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66-660: The Shoestring Annexation , as it was called at the time, was attached to Los Angeles in 1906 to serve as a link to the Pacific Ocean port cities of Wilmington and San Pedro , both of which were later annexed into Los Angeles themselves in 1909. The Shoestring was officially renamed to the Harbor Gateway in 1985. Harbor Gateway is a narrow north-south corridor situated approximately between Vermont Avenue and Figueroa Street north of Interstate 405 , and Western and Normandie avenues south of I-405. The territory

132-544: A Shell oil refinery and manufacturing plants." In 1991, parts of the Gateway were known to be "the turf of warring black and Latino gangs, and Gardena High School students of those two ethnicities "clashed after a multicultural program in the school auditorium." In December 2006 the Los Angeles Times reported that racial tensions "have held this working-class neighborhood in a state of fear for years" and that

198-404: A granny knot , the neighborhood—only a half mile wide at some points—was known for years as the "city strip," the " shoestring strip " or simply "the strip." The strip was simply open fields before World War II, but "Then came factories, attracting workers who needed housing," and builders "filled those fields with small houses and duplexes." Cubans settled in the 1960s and Mexican immigrants in

264-607: A harbor for the city of Los Angeles. Known as New San Pedro from 1858 to 1863, it was subsequently renamed Wilmington by Banning, a.k.a. “Father of the Harbor”, after his birthplace, Wilmington, Delaware . In 1861, at the beginning of the Civil War , Banning and Benjamin Wilson gave the federal government 60 acres of land to build Drum Barracks to protect the nascent Los Angeles harbor from Confederate attack. Wilmington

330-457: A highly publicized scandal involving three City Council members (including Council President Nury Martinez ) and the redistricting process, Acting President Mitch O'Farrell introduced a motion that would create a ballot measure in 2024 to expand the Council. In 2023, the first all-female council committee was formed, with the six women on the council forming the committee. In November 2022,

396-591: A 13-block area, and so the city began a campaign to force some of them to move by building pocket parks in Harbor Gateway and in Wilmington . In California, such offenders are barred by law from living near schools and parks. The small park was built on city-owned land on the southeast corner of Torrance Boulevard and Denker Avenue. In 1992, it was noted that the poorest part of the area was between Rosecrans Avenue and Artesia Boulevard. A total of 39,688 people lived in Harbor Gateway's 5.14 square miles, according to

462-587: A Gardena address. Roosevelt Memorial Park is a cemetery between Vermont and Normandie north of 184th Street. Just 12.4% of Harbor Gateway's residents aged 25 or older had completed a four-year degree by 2000, an average figure when compared with the city at large. The percentage of residents of that age without a high school diploma was high for the county. It is in the Los Angeles Unified School District . The schools within Harbor Gateway's boundaries are: The northern end of

528-468: A ballot measure that changed the term limits from eight years to twelve years. In 2015, voters in Los Angeles approved a charter amendment to move the election dates from odd-numbered years to even-numbered years, in line with other national elections, in an effort to boost political engagement. Because of the change in dates, officials elected in 2015 or 2017 had their terms extended. In 2022, after

594-404: A community a community—no central business district , no civic center or gathering place, no library branch, no police station ... no post office. Its largest park is a cemetery. And, despite the new name, mailing addresses of residents remain unchanged. They still say Torrance or Gardena , not Los Angeles. In 1985, Harbor Gateway was referred to as a "crime-plagued area," and residents blamed

660-689: A part of the Municipal Conference, also organized by Lissner, the People's Campaign Committee, the Socialist Party of America , or independent . In 1915, journalist Estelle Lawton Lindsey was elected to the City Council, being the first female City Councilmember in the City Council just four years after women had voted in municipal elections for the first time. She would be the only woman to serve during this system as well as

726-498: Is a neighborhood in the South Bay and Harbor region of Los Angeles, California , covering 9.14 square miles (23.7 km ). Featuring a heavy concentration of industry and the third-largest oil field in the continental United States , this neighborhood has a high percentage of Latino and foreign-born residents. Nearly 20 percent of Wilmington’s total land area is taken up by oil refineries — roughly 3.5 times more area than

