Glendale, California
Glendale (pronounced /ˈɡlɛndeɪl/) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. According to Mapping L.A. by the Los Angeles Times, the average income in Glendale is $57,112 which is considered about average for the County of Los Angeles. It lies at the eastern end of the San Fernando Valley, is bisected by the Verdugo Mountains, and is a suburb in the Greater Los Angeles Area. The city is bordered to the northwest by the Sun Valley and Tujunga neighborhoods of Los Angeles; to the northeast by La Cañada Flintridge and the unincorporated area of La Crescenta; to the west by Burbank and Griffith Park; to the east by Eagle Rock and Pasadena; to the south by the Atwater Village neighborhood of Los Angeles; and to the southeast by Glassell Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. The Golden State, Ventura, Glendale, and Foothill freeways run through the city. The city is policed by the Glendale Police Department.As of the 2000 census, the city population was 194,973. Since then, there have been estimates of 201,326 by the U.S. Census Bureau in 2004, 207,007 by the California State government in 2005, and 207,303 as listed by the California Department of Finance in 2009, making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the seventeenth largest city in the state of California. It is also the largest city in the United States that shares its name with a larger American city (Glendale, Arizona has population 246,000).Glendale's Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery contains the remains of many celebrities and local residents. Glendale is also home to one of the largest concentrations of Armenian-Americans in the United States, with one in four people in Glendale being Armenian-American.
History
The area was long inhabited by the Tongva people.José María Verdugo, a corporal in the Spanish army from Baja California, received a grant of the Rancho San Rafael in 1798, an area he had been farming since 1784. In 1860 His grandson Teodoro Verdugo built the Verdugo Adobe, which is the oldest building in Glendale. The property is the location of the Oak of Peace where early Californio leaders including Jesus Pico met in 1847 and decided to surrender to Lieutenant Colonel John C. Frémont.Verdugo's descendants sold the ranch in various parcels, some of which are included in present-day Atwater Village, Eagle Rock, and Highland Park neighborhoods of Los Angeles.In 1884, residents gathered to form a town and chose the name 'Glendale'. Residents to the southwest formed 'Tropico' in 1887. The Pacific Electric Railway brought streetcar service in 1904.Glendale incorporated in 1906, and annexed Tropico 12 years later. An important civic booster of the era was Leslie Coombs Brand (1859–1925), who built an estate in 1904 called El Miradero featuring an eye-catching mansion whose architecture combined characteristics of Spanish, Moorish, and Indian styles, copied from the East Indian Pavilion at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition (World's Fair) held in Chicago, which he visited. Brand loved to fly, and built a private airstrip in 1919 and hosted 'fly-in' parties, providing a direct link to the soon-to-be-built nearby Grand Central Airport. The grounds of El Miradero are now city-owned Brand Park and the mansion is the Brand Library, according to the terms of his will. Brand partnered with Henry E. Huntington to bring the Pacific Electric Railway, or the 'Red Cars,' to the area. Today, he is memorialized by one of the city's main thoroughfares, Brand Boulevard.The city's population rose from 13,756 in 1920 to 62,736 in 1930. The Forest Lawn Memorial Park opened in 1917. Pioneering endocrinologist and entrepreneur Dr. Henry R. Harrower opened his clinic in Glendale in 1920, which for many years was the largest business in the city. The American Green Cross, an early conservation and tree preservation society, was formed in 1926 (it disbanded three years later and the current organization of that name is unrelated). In 1964, Glendale was selected by George Lincoln Rockwell to be the West Coast headquarters of the American Nazi Party. Its offices, on Colorado Street in the downtown section of the city, remained open until the early 1980s.
Geography
Glendale is located at the juncture of two large valleys, the San Fernando and the San Gabriel. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 79.4 km2 (30.7 sq mi). 79.4 km² (30.6 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (0.07%) is water. It is bordered to the north by the foothill communities of La Canada Flintridge, La Crescenta, and Tujunga; to the south by the Atwater Village community incorporated by the city of Los Angeles; to the east by Pasadena and Eagle Rock (also incorporated within Los Angeles); and to the west by the city of Burbank.
