The Sterling Plaza (also known as the California Bank Building ) is a historic building in Beverly Hills, California .
59-697: The building is located at 9429–9441 on Wilshire Boulevard , in the City of Beverly Hills, California. Construction was completed in 1929. It was designed by the architectural team John and Donald Parkinson in the Art Deco style. With seven stories, it is 32 metres (105 ft) high. It was built for the California National Bank of Beverly Hills . As a result, it was first known as the California Bank Building. The building
118-481: A 99-year lease with the Mayer estate that required him to pay a relatively small annual fee and 15% of any rental income, which was why Sterling had remained the sole tenant. "With no other tenant," Lidz reported, "the Mayer estate faces another 75 years with virtually no income from its Sterling Plaza property. By sitting and waiting, Sterling may force a fire sale." This article about a California building or structure
177-686: A Korean store owner, Soon Ja Du, shot and killed a 15-year-old Black customer, Latasha Harlins . Du accused Harlins of stealing orange juice, and after watching her put down the jug and turn to leave, shot her in the head. Some historians view Du's posting bail as the breaking point in tensions. The 1992 Los Angeles riots stimulated a new wave of political activism among Korean-Americans, but also split them into two camps. The liberals sought to unite with other minorities in Los Angeles to fight against racial oppression and scapegoating . The conservatives emphasized law and order and generally favored
236-508: A boulevard stretching westward from a tract of luxury homes he was developing in Westlake Park (today's MacArthur Park). His conditions for the donation of the 120 ft (37 m) wide by 1,200 ft (370 m) long strip of land along the 35 acres (14 ha) barley field he was subdividing were that it be named for him and that railroad lines and commercial or industrial trucking would be banned. The road first appeared on
295-420: A gateway to a richer neighborhood. It can't be denied." Some Korean Americans who survived the riot have said that people of minority races and ethnicities were not served fairly by the current social system. An 18-year-old Korean American, Edward Song Lee, and his three friends went to protect a Korean-owned pizza shop, along with other store owners and volunteers who would constitute the rooftop Koreans . Lee
354-524: A map under its present name in 1895. A historic apartment building on the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and South Kenmore Avenue, the Gaylord, carries his middle name. Wilshire Boulevard formerly ended at the MacArthur Park lake, but in 1934 a berm was built for it to cross and link up with the existing Orange Street (which ran from Figueroa to Alvarado) into downtown Los Angeles. Orange Street
413-480: A march to the Seoul Peace Park. The Wilshire Center Business Improvement District (WCBID) holds the annual Earth Day / Car Free Day Festival every April 22 on Wilshire. KTOWN Night Market holds an annual festival at Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools . The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority operates two subway lines in or near Koreatown — the B Line , beneath Vermont Avenue, and
472-403: A mile along Western Avenue to Rosewood Avenue is also included as part of Koreatown. In 2010, the City of Los Angeles considered expanding Koreatown further west to include Wilshire Park and Park Mile. The request was rejected, and the committee reiterated that the western boundary for Koreatown was at Western Avenue. The Koreatown Regional Commercial Center runs along Olympic Boulevard and
531-572: A popular tourist destination while also increasing economic inequality for locals. Protests against and in favor of building a homeless shelter took place in 2020. Since Koreatown has a Latino majority, it is not unusual to find Latino employees in restaurants and grocery stores speaking Korean with customers or Korean store owners engaging Latino customers in Spanish. An example of a cultural interchange between Koreans and Latinos in Koreatown
590-529: A raised center median. The widest portion of the boulevard is located in the business district of central Westwood , where mobs of pedestrians crossing Wilshire at Westwood Boulevard must traverse ten lanes (including two left-turn pockets). According to a 1991 study by the Los Angeles Department of Transportation , this and the nearby intersection of Wilshire and Veteran are among the busiest in Los Angeles. The B and D subway lines of