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792-608: Is an immense transportation hub for various bus lines. The Metro J Line bus rapid transit line runs between El Monte Station , Downtown Los Angeles and the Harbor Gateway Transit Center and selects trips to San Pedro, which is the line's southern terminus. The Metro Silver Line operates on the Harbor Transitway ( I-110 freeway) between Downtown Los Angeles , the Harbor Gateway Transit Center and San Pedro. The Harbor Gateway Transit Center

858-484: Is dedicated to open and accessible green spaces. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Wilmington had one of the highest death rates in all of Los Angeles County, exacerbated by elevated levels of industrial pollution. It is the site of Banning High School , and ten other primary and secondary schools. Wilmington has six parks. Wilmington was part of a 1784 Spanish land grant. It became a separate city in 1863, and it joined

924-534: Is located at 1008 North Avalon Boulevard. The community of Wilmington is located in the Council District 15 within the City of Los Angeles. The community of Wilmington is represented by one Neighborhood Council, Wilmington Neighborhood Council. Only 5.1% of Wilmington residents aged 25 or older had completed a four-year degree by 2000, a low figure when compared with the city and the county at large, and

990-607: Is located at 731 West 182nd Street, Gardena, CA 90248. Nine Metro bus lines (including the Metro Silver Line) operate from the transit center to various destinations. In addition, Torrance Transit lines 1, 4X, 6, and 13 serve the transit center, while Gardena Transit lines 2, 4 (school days only), and 7X (NFL game days only) also serve at the transit center. 33°51′00″N 118°17′57″W  /  33.850072°N 118.299068°W  / 33.850072; -118.299068 Wilmington, Los Angeles Wilmington

1056-471: Is unable to perform their duties. The current President is Marqueece Harris-Dawson from the 8th district . The current president pro tempore is Bob Blumenfield from the 3rd district . The assistant president pro tempore position is vacant. As a nonpartisan council , the city council does not have a majority or minority leader, but the council is currently controlled by a Democratic majority with one Independent . The city council has been nonpartisan since

1122-411: The 2010 U.S. census —averaging 5,887 people per square mile, among the lowest population densities in the city as a whole. The median age was 28. The percentages of people from birth through age 34 were among the county's highest. Population was estimated at 54,512 in 2008. Wilmington is not considered very diverse ethnically, with a diversity index of 0.245. In 2000, Latinos made up 86.6% of

1188-618: The Latino 204th Street Gang, "noted for preying on" blacks had warned all blacks to stay south of 206th Street. The neighborhood averaged "about one Latino-on-black homicide" each year since 1997, the Los Angeles Police Department reported. By 1992, the United Way had "funneled $ 100,000 to the few private charities serving the area, including a small free medical clinic, a job center and an ad hoc coalition helping

1254-430: The Los Angeles Times. Yet the gang was never "rooted in the neighborhood," and by 2001 it had faded away. There has been animosity between blacks and Latinos, and in 2007, a gang injunction has been enforced against Latino gangs. In 2008, another gang injunction put many Latino gang members in jail, and by 2009, racial tensions had "definitely calmed," and a new community center was opened at 1435 Del Amo Boulevard in

1320-498: The 1970s. From 1985 to 1992, some seventy-five single-family homes were replaced by nearly five hundred apartment units, and the neighborhood gained some 1,500 residents, with "no plan, no thought," as the area's leading developer put it. In 1985, the Los Angeles City Council renamed the area as Harbor Gateway. But a Los Angeles Times reporter noted four years later that Harbor Gateway lacks much of what makes

1386-425: The 2000 U.S. census—averaging 7,720 people per square mile, about the same population density for the city as a whole. Population was estimated at 42,005 in 2008. The median age was 27, young for the city of Los Angeles. The percentage of married women (56.2%) was among the county's highest. Harbor Gateway is considered highly diverse ethnically, with a diversity index of 0.648 In 2000 Latinos made up 53.4% of