Geology
Several known earthquake faults criss-cross the Glendale area and adjacent mountains, as they do most of southern California. Among the more recognized faults by seismologists are the Sierra Madre and Hollywood faults, which are situated in the city's northern and southwestern portions, respectively. Additionally, the Verdugo and Raymond faults intersect through the city's central and southeastern areas. The San Gabriel fault, meanwhile, is located northeast of the city. Roughly 75 miles (121 km) northeast of Glendale, there's a major part of the San Andreas Fault known as the 'Big Bend,' where quake-recurrence tracking shows major activity roughly every 140–160 years. The closest portion of the San Andreas is actually 29 miles (47 km) from Glendale. The last major quake along the southern San Andreas was recorded in 1857.In the 1971 San Fernando earthquake, which took place along the western edge of the Sierra Madre fault, there were surface ruptures nearly 12 miles (19 km) long, including one portion a few miles northwest of Glendale. Most of the damage was in the northern San Fernando Valley, although 31 structures in Glendale suffered major damage and had to be demolished, plus dozens of chimneys were toppled. The 1994 Northridge Earthquake had an epicenter about 18 miles (29 km) from Glendale. The city suffered severe damage to a public parking structure and sections of the Glendale Galleria parking structures and exterior columns incurred damages.
Climate
Glendale has a Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification Csa). The highest recorded temperature in Glendale is 43 °C. The lowest recorded temperature is -8 °C. The warmest month is August and the coolest month is January. The rainfall is highest in February and lowest in July.
Economy
According to the City's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are as follows (with number of employees given): City of Glendale (2,216), Glendale Adventist Medical Center (2,126), Nestlé (1,521), Glendale Memorial Medical Center (1,433), Glendale Community College (1,408) Public Storage (1,111) Glendale Unified School District (1,085), Walt Disney Imagineering (928), Acco Engineering Systems (824) and Diagnostic Laboratories (740).
Industry and development
Grand Central Airport was a municipal airport developed from 1923 which became the largest employer in Glendale for many years, and contributed to the development of aviation in the United States in many important ways. The main terminal building still stands and includes both art deco and Spanish style architectural elements. The facility was the first official terminal for the Los Angeles area as well as the departure point for the first commercial west to east transcontinental flight flown by Charles Lindbergh. During World War II, the Grand Central Air Terminal building was camouflaged to protect it from enemy targeting. It was closed down in 1959, and made way for the Grand Central Business Park.The Bob's Big Boy chain of hamburger restaurants started in Glendale on East Colorado in August 1936, and the Baskin-Robbins, '31 Flavors' chain of ice cream parlors started in Adams Square in 1945. The Glendale Public Library on Harvard Street houses its 'Special Collections' department which contains original documents and records on much of the history of Glendale. It also contains one of the largest collections of books on cats in the world, over 20,000 volumes. It was donated to the library in the 1950s by the Jewel City Cat Fanciers Club, with the understanding that it would be made into a special collection and kept permanently for club members to use and enjoy.The city saw significant development in the 1970s, with the completion of the Glendale Freeway (HWY 2) and the Ventura Freeway (HWY 134).Redevelopment of Brand Boulevard, renovation of the 1925 Alex Theatre, and construction of the Glendale Galleria shopping mall which opened in 1976.Several large companies have offices in Glendale. The U.S. headquarters of the Swiss foods multinational Nestlé and International House of Pancakes are located in Glendale. The Los Angeles regional office of California's State Compensation Insurance Fund is in Glendale. Americas United Bank was formed here in 2006 and their headquarters are located in Glendale. Nero AG, the software company that makes Nero Burning ROM, also has its main North American subsidiary located in Glendale. Panda Security, a large antivirus software company, also has its principal U.S. office in Glendale. Neopets, Inc., a company that created the popular virtual pet website, Neopets, is located in the city (it was sold in 2005 to Viacom).In 1994, Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen formed DreamWorks SKG, a diversified entertainment company. The company's animation section is located in the city's Grand Central Business Park on land formerly occupied by a helicopter landing base on the old air field. The Walt Disney Company also has a large campus located in the Grand Central Business Park that includes the headquarters for its Imagineering division, The Muppets Holding Company, and also owns what's left of Grand Central Terminal. Part of KABC-TV has located there.In 2005, construction began near to the Galleria of developer Rick Caruso's 'Americana at Brand', a 15.5-acre (63,000 m2) outdoor shopping and residential community. Caruso had previously designed and built The Grove at Farmers Market. The new Glendale development was opened to the public on May 2, 2008, and features 75 shops and restaurants, 238 apartments, 100 condominiums, and a Pacific Theatres 18-plex Cinema which seats 3000 people.
