, realtors, and medical offices. The Valley Boulevard corridor has become a national hub for many Asian-owned bank headquarters, and there are other nationally recognised retailers in the city.

The historic Garfield Theatre, located at Valley Boulevard and Garfield Avenue from 1925 until 2001, was formerly a vaudeville venue and is rumored to have hosted the Gumm Sisters, featuring a very young Judy Garland. Faded from its original glory, for its last few years it was purchased and ran Chinese-language films, and in 2001 went out of business. Subsequently, developers have remodeled the dilapidated building, turning it into a vibrant commercial center with many Chinese stores and eateries.

In 2003, actress Lana Clarkson was shot to death in the Alhambra home of record producer Phil Spector. Spector lived in Alhambra's largest and most notable residence, the Pyrenees Castle, built in 1926.[12] In 2009, Spector was convicted of second-degree murder in connection with Clarkson's death.[13]

Geography

Alhambra is bordered by South Pasadena on the northwest, San Marino on the north, San Gabriel on the east, Monterey Park on the south, and the Los Angeles districts of Monterey Hills and El Sereno on the west.[14]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.6 square miles (20 km2), over 99% of which is land.

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
1890808—
19105,021—
19209,09681.2%
193029,472224.0%
194038,93532.1%
195051,35931.9%
196054,8076.7%
197062,12513.4%
198064,7674.3%
199082,10626.8%
200085,8044.5%
201083,089−3.2%
2019 (est.)83,750[6]0.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[15]

2010

The 2010 United States Census[16] reported that Alhambra had a population of 83,089. Its population density was 10,887.4 people per square mile (4,203.6/km2). The racial makeup of Alhambra was 43,957 (52.9%) Asian, 23,521 (28.3%) White, (10.0% non-Hispanic White),[5] 1,281 (1.5%) African American, 538 (0.6%) Native American, 81 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 10,805 (13.0%) from other races, and 2,906 (3.5%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 28,582 persons (34.4%).

The census reported that 82,475 people (99.3% of the population) lived in households, 132 (0.2%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 482 (0.6%) were institutionalized.

There were 29,217 households, of which 9,357 (32.0%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 13,679 (46.8%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 4,818 (16.5%) had a female householder with no husband present, and 2,097 (7.2%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,370 (4.7%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 183 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 6,479 households (22.2%) were made up of individuals, and 2,301 (7.9%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82. There were 20,594 families (70.5% of all households); the average family size was 3.30.

The population was spread out, with 15,707 people (18.9%) under the age of 18, 7,876 people (9.5%) aged 18 to 24, 24,907 people (30.0%) aged 25 to 44, 22,687 people (27.3%) aged 45 to 64, and 11,912 people (14.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.4 males.

There were 30,915 housing units, at an average density of 4,050.9 per square mile (1,564.1/km2), of which 11,916 (40.8%) were owner-occupied and 17,301 (59.2%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.3%. 35,774 people (43.1% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units, and 46,701 people (56.2%) lived in rental housing units.

During 2009–2013, Alhambra had a median household income of $54,148, with 13.9% of the population living below the federal poverty line.[5]

Alhambra, 1920

These were the ten neighborhoods in Los Angeles County with the largest percentage of Asian residents, according to the 2000 census:[17]

  1. Chinatown, 70.6%
  2. Monterey Park, 61.1%
  3. Cerritos, 58.3%
  4. Walnut, 56.2%
  5. Rowland Heights, 51.7%
  6. San Gabriel, 48.9%
  7. Rosemead, 48.6%
  8. Alhambra, 47.2%
  9. San Marino, 46.8%
  10. Arcadia, 45.4%

Government

Local government

The city is governed by a five-member city council; one member of the council is chosen as mayor.[18] Council members are nominated by district and elected for four-year terms. Half of the council seats are up for election in each even-numbered year, which is held in a Tuesday after the first Monday in November during the California general election. The City Manager is appointed by the City Council and oversees the day-to-day operations of ten City departments, 400 employees and a $145M budget. The current City Manager, Jessica Binnquist was appointed in 2018.

State and federal

In the California State Legislature, Alhambra is in the 22nd Senate District, represented by Democrat Susan Rubio, and in the 49th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Ed Chau.[19]

In the United States House of Representatives, Alhambra is in California's 27th congressional district, represented by Democrat Judy Chu.[20]

Transportation

The San Bernardino Freeway (I-10) runs through the city's southern portions, and the Long Beach Freeway (I-710) has its northern terminus at Valley Boulevard in the far southwestern portions of the city. Major thoroughfares within the city include Atlantic and Valley Boulevards, Mission Road, Fremont and Garfield Avenues, and Main Street.