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1452-468: The 99 local Neighborhood Councils, which serve as advisory groups for the officials. Before the incorporation of Los Angeles in 1850, members ( regidores ) of a municipal council ( ayuntamiento ) were chosen by the residents of each pueblo since 1812, with the number of regidores being based on the population. By 1835, the new city had four regidores , alongside two Alcaldes (Mayor) and one Síndico Procurador (City Attorney). On April 4, 1850,

1518-577: The City Council districts began with the 1st district in the San Fernando Valley and ended with the 15th district in the Los Angeles Harbor Region . In 1928, the new Los Angeles City Hall was completed, and the City Council moved to a room there from the previous Romanesque Revival building used. By 1986, the City Council was under a court ruling to redistrict itself to provide more representation for Latinos in

1584-421: The Council, being appointed to serve out Roybal's term after the latter was elected to Congress . On April 16, 1963, the first elected African-American on the Council, Tom Bradley , was sworn in, which also gave the Council a Democratic majority for the first time in recent history. On July 1, 1985, Michael Woo was sworn in, the first Asian American to serve on the Council. On February 3, 1987, Gloria Molina

1650-564: The Direct Municipal Primary law. They also voted to adjust the party system to have all offices become nonpartisan . In the first election, candidates were labeled as part of the Good Government Organization, created by political boss Meyer Lissner, or part of the "political machine" with S. P. Yoke, as the city had installed a new nonpartisan election system. In 1923, candidates were either

1716-612: The Gardena HS campus has LAUSD staff housing, Sage Park Apartments. Asahi Gakuen , a part-time Japanese school , has its administrative offices in Harbor Gateway. Los Angeles Public Library operates the Harbor Gateway-Harbor City Branch. The Rosecrans Recreation Center/CVS Playground is in Harbor Gateway, on Vermont Avenue south of 149th Street. The playground was developed by the nonprofit Boundless Playgrounds. The Harbor Gateway Transit Center

1782-597: The Los Angeles Common Council was established alongside the office of Mayor under The Act of Incorporation as the city grew from a remote town of 5,000 residents to a city of 15,000 residents. At its creation, the council had seven seats elected at-large with the members being elected by drawn lots. In 1857, the officials that were elected on May 6 were deposed and the officials from the previous year were reinstated, though they never took office. The council added three seats in 1868. On July 14, 1870,

1848-494: The Mayor, amends or approves the Mayor's annual budget, and approve the Mayor's local emergencies to which it reviews afterwards. The Charter also gives powers for redistricting, as the City Council picks some of the members on the charter commission to advise the council on redistricting but with the City Council having the ability to overrule the commission. The City Council also has a direct line of communication between it and

1914-482: The University area , Colegrove , the shoestring area , Wilmington , and San Pedro . By 1909, the ward system was leading to corruption within the city council and its elections, and various newspapers suggested that the City Council have ten seats and five at-large seats, resulting in fifteen seats total, or moving to an at-large system. That year, voters replaced the ward system with an at-large system through

1980-670: The Viceroy of New Spain commissioned Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo to explore the Pacific Ocean in 1542–1543. In 1784, the Spanish Crown deeded Rancho San Pedro , a tract of over 75,000 acres (300 km ) in the area, to retired soldier Juan José Domínguez, for his service with the Portolà expedition into the area over a decade earlier. Phineas Banning acquired the land that would become Wilmington from Manuel Dominguez , grand nephew and heir to Juan José Domínguez, in 1858 to build

2046-419: The adoption of term limits for the City Council, with the new limits being eight years of elected service. After the creation of the fifteen-member council, politicians who were not white men increasingly were elected to it. On July 1, 1949, Edward R. Roybal became the first Latino American elected to the City Council. On January 28, 1963, Gilbert W. Lindsay became the first African-American to serve on

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2112-489: The campaign dissipated, and gang members slowly returned. By 1999, the Latino-on-black violence resumed. In December 2006, a 14-year-old black girl, Cheryl Green, was shot and killed while talking with friends on Harvard Boulevard just south of the 206th Street dividing line. Jonathan Fajardo, 18, was sentenced to death for killing Green and for stabbing a "potential witness" to death. Another culprit, Ernesto Alvarez,