649-513: A result of their low social status and language barrier. In late 2008, the City of Los Angeles designated Koreatown a special graphics district (along with Hollywood and the downtown neighborhood of South Park /LA Live). The designation allows for digital signage and electronic billboards, not permitted by city code , to be installed on building facades. The designation allowed Times Square and Shibuya District-inspired buildings lined with LCD jumbotrons . The 300-square block graphics district
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#1732787128697708-571: A vibrant nightlife with many lively restaurants and clubs, especially Korean barbeque restaurants and karaoke bars. Asiana Airlines operates a sales office in Koreatown. Korean Air 's United States Passenger Operations headquarters are located in close proximity to Koreatown in the Westlake community. Grupo TACA operates a Los Angeles-area TACA Center in Suite 100P at 3600 Wilshire Boulevard. The Consulate-General of South Korea in Los Angeles
767-492: Is "generally bounded by Eighth Street on the north, Twelfth Street on the south, Western Avenue on the west, and continues east towards Vermont Avenue", according to the Wilshire Community Plan of the City of Los Angeles. Google Maps draws the following boundaries for Koreatown: Vermont Avenue on the east, Western Avenue on the west, Third Street on the north and Olympic Boulevard on the south. According to
826-402: Is Wilshire Boulevard, from Vermont to Western avenues. But the area extends south as Olympic Boulevard and north to Beverly Blvd, with spillover into adjacent Westlake and Hancock Park. In the early 1900s, Koreans clustered around the downtown Los Angeles Bunker Hill area. This housing segregation was due to racial covenant laws that restricted them to mixed-race, low-income districts. By
885-558: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Wilshire Boulevard Wilshire Boulevard (['wɪɫ.ʃɚ]) is a prominent 15.83 mi (25.48 km) boulevard in the Los Angeles area of Southern California , extending from Ocean Avenue in the city of Santa Monica east to Grand Avenue in the Financial District of downtown Los Angeles . One of the principal east–west arterial roads of Los Angeles, it
944-435: Is also one of the major city streets through the city of Beverly Hills . Wilshire Boulevard runs roughly parallel to Santa Monica Boulevard from Santa Monica to the west boundary of Beverly Hills. From the east boundary, it runs a block south of Sixth Street to its terminus. Wilshire Boulevard is densely developed throughout most of its span, connecting five of Los Angeles's major business districts and Beverly Hills. Many of
1003-595: Is at 3243 Wilshire Boulevard . The Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Los Angeles is at 443 Shatto Place, while the passport and visa office is on the third floor of 500 Shatto Place. The Consulate General of El Salvador is at 3450 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 250 and the Consulate General of Guatemala is at 3540 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 100. The Consulate General of Honduras and Nicaragua are at 3550 Wilshire Blvd. The Consulate General of Bolivia
1062-535: Is at 3701 Wilshire Blvd #1056. The Consulate General of Indonesia is at 3457 Wilshire Blvd., while the Consulate General of the Philippines , which has been in Koreatown since 1967, is presently located next door at the fifth floor of the Equitable Life Building at 3435 Wilshire Blvd. The Wilshire Center - Koreatown Neighborhood Council is designated by the City of Los Angeles to represent
1121-570: Is at 707 Wilshire Boulevard in downtown Los Angeles. The stretch of the boulevard between Fairfax and Highland Avenues , known as the Miracle Mile , is home to many of Los Angeles's largest museums and cultural institutions. The area just to the east, between Highland Avenue and Wilton Place, is referred to as the Park Mile. Between Westwood and Holmby Hills, several tall glitzy condominium buildings overlook this part of Wilshire, which
1180-533: Is bordered by 6th Street and Olympic Boulevard on the north and south respectively, and St. Andrews Place and Shatto Place on the west and east respectively. The construction of the Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools at the former site of the Ambassador Hotel highlighted the challenge of balancing resource expansion with business development and historic preservation. The schools were constructed with