Public transportation in Alhambra is provided by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) as well as the Alhambra Community Transit.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority is considering proposals to a build high-speed rail system through Alhambra along the San Bernardino Freeway (I-10) corridor from the east city limits to west city limits. In late July 2010, the authority told the city that the options under consideration included building tracks down the center of the freeway and parallel to the freeway along Ramona Road. As proposed, there would be a 50-foot-wide (15 m) deck set on top of 35-foot-high (11 m) posts placed every 100 feet (30 m). The proposal is part of the high-speed rail network currently planned for California. It is part of the line between Los Angeles's Union Station and San Diego, through the Inland Empire. Residents and city leaders voiced opposition to the plan to route the high-speed trains through the city in public meetings.[21][22]

Media

The local newspaper is the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. The regional newspaper is the Los Angeles Times.

Around Alhambra is a local community paper published monthly by the Alhambra Chamber of Commerce.[23]

The Alhambra Source is a hyperlocal, online-only news site that aims to cover news and be a trilingual voice for local storytellers. It is a collaborative effort between Alhambra residents, professional journalists and web developers, and University of Southern California researchers and students. The Alhambra Source was launched in September 2010 as an offshoot of a larger research project of the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.[24]

Economy

Car dealerships are the largest contributor to the local economy. Many car brands can be found in Alhambra, such as Acura, BMW, Honda, Nissan, Toyota, Ford, KIA, Volkswagen, Dodge, Jeep and Chrysler. Most of these dealerships are found on the Main St. auto row near Atlantic Boulevard.

In recent years there has been an effort to revitalize Main St. from Atlantic Blvd. to Garfield Ave. Many new restaurants have been opening on Main St. as well as development of mixed-use buildings that have provided opportunities for more businesses to open and provide jobs, such as the new Sprouts farmers market.[25]

The Hat, a local icon, was opened in Alhambra in 1951. It was the original, family-owned outdoor restaurant, and is now a well-known small Southern California chain. The company has kept to its roots by keeping its retro neon signs featuring a chef's toque and the words "World Famous Pastrami". It was a prototype of today's fast-food restaurants. Its customers consume 13–15 tons of pastrami per week.[26] Shakey's Pizza also has its headquarters in Alhambra.[27]

On the western edge of town, the Ratkovich Company, which owns The Alhambra office complex (formerly the site of Fluor Corporation's headquarters), built 351 condominium units on 10.5 acres (42,000 m2), as well as a parking structure, after completing the LA Fitness gym, valued at $190 million.

Top employers

According to the City of Alhambra 2016 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the year ended June 2016,[28] the city's employers are the Alhambra Unified School District (with 2,107 workers), the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works (1,661), Southern California Edison (800), the City of Alhambra (650), Alhambra Hospital (600), the County of Los Angeles Community Development Commission (450), Costco (433), and Target (275).

Notable Associations

The Serbian Orthodox Eparchy of Western America has its headquarters in Alhambra.[29]

Landmarks
The Hat neon sign at Garfield Ave.
  • Alhambra Place Shopping Center (Main Street and Garfield Avenue)
  • Almansor Park
  • Dupuy's Pyrenees Castle (Grandview Drive)
  • Edwards Stadium Cinemas (Edwards Alhambra Renaissance Stadium 14 and IMAX)
  • Fosselman's Ice Cream - An old-fashioned ice cream shop
  • Garfield Theatre (Valley Boulevard and Garfield Avenue), originally the Valley Grand Building
  • Gateway Plaza Monument (Valley Boulevard and Fremont Avenue)
  • LA County Public Works building (Fremont and Commonwealth), previously Sears Western Corporate Offices
  • Granada Park
  • Ramona Convent
  • Renaissance Plaza (Main Street and Garfield Avenue)
  • The Hat sign (Valley Boulevard and Garfield Avenue)
  • Twohey's Restaurant sign (Huntington Drive and Atlantic Boulevard)
  • Wing Lung Bank, Los Angeles Branch building that had the largest glass tile mural in North America until 2008[30]

Annual events

Each year on Valley Boulevard, the cities of Alhambra and San Gabriel used to co-host the San Gabriel Valley Lunar New Year Parade and Festival, which ran from Del Mar to Garfield Avenues. The event was of such significance to the majority Asian American demographic in Alhambra that it was broadcast live on Chinese radio, KWRM AM 1370, locally on KSCI-18, and later on worldwide cable and satellite TV. Now Alhambra alone ran the event within city limits without the parade.

From 2001 to 2008, Alhambra was the host of the Summer Jubilee, a street carnival and music concert held every Saturday, until its postponement due to loss of funds caused by the late 2000s recession.[31]

Education
Mark Keppel High School

Alhambra is home to the Los Angeles campus of Platt College[32] and the Los Angeles Campus of Alliant International University.[33] The University of Southern California has a Health Sciences Alhambra campus, which hosts the university's Institute for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research (IPR), and its master's degree program in public health.

Primary and secondary schools

Almost all of the city is within the Alhambra Unified School District. The district's public elementary and middle schools (K–8) located in Alhambra are Martha Baldwin, Emery Park, Fremont, Garfield, Granada, Marguerita, William Northrup, Park, and Ramona.[34] Additionally a small part of the city is assigned to Monterey Highlands K-8 in Monterey Park.[35] The public high schools in Alhambra are: Alhambra High School, founded in 1898; Century High School; Independence High School; Mark Keppel High School; and San Gabriel High School (which, despite its name, is located within Alhambra).[36][37] Alhambra Unified School District used to run Garfield Community Adult School until the early 2010s.