2178-403: The city of Torrance and named in honor of Cheryl Green. "Cheryl's death was the tipping point for L.A.," said Los Angeles Councilwoman Janice Hahn , yet gang graffiti still abounded in the neighborhood and blacks were fearful of Latino animosity. In 2013, it was noted that one section of Harbor Gateway had "one of the city's highest concentrations of registered sex offenders," with 86 living in

2244-653: The city of Los Angeles in 1909. Places of interest include the headquarters U.S. Army for Southern California and the Drum Barracks built to protect the nascent Los Angeles harbor during the American Civil War . Wilmington shares borders with Carson to the north, Long Beach to the east, San Pedro to the south and west and Harbor City to the northwest. A total of 53,815 people were living within Wilmington's 9.14 square miles, according to

2310-482: The city. On August 12, 1986, Councilman Howard Finn died, leaving the 1st district vacant, and the City Council and residents debated how the districts would be redrawn. The City Council voted to have the 1st district drawn to be northwest and north of Downtown Los Angeles while the 2nd district, represented by Joel Wachs , was placed in the Sunland-Tujunga and Van Nuys areas. In 1993, voters approved

2376-518: The contrast between the unkempt Los Angeles side of Gardena Boulevard and the tidy Gardena side was striking. In March 1988, the United Way of Los Angeles declared Harbor Gateway an "under-served geographic area," noting "real gaps in law enforcement" and in social services. At the same time, there became a "major drawing card for commercial development" along the 190th Street corridor where "Gleaming high-rises with pleasant landscaping have replaced

2442-508: The council switched to a ward system with three new wards with three seats. The Third ward added a fourth seat in 1871, three years before the First and Second wards added a fourth seat. In 1878, the First and Second wards removed the fourth seat while the third ward removed it in 1881. In 1878, the council created two new wards, the Fourth and Fifth wards, each with three new seats. By the end of

2508-401: The division between the two at Artesia Boulevard . Many trucking, shipping and logistics companies are based in Harbor Gateway. The headquarters of National Stores (Fallas Paredes) is in Harbor Gateway, near Gardena . Yoshinoya America 's headquarters are in Harbor Gateway, near Torrance . Faraday Future is headquartered is located in Harbor Gateway, near Carson, CA, even though it has

2574-517: The first coeducational college west of the Mississippi . Los Angeles annexed Wilmington in 1909, and today it and neighboring San Pedro form the waterfront of one of the world's largest import/export centers. Citizens of Wilmington were dubious that annexation would be in their best interests, fearing that it would shift economic activity out of their city and towards Los Angeles. Because the city government of Los Angeles so strongly wanted to have

2640-678: The first ward system, the council had fifteen seats. The councilmembers had various responsibilities for governing the city which included being appointed to committees, which included a school committee which later became the Board of Education for the Los Angeles City School District and later the Los Angeles Unified School District . The office of the President of the Los Angeles City Council

2706-430: The growing port inside the city limits, it made a number of promises to Wilmington and also to the equally-dubious citizens of the-then independent city of San Pedro. Among these promises were that $ 10 million would be invested in improvements to the port and that as much would be spent inside the city on public works as was collected in taxes. In the 1920s, William Wrigley Jr. built innovative housing in Wilmington that

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2772-595: The homeless." It was written that "extended families crowd into single apartments, and the homeless sleep under freeway overpasses." In 1997, police, the county Human Relations Commission and neighbors organized to fight the gang and the blight. The city added bulletproof streetlight covers. Residents repaired holes in fences -- escape routes for gang members. Girl Scouts, accompanied by officers, picked up trash and painted over graffiti. More than 100 gang members -- black and Latino -- were sent to jail for parole or probation violations. Police patrols increased. Violence fell. But

2838-703: The housing units, and homeowners occupied the rest. The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services operates the Torrance Health Center in Harbor Gateway, near Torrance . The National Transportation Safety Board operates the Gardena Aviation Field Office in Harbor Gateway; it is the regional headquarters of the NTSB Aviation Western Region. The area is served by two neighborhood councils —Harbor Gateway North and Harbor Gateway South, with