1239-469: Is expected to be completed in 2026. Phase 3 of the D Line extension, when fully completed, will extend to UCLA and Westwood/VA Hospital, and will follow Wilshire Boulevard for most of its route. That part will be completed in 2027 in time for the 2028 Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles, as the Westwood/UCLA station will serve multiple sporting venues. Phase four to downtown Santa Monica is still in
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#17327871286971298-869: Is the State Assemblyman for District 53, which includes Koreatown. Jimmy Gomez of California's 34th congressional district represents the area in the United States House of Representatives . Four Fire Stations of the Los Angeles Fire Department serve Koreatown: Station 29 serving Southwest Koreatown at Wilshire Blvd. and Wilton Avenue. Station 13 serving Southeast Koreatown at Pico Blvd. and Westmoreland Avenue. Station 52 serving Northwest Koreatown at Melrose Avenue and Western Avenue. Station 6 serving Northeast Koreatown at Temple Street and Virgil Avenue. The Los Angeles Police Department provides police service to
1357-520: Is the popularity of Korean-inspired taco trucks in Los Angeles that feature classic Mexican food infused with Korean ingredients. The neighborhood lies 3 miles (5 km) west of downtown, 4 miles (6 km) southeast of Hollywood , 12 miles (19 km) east of Santa Monica Beach and 16 miles (26 km) northeast of Los Angeles International Airport . It is generally flat, with an average elevation of 200 feet (61 m). The boundaries of Koreatown are blurry; The most familiar thoroughfare
1416-479: Is variously referred to as Millionaire's Mile, the Wilshire Corridor, and Condo Canyon. The Wilshire Corridor, located next to Century City , is one of Los Angeles's busiest districts, and contains many high-rise residential towers. The Fox and MGM studios are located in a series of skyscrapers, along with many historic Los Angeles hotels. Wilshire Boulevard is also the principal street of Koreatown ,
1475-781: The Korean immigrant population, Korean business owners are creating stronger ties to the Latino community in Koreatown. The community is highly diverse ethnically, with half the residents being Latino and a third being Asian. Two-thirds of the residents were born outside of the United States, a high figure compared to the rest of the city. In 1882, the United States and Korea established the United States-Korea Treaty of 1882 , which ended Korea's self-imposed isolation. The establishment of diplomatic relations between
1534-714: The Los Angeles Metro Rail run along Wilshire Boulevard from just past the 7th Street/Metro Center before serving the Westlake/;MacArthur Park and Wilshire/Vermont stations, where the D Line continues along Wilshire Boulevardto serve two stations at Wilshire/Normandie and at Wilshire/Western in Koreatown , while the B Line branches off north along Vermont Avenue to eventually terminate in North Hollywood . The construction of
1593-551: The Mapping L.A. project of the Los Angeles Times, Koreatown has the following boundaries: Beverly Boulevard on the north, Virgil Avenue, Wilshire Place and Westmoreland Avenue on the east, Olympic Boulevard on the south and Crenshaw Boulevard and Wilton Place on the west. The neighborhood is flanked by East Hollywood to the north, Westlake to the east, Pico-Union , Harvard Heights and Arlington Heights to
1652-461: The 1870s as Nevada Avenue in Santa Monica, and in the 1880s as Orange Street between Westlake (now MacArthur) Park and downtown. Nevada and Orange were later renamed as parts of Wilshire. In 1895, Henry Gaylord Wilshire (1861–1927), a developer, publisher, and revolutionary who made and lost fortunes in real estate , farming , and gold mining , donated land to the City of Los Angeles for
1711-485: The 1930s, Koreans began to move to Jefferson Boulevard between Western and Vermont Avenue. The next major shift began in the 1960s. As the African American population increased in southern Los Angeles, middle-class White Americans began to move out of the mid-Wilshire district. The area north of Olympic Boulevard transitioned from a predominantly white suburb to a home for Asian residents. The area has become
1770-669: The 1930s, approximately 650 Koreans resided in Los Angeles. They established churches, restaurants, and community organizations, as well as businesses that primarily focused on vegetable and fruit distribution. In 1936, the Korean National Association , one of the largest Korean immigrant political organizations, moved its central headquarters from San Francisco to Los Angeles to continue promoting political, cultural, educational, and religious activities. However, racial covenant laws and economic constraints limited Korean residents to an area bounded by Adams Boulevard to