Shopping
Glendale has many options for shopping including; Glendale Galleria which is anchored by Nordstrom, Macy's, Target and J. C. Penney, The Americana at Brand which is an up-scale outdoor mall (similar to The Grove in L.A.) some stores include, H&M, A/X Armani Exchange, True Religion, Michael Stars, Lacoste, Urban Outfitters, etc... and the Glendale Fashion Center which is anchored by Ross, TJ Max, Nordstrom Rack, Staples, Petco and many others. Shopping can also be done at Montrose Shopping Park in North Glendale. The shopping park runs down Honolulu Ave and is filled with many stores and restaurants.
Demographics
Foreign-born residents accounted for 54% of the population in 2000.As of the census of 2000, there were 194,973 people, 71,805 households, and 49,617 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,456.1/km² (6,362.2/mi²). There were 73,713 housing units at an average density of 928.6/km² (2,405.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 63.6% White, 1.6% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 16.1% Asian American, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 8.6% from other races, and 10.1% from two or more races. 19.7% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.There were 71,805 households out of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.3% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.9% were non-families. 25.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.27.In the city the population was spread out with 22.4% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.0 males.The median income for a household in the city was $41,805, and the median income for a family was $47,633. Males had a median income of $39,709 versus $33,815 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,227. About 13.6% of families and 15.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.7% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over.
Armenian population
Armenian families have lived in the city since the 1920s, but the surge in immigration escalated in the 1970s. Armenian-Americans are well integrated into the city, with many businesses, several Armenian schools, and ethnic/cultural organizations serving this ethnic group. Glendale has the highest percentage of residents of Armenian descent, most of whom arrived in the city in the last two decades. The city of Glendale is home to the third largest Armenian community outside of Armenia, after Moscow and Los Angeles. According to the United States 2000 Census Glendale is home to 53,854 Armenian-Americans (making up 27.6% of the total population), increasing from 1990 when there were 31,402 Armenian-Americans in the city. As of 2009, one of the five members of Glendale's city council is of Armenian descent—Ara J. Najarian. Former Armenian-American mayors of Glendale include Larry Zarian, Bob Yousefian, Rafi Manoukian, and Ara Najarian.Some outspoken members of the highly successful Armenian-American rock band, System Of A Down, were based in Glendale at the time of formation. These include singer Serj Tankian and bassist Shavo Odadjian.
Local Government
According to the city’s most recent Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the city’s various funds had $575.6 million in Revenues, $542.8 million in expenditures, $2,089.7 million in total assets, $480.9 million in total liabilities, and $460.4 million in cash and investments.
County representation
The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services operates the Glendale Health Center in Glendale.
Politics
The city of Glendale, along with neighboring Burbank and Pasadena, falls under California's 29th district in the United States House of Representatives. Congressman Adam Schiff has represented the district since 2000, and his vocal stances on issues regarding US-Armenia relations reflect the large Armenian presence in the district.In the state legislature Glendale is located in the 21st Senate District, represented by Democrat Carol Liu, and in the 38th (4%) and 43rd (96%) Assembly Districts, represented by Republican Cameron Smyth and Democrat Mike Gatto respectively. Federally, Glendale is located in California's 29th congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of D +12 and is represented by Democrat Adam Schiff.
Law enforcement and services
Glendale maintains its own police departmant. The police department operates out of its main station in Downtown Glendale, its Downtown substation in the Glendale Galleria and the Montrose substation in Verdugo City. Parks and open mountain space are patrolled by the Glendale Park Rangers. The Glendale Park Rangers maintain their headquarters in Deukmejian Wilderness Park and also have a substation in Brand Park. The California Highway Patrol has its Southern Division Headquarters in Downtown Glendale. Glendale also maintains its own class one fire department. Ambulance service is provied by Glendale fire paramedics and Glendale fire basic life support(BLS) ambulances.