2904-563: The housing units, with homeowners occupying the rest. In 2000 there were 1,524 military veterans, or 4.6% of the population, relatively low in comparison to the city and county as a whole. There is a Mexican-American community in Wilmington. The area that is now Wilmington was inhabited by the Tongva people of Native Americans . Archeological work in the nearby Chowigna excavation show evidence of inhabitants as far back as 7,100 years ago. The Spanish Empire expanded into this area when

2970-573: The north, Hamilton Avenue on the east, Del Amo Boulevard on the south and railroad tracks on the west includes the Holiday Inn Harbor Gateway. Another section between 177th and 182nd Streets includes Gardena High School . North of I-405 and Artesia Boulevard is North Harbor Gateway, which lies between Vermont Avenue and Figeroa Street, a one-block strip that is bisected by the Harbor Freeway / I-110 . South of I-405

3036-468: The only woman to serve in the City Council until the election of Rosalind Wiener Wyman in 1953. On July 1, 1925, Los Angeles voters passed a new city charter and replaced the at-large system with a district system with fifteen new single-member districts. Each district was to be approximately equal in population, based upon the voting in the 1922 California gubernatorial election , and would redistrict every four years. The numbering system established for

3102-426: The passage of the 1909 city charter. Council members are elected every four years, with the city council redistricting every ten years based on the previous United States census . Elections happen concurrently with other local and national elections, doing so since 2020. Members of the City Council earn $ 218,000 per year, the highest salary in the nation, due to a decision to make elected officials' salary equal with

3168-526: The percentage of those residents with less than a high school diploma was high for the county. Wilmington is home to Harbor Teacher Preparation Academy, ranked the top high school in the city of Los Angeles and the fourth-best school in California. Wilmington is part of the Los Angeles Unified School District . The area is in Board District 7. As of September 2009, the leadership of District 7

3234-467: The population, blacks were at 16.3%, Asians at 16%, whites at 11.8% and others at 2.4%. Mexico and the Philippines were the most common places of birth for the 40.8% of the residents who were born abroad, considered an average percentage of foreign-born when compared with the city as a whole. The $ 47,849 median household income in 2008 dollars was average for the city. Renters occupied 59.7% of

3300-430: The population, while non-Hispanic whites were at 6.4%, Asians at 4.8%, blacks at 2.6% and others at 1.7%. Mexico and Guatemala were the most common places of birth for the 44.5% of the residents who were born abroad, considered a high percentage of foreign-born when compared with the city and the county as a whole. The $ 40,627 median household income in 2008 dollars was average for the city. Renters occupied 61.5% of

3366-405: The salary of municipal judges. City councilmembers can have their salary rescinded if they are suspended from the City Council. The Council can also control who can get pay if a member is suspended; when Mark Ridley-Thomas 's pay was suspended by City Controller Ron Galperin after his suspension from the Council, his pay was reinstated after a council vote as he was not indicted. The decision

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3432-468: The second largest city in the United States. It has 15 members who each represent the 15 city council districts that are spread throughout the city's 501 square miles of land. The head of the city council is the president , who presides over meetings of the council, gives assignments to city council committees, handles parliamentary duties, and serves as acting mayor of Los Angeles when the mayor

3498-440: The south and west. The neighborhood's street boundaries are 120th Street on the north and Vermont Avenue and Figueroa Street on the west and east respectively, running south to 182nd Street, where the neighborhood takes a jog to the west and draws its western boundary at Western Avenue , its eastern line at Normandie Avenue and its southern border at West Sepulveda Boulevard . A southeastern section bounded by 192nd Street on

3564-409: The strip follows a different one-block strip between Western Avenue and Normandie Avenue, with the southern end of the neighborhood being Sepulveda Avenue, this southern section is defined as South Harbor Gateway. Connecting the two strips is a one-block east-west strip between West 182nd and West 190th Streets. The independent cities of Torrance , and Gardena lie immediately west of the strip, while

3630-456: The unincorportated community of West Rancho Dominguez and the independent city of Carson lie to its east. The city of Los Angeles annexed the area on December 26, 1906 "in anticipation of taking over, several years later, the independent cities of Wilmington and San Pedro " in order to create the Port of Los Angeles . Because of its slim shape, once likened to two shoelaces tied together with