1829-502: The 1948 Shelley v. Kraemer Supreme Court case prohibited racially restrictive housing policies, Koreans began to move north of Olympic Boulevard to establish new homes and businesses. In the late 1960s, the surrounding neighborhood began to enter a steep economic decline. The once-glamorous mid-Wilshire area became filled with vacant commercial and office space that attracted wealthier South Korean immigrants. They found inexpensive housing and many opened businesses in Koreatown. Many of
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1888-417: The City of Los Angeles, broken up into 21 local divisions. Koreatown is served by Olympic Division . The new station completed construction and opened for service on January 4, 2009. 21.4% of Koreatown residents aged 25 and older have a four-year degree, an average rate for both the city and the county. The percentage of residents with less than a high school diploma was high for the county. Schools within
1947-540: The Koreatown borders are: The Korean Education Center, affiliated with the government of South Korea, is in Suite 200 at 680 Wilshire Place. Southwestern Law School offers degree and non-degree programs in the Westmoreland Building and the former Bullock's Wilshire building at 3050 Wilshire Boulevard. Annual festivals include the Korean Festival & Parade on Olympic Boulevard, with
2006-497: The La Brea pits in today's Miracle Mile section of Wilshire Blvd, back to their settlement on the coast. This road was later used by Spanish explorers and settlers, calling it El Camino Viejo ('The Old Road'). The route that ultimately became Wilshire crossed the original pueblo of Los Angeles and five of the original Spanish land grants, or ranchos . Wilshire was pieced together from various streets over several decades. It began in
2065-478: The United States and Korea paved the way for Korean immigration to Hawaii in the late 1880s. In the early 1900s, Korean immigrants began making their way to Los Angeles, where they created communities based around ethnic churches. As the number of Koreans increased to the hundreds, their residential and commercial activities spread to the southwestern corner of the Los Angeles business district, putting them within walking distance of Little Tokyo and Chinatown . By
2124-522: The area's Art Deco buildings with terracotta facades were preserved because they remained economically viable with the new commercial activity that occupied them. The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 removed restrictions on Asian migration and helped further the growth of the immigrant community in Koreatown. By the late 1970s, most businesses in the Olympic Boulevard and 8th Street areas were owned by Koreans. This economic boom led to
2183-534: The area's citizens' concerns to the city. The area represented by the council includes Koreatown and Wilshire Center , as well as parts of MacArthur Park , Hancock Park , and Mid-Wilshire . Koreatown lies within Los Angeles City Council District 10 . As of 2023, it is represented on the city council by Heather Hutt . The area is represented by Holly Mitchell , Supervisor of District 2 for Los Angeles County . Miguel Santiago
2242-530: The creation of Korean media outlets and community organizations, which played a key role in developing a sense of communal identity in the neighborhood. The ethnic enclave was able to establish itself as the primary hub of the Korean community in Southern California, and the residents successfully lobbied for the installation of the first Koreatown sign in 1982. During the time of the riots, there
2301-682: The economic and social policies of the Republican Party . The conservatives also tended to emphasize the political differences between Koreans and other minorities, specifically Blacks and Hispanics. Despite this divide within the Korean American community, the 1992 riots also inspired further efforts to build coalitions. The 1992 Koreatown Peace Rally was a record-setting demonstration with over 30,000 attendees representing intergenerational and interethnic solidarity. The week-long rioting and looting destroyed much of Koreatown. There