Education
The Glendale Unified School District operates the public schools in Glendale. The GUSD high schools include Glendale High School, Herbert Hoover High School, Clark Magnet High School, Crescenta Valley High School located in La Crescenta and Allan F. Daily High School. A number of private schools also operate in Glendale, including Chamlian Armenian School,Holy Family High School, Salem Lutheran School and Glendale Adventist Academy. Glendale is also home to Glendale College.
Transportation
Glendale offers many transportation options. LADOT, Metro Local, Metro Rapid and Glendale Beeline all have buses that run in the city. Glendale Transportation Center (GTC) provides connections to Greyhound and three train lines. Glendale is also served by four freeways: the Glendale Freeway (State Route 2), the Ventura Freeway (State Route 134), the Foothill Freeway (Interstate 210) and the Golden State Freeway (Interstate 5).
Notable residents
A number of notable people are natives of or have lived in Glendale, including:Allisyn Ashley Arm, actress
Tatev Abrahamyan, chess player
Tigran Arakelyan, flutist/conductor
Captain Beefheart, musician
Kimberly Beck, actress
Elvin Bishop, musician
David Brin, author
Clara Bryant, actress
Armen Chakmakian, musician and composer
John Cho, actor
Doug Davidson, soap opera actor
John Debney,Academy Awardnominated film composer
Emilio Delgado, actor, 'Luis' on Sesame Street
Doug Dohring, CEO ofNeopets
Nicole Eggert, actress
Erika Eleniak, actress
Robert Englund, actor,Nightmare on Elm Street
Nick Evans, Major League Baseball player for the New York Mets
Doug Forrester, businessman and politician fromNew Jersey
Edward Furlong, actor
Beverly Garland, actress
Daryl Gates, former LAPD police chief
Scott Gorham, musician
Joe Hahn, musician
Pamela Hensley, actress
Taraji P. Henson, Academy Award–nominated actress
Chris Holmes, lead guitarist,W.A.S.P.
Lux InteriorandKristy Wallace, musicians,The Cramps
Maren Jensen, actress
Julia Ann, pornographic actress
Ed King, guitarist,Strawberry Alarm Clock&Lynyrd Skynyrd
Nathan Kress, teen actor
Greg Kriesel, bassist,The Offspring
Shia LaBeouf, actor
Game, rapper
Jonna Lee, actress
Mike Lieberthal, catcher for theLos Angeles Dodgers
Benji Madden, lead guitarist,Good Charlotte
Joel Madden, lead vocalist,Good CharlotteandNicole Richie
Daron Malakian, lead guitarist,System of a Down
Rafi Manoukian, politician
Vanes Martirosyan, boxer
Tim Matheson, actor
Rex Mays, National Champion Racing Driver
Brandon McCarthy, pitcher for theTexas Rangers
Eva Mendes, actress
Don Milan,NFLplayer
Dennis Muren, special effects artist
Taylor Negron, actor, comedian
Ken Osmond, actor fromLeave It to Beaver
Kelly Packard, actress
Paul Petersen, actor
Sam Phillips, musician
Jamie Pineda, front woman of the pop music projectSweetbox
Archie Reynolds,MLBplayer for theChicago Cubs,California Angels, and theMilwaukee Brewers
Debra Jo Rupp, actress
Jay-R, actor, TV host
Devin Sarno, Composer
T. Sean Shannon, SNL/comedy writer
Stirling Silliphant, screen-writer, producer
Rick Springfield, musician
Casey Stengel, MLB player and manager for theNew York Yankees,Brooklyn Dodgers,New York MetsandBoston Braves, among others
Joseph Stroud (poet), Poet and Educator
Gary Sutherland, MLB player for thePhiladelphia Phillies,Montreal Expos,Houston Astros,Detroit Tigers,Milwaukee Brewers,San Diego Padres, and theSt. Louis Cardinals
Ann Tyrrell, actress
Ron Underwood, director
Paul Walker, actor
John Wayne, actor
Gregg Zaun, catcher for theBaltimore Orioles
Michael Richards, actor
Nicole Jungof the Korean girl groupKara
Steven L. SearsAmerican Writer/Producer
Sister cities
Currently, Glendale has the following sister cities.Kapan,Armenia
Higashiosaka,Japan
Tlaquepaque,Mexico
Rosarito Beach,Baja California,Mexico
Hiroshima,Japan
Goseong,South Korea