3696-470: The widespread availability of alcohol for "dozens of robberies, burglaries and other crimes" in the blue-collar neighborhood. There were at that time 51 liquor outlets within a two-mile radius of the intersection of El Segundo Boulevard and Vermont Avenue . In 1989, however, Harbor Gateway was tied with the Westwood neighborhood as Los Angeles's second-fastest-growing area, Sylmar being first. However,

3762-499: Was a township in the 1870 census. The township consisted of the present-day South Bay communities, Compton , western Long Beach , parts of Rattlesnake Island and Mormon Island which later evolved into Terminal Island . Census records report a population of 942 in 1870. The township had been named San Pedro Township in 1860. Wilson College, precursor to the University of Southern California , opened in Wilmington in 1874 as

3828-424: Was acquired by the city of Los Angeles in a shoestring annexation , specifically to connect San Pedro , Wilmington , Harbor City and the Port of Los Angeles with the rest of the city. Harbor Gateway abuts Broadway-Manchester on the north and is flanked by Rosewood , Carson and West Carson to the east, West Carson and Harbor City to the south and Athens and Gardena to the west and Torrance to

3894-419: Was also part of the Council's creation, with the first President being David W. Alexander . In 1888, voters in Los Angeles passed a new charter that changed the government. The Common Council was now called the City Council and had nine seats for nine new wards. Members were elected to two year terms beginning in 1890, with one member being elected from each of the nine wards by a plurality vote . The change

3960-668: Was controlled by the San Francisco Port of Embarkation from its inception in 1942 until late 1943 when it became autonomous. The California Shipbuilding Corporation , known for building victory ships during the war (although usually associated with Terminal Island ), operated in Wilmington as well. The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services operates the Torrance Health Center in Harbor Gateway , Los Angeles, near Torrance and serving Wilmington. The United States Postal Service Wilmington Post Office

4026-706: Was dubbed the “Court of Nations.” Wilmington is adjacent to the Wilmington Oil Field , discovered in 1932. It is the third largest oil field in the continental United States. Consequently, there are at least 8 major refineries in the Wilmington area, many of them dating back to the original strike. During World War II the United States Military operated the Los Angeles Port of Embarkation in Wilmington, from which soldiers and sailors were sent abroad to battle zones. The LAPE

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4092-599: Was granted by the California State Legislature , with the first election being in August 1889. The first election under that charter was held on February 21, 1889, and the last on December 4, 1906. Only Austin Conrad Shafer of the 5th ward was re-elected to the new City Council. During the ward system, the City Council requested the annexation of six parts of the adjacent area: Garvanza ,

4158-609: Was sentenced to a range of 238 years to life in state prison for the acting as a lookout in Cheryl's death. A Latino gang, the 204th Street Gang, came into existence, but as the African-American population rose from 313 in 1990 to 835 in 2000, a black gang also formed—the 208th Street Crips. "The Crip gang's willingness to go to the police with complaints offended the Latino gang's sense of honor," wrote reporter Sam Quinones for

4224-465: Was sworn in as the first Latina elected to the Council. In 1999, voters approved a new city charter that would go into effect on July 1, 2000. The new charter helped create the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment and helped strengthen the office of Mayor in relation to the City Council. Voters also voted against expanding the city council, remaining with fifteen seats. In 2006, voters approved

4290-600: Was then reversed by Galperin's successor, Kenneth Mejia . The Los Angeles City Council is guided by the Los Angeles City Charter. The Charter defines the City Council as the city's legislature, with the Mayor of Los Angeles serving as the executive branch of the city's government creating a strong mayor–council government , though the mayor is weaker than in cities such as New York City . The City Council approves department heads and commissioners picked by

4356-474: Was under Interim Superintendent Dr. George McKenna . Los Angeles Harbor College is in Wilmington, at 1111 Figueroa Place, Wilmington, CA 90744. Secondary and primary schools include: Los Angeles Public Library operates the Wilmington Branch . Los Angeles City Council The Los Angeles City Council is the lawmaking body for the city government of Los Angeles , California,

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