2360-560: The following communities: The entire route is in Los Angeles County . Koreatown, Los Angeles Koreatown ( Korean : 코리아타운 , Koriataun ) is a neighborhood in central Los Angeles, California , centered near Eighth Street and Irolo Street. Koreans began immigrating in larger numbers in the 1960s and found housing in the Mid-Wilshire area. Many opened businesses as they found rent and tolerance toward
2419-473: The future D Line Extension along Wilshire Boulevard commenced in November 2014. The construction timeline would see the project from the existing Wilshire/Western station to the planned Wilshire/La Cienega station on the corner of Wilshire and La Cienega Boulevard, to be completed by 2025. The second phase got officially under way on February 23, 2018 from Wilshire/La Cienega to Century City Station, and it
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2478-403: The growing Korean population. Many of the historic Art Deco buildings with terra cotta façades have been preserved because the buildings remained economically viable for the new businesses. Despite the name evoking a traditional ethnic enclave , the community is complex and has an impact on areas outside the traditional boundaries. While the neighborhood culture was historically oriented to
2537-424: The highest density of any community in Los Angeles County . In 2008, the city estimated that the population had increased to 124,281. The median age for residents was 30, an average age for both the city and Los Angeles County . Koreatown is considered "highly diverse" ethnically. The breakdown is Latinos , 53.5%; Asians , 32.2%; whites, 7.4%; blacks , 4.8%, and others, 2%. Korea (28.6%) and Mexico (23.9%) were
2596-603: The housing units, and house- or apartment owners the rest. The percentages of never-married men and women, 44.6% and 36.2%, respectively, were among the county's highest. There were 2,833 military veterans in 2000, or 3.3%, a low figure for Los Angeles. In 2022, there were 435 homeless individuals in Koreatown. Olympic Boulevard has blocks dominated by Korean-language signs and new blue-tile-roofed shopping centers. This initial Korean business area has spread to an area bounded by Olympic Boulevard, Vermont Avenue, 8th Street and Western Avenue. The Korean business area also sprawls to
2655-485: The intention of increasing educational opportunities for low-income Latina/Latino and Korean students, but the $ 578 million construction cost made the complex the most expensive public school in United States history. By 2020, Koreatown was "known for having one of the largest concentrations of nightclubs and 24-hour businesses and restaurants in the country. Other developments, such as the opening of new metro stations, shopping centers, and strip malls, have made Koreatown
2714-492: The largest Tongva village in the area, then known as Yaanga , which eventually became Union Station, to the Pacific Ocean. From the founding of Los Angeles through nearly all of the 1800s, Wilshire Boulevard was known as "Calle de los Indios." Before the Spanish settlements of Los Angeles, much of the length of Wilshire Boulevard can be traced back to the indigenous Tongva people who used it to bring back tar from
2773-443: The mainstay of the Korean American community, although varying sources have established different boundaries for Koreatown. In 1980, the neighborhood of Koreatown was officially designated by Los Angeles. The city of Los Angeles has set the official boundaries for Koreatown as Vermont Avenue on the east, Western Avenue on the west, Third Street on the north, and Olympic Boulevard on the south. A business corridor running about 3/4 of
2832-427: The most common places of birth for the 68% of the residents who were born abroad, a figure that is considered high compared to the city as a whole. The median annual household income in 2008 dollars was $ 30,558, a low figure for Los Angeles, and the percentage of households that earned less than $ 20,000 was high. The average household size of 2.7 people was about the same as the rest of the city. Renters occupied 93% of
2891-461: The north and south along Western and Vermont for three miles, and to the east and west along Olympic for two miles. South Korean investment has been a large contributor to the neighborhood economy since the 1960s. Since the early 2000s, that investment has increased greatly, ballooning to an estimated $ 1 billion in new construction investment. Jamison Services, Inc is Koreatown's biggest landlord and most prolific residential builder. The area also has