Historic Ramona Convent Secondary School is a Catholic all-girls college preparatory school for grades 7–12 in Alhambra. Its first building was dedicated at Ramona Acres on January 29, 1890.

Other sectarian schools in the city include St. Therese (Catholic, grades K–8), St. Thomas More Elementary (Catholic, K–8), All Souls World Language School (Catholic, K–8),[38] and Emmaus Lutheran (Lutheran, PK–8). Nonsectarian private schools include Oneonta Montessori School (grades PK–6), Sherman School (10–12), Bell Tower School (PS-5) and Leeway School (3–12).[39]

Notable people

See also

References
  1. "California Cities by Incorporation Date". California Association of Local Agency Formation Commissions. Archived from the original (Word) on November 3, 2014. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
  2. "City Council - City of Alhambra". City of Alhambra. Archived from the original on October 18, 2014. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
  3. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  4. "Alhambra". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
  5. "Alhambra (city) QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 15, 2015. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
  6. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  7. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/alhambracitycalifornia
  8. "History of Alhambra - City of Alhambra". www.cityofalhambra.org. Archived from the original on October 29, 2015. Retrieved October 26, 2015.
  9. "R1 Design Guidelines - City of Alhambra". www.cityofalhambra.org. Archived from the original on October 29, 2015. Retrieved October 26, 2015.
  10. "Residential Living - City of Alhambra". www.cityofalhambra.org. Archived from the original on October 25, 2015. Retrieved October 26, 2015.
  11. Vincent, Roger (December 11, 2014) "Alhambra to get $130-million shopping and housing complex" Los Angeles Times
  12. Glaister, Dan (March 17, 2007). "Phil Spector and the wall of charges" – via www.theguardian.com.
  13. "LA jury finds Phil Spector guilty of murder". April 13, 2009 – via Reuters.
  14. "Regional location map" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on April 3, 2018. Retrieved October 19, 2017.
  15. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  16. "2010 Census Interactive Population Search: CA - Alhambra city". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on December 15, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
  17. "Asian", Mapping L.A., Los Angeles Times
  18. "City Government". Archived from the original on November 24, 2010. Retrieved November 25, 2010.
  19. "Statewide Database". UC Regents. Archived from the original on February 1, 2015. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
  20. "California's 27th Congressional District - Representatives & District Map". Civic Impulse, LLC.
  21. "High-speed rail in your neighborhood". City of Alhambra. Archived from the original on September 5, 2010. Retrieved August 14, 2010.
  22. Mike Sprague. "Questions bedevil proposed California high-speed rail system". Pasadena Star News. Archived from the original on August 17, 2010. Retrieved August 14, 2010.
  23. "Around Alhambra, at Alhambra Chamber of Commerce". Archived from the original on January 17, 2011. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
  24. "About Us". Archived from the original on March 9, 2011. Retrieved February 20, 2011.
  25. "Sprouts Farmers Market to Open Store in Alhambra March 2". December 3, 2015. Archived from the original on May 10, 2017. Retrieved January 29, 2018.
  26. "DELI MAY SPREAD TO BURBANK. - Free Online Library". Thefreelibrary.com. October 4, 2000. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
  27. "Contact Us - Shakey's Pizza Parlor". Shakey's Pizza Parlor.
  28. City of Alhambra Archived April 29, 2017, at the Wayback Machine CAFR
  29. "Contact Information Archived December 31, 2010, at the Wayback Machine." Diocese of Western America. Retrieved on February 26, 2011. "1621 West Garvey Avenue Alhambra, CA 91803"
  30. "Wing Lung Bank Mural". www.becomingtile.com. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  31. "CoLab Radio » Blog Archive » What Happened to the Hi Neighbor parade? A Brief History of Parades in Alhambra, California". colabradio.mit.edu. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
  32. "Alhambra Campus". Platt College. Retrieved January 29, 2018.
  33. "Los Angeles Campus". Alliant International University. Retrieved January 29, 2018.
  34. "Alhambra Unified School District". www.alhambra.k12.ca.us.
  35. "K-8 Zoning Map" (PDF). Alhambra Unified School District. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  36. City of Alhambra Public Schools (K-12), City of Alhambra, archived from the original on October 29, 2015, retrieved October 25, 2015
  37. "High School Zoning Map" (PDF). Alhambra Unified School District. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  38. https://www.allsoulsla.org/
  39. "Alhambra Private Schools - California, CA". www.locateaprivateschool.com.
  40. "Rock 'n' Roll: Danny "Little Red" Lopez - Boxing.com". www.boxing.com.
  41. "City of Alhambra: A personal recollection". Archived from the original on April 21, 2012. Retrieved March 26, 2011.
  42. "Navy Admiral James D. Watkins, an Alhambra native, dies at 85". Archived from the original on August 9, 2012.
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