2950-505: The north, Slauson Avenue to the south, Western Avenue to the west, and Vermont Avenue to the east. The 1930s also saw the height of the area's association with Hollywood . The Ambassador Hotel hosted the Academy Awards ceremony in 1930, 1931, 1932, and 1934. As the entertainment industry grew in the surrounding Koreatown area, Koreans remained segregated into low-income districts because of discriminatory housing policies. After
3009-497: The planning stages and has no funding. Metro Local Line 20, Metro Rapid Line 720, and Santa Monica Transit Line 2 operate along Wilshire Boulevard. Due to the high ridership of line 720, 60-foot (18 m) NABI & New Flyer articulated buses are used on this route, and bus lanes are in place along some segments of the line. The aging sections of Wilshire Boulevard in the city of Los Angeles are notorious for their giant potholes . Wilshire Boulevard runs through or near
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#17327871286973068-580: The post-1956 skyscrapers in Los Angeles are located along Wilshire; for example, the Wilshire Grand Center , the tallest building in California, sits at the intersection of Figueroa Street . One Wilshire , built in 1966 at the junction of Wilshire and Grand, is said to be "the main hub of the internet for the entire Pacific Rim" because so many telecommunications companies rent space there. Aon Center , Los Angeles' third-largest tower,
3127-478: The site of many of Los Angeles' oldest buildings and skyscrapers. Koreatown and Mid-Wilshire are among Los Angeles's most densely populated districts. Wilshire Boulevard originated as one of the central pathways constructed by the Tongva tribes residing in the region prior to the exploration of the conquistadores. At the time of the founding of Los Angeles, Wilshire Boulevard was one of the main arteries connecting
3186-413: The south, Mid-Wilshire and Windsor Square to the west and Larchmont to the northwest. This version of Koreatown includes the neighborhoods of Wilshire Center , Wilshire Park and part of Park Mile . Koreatown is one of the densest neighborhoods in the United States. The 2000 U.S. census counted 115,070 residents in the 2.7-square-mile neighborhood—an average of 42,611 people per square mile,
3245-400: Was $ 50 million worth of damage done, half of which was on Korean-owned businesses. During the riots, roads between Koreatown and safer neighborhoods were blocked off. Some Korean-Americans speculated that they were being trapped in the danger. One resident said, "It was containment. The police cut off traffic out of Koreatown, while we were trapped on the other side without help. Those roads are
3304-650: Was accidentally shot to death by Korean shopkeepers who mistook him and his friends for looters. Hyungwon Kang captured a photograph of Lee's body in the street. The 1992 unrest had a significant impact on the community, solidifying the importance of community-based nonprofit organizations, such as the Koreatown Youth and Community Center (KYCC) and Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance (KIWA) (see Community Organizations section). These organizations advocated for reparations and protections for Korean Americans, who received little support from government authorities as
3363-665: Was completed just before the Wall Street crash . It was later acquired by Louis B. Mayer , the head of MGM . In the 1990s, the building was acquired by Donald Sterling and renamed the Sterling Plaza. In 1976, he leased the California Bank Building on Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills, and renamed it Sterling Plaza. The Art Deco landmark was built in 1930 by MGM cofounder Louis B. Mayer. In 2000, Sports Illustrated senior writer Franz Lidz revealed that Sterling had
3422-417: Was racial strife between Black and Korean Americans. In many predominantly Black neighborhoods, Korean citizens owned the majority of businesses. When White residents left the area, Koreans purchased their businesses from them for little money. Rapper Ice Cube spoke of this, along with Asian suspicion of Black residents in his 1991 album Death Certificate during the song "Black Korea". On March 16, 1991,
3481-413: Was renamed Wilshire and extended east of Figueroa to Grand. This divided the lake into two halves; the northern half was later drained. The Wilshire Boulevard home of J. Paul Getty was used as the film set for the 1950 film Sunset Boulevard : it was demolished in 1957. All of the boulevard is at least four lanes in width, and most of the portion between Hoover Street and Robertson Boulevard has
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