- Fairfax District, Los Angeles, California
The Fairfax District is an area of neighborhoods in the
Mid-City West area ofLos Angeles ,California .Geography
It is roughly bordered by West Hollywood on the north, Highland Avenue on the east, West Hollywood and Beverly Hills on the west and
Wilshire Boulevard on the south. The Fairfax District is sometimes confused with Park La Brea, which is a real estate development within the District, and the curious Beverly Hills Adjacent, particularly on housing rental advertisements. The section of Fairfax Avenue filled with traditionallyJew ish businesses is sometimes referred to by Angelenos as "Kosher Canyon" or "The Bagel District." Beginning around 2005, real estate listings began to define the area as Beverly Grove when listing homes for sale.History
Historically, the Fairfax District has been a center of the city's Jewish community. In the early 20th century, with an expanding population and more young families, many began looking for new housing. As a result of this, many
middle class Jewish families moved west from Boyle Heights, City Terrace, East Los Angeles and Montebello to the area aroundFairfax Avenue , a street they lined with Kosher delis,restaurant s, butcher's and baker's shops and fish markets, creating a unique village in the heart of the city.In 1935, there were four
synagogue s in the Fairfax District; by 1945, there were twelve. AfterWorld War II , many more Jews, a lot of them Holocaust survivors, began to populate the area. As more families moved in, religious schools and a Jewish Community Center sprang up. In 1974,Bet Tzedek Legal Services - The House of Justice , a legal aid charity, opened its doors across from the Farmers Market. From the 1950s to the 1970s, the Fairfax District was the center of Jewish life inLos Angeles . Recently arrived Jewish immigrants fromIsrael andRussia gave the area a more cosmopolitan air.As the next generation of Jews grew up and went off to college they favored
white-collar careers to ownership of the traditional shops. While this area ofLos Angeles is still home to a vibrant Jewish community, the center of Jewish life has shifted southwest to nearby Pico and Robertson Boulevards. The Farmers Market at Fairfax Avenue and 3rd Street still retained an Old World atmosphere until 2001 when construction ofThe Grove began, with open-air vegetable stalls and cafes, and many Jewish residents of the area continue to frequent the market as part of their shopping or routine, which retains an attraction for many seniors and immigrants; but the addition of The Grove, an outdoor mall built on the former parking lot for the market, has brought new crowds and new visitors, including many tourists and chain-store shoppers as well as severe parking problems to the Farmers Market daily. Fairfax Avenue, once lined with kosher delis and shops, now holds only a few storefronts reminiscent of the old days, including the famous deli/restaurantCanter's . There also still exist many Jewish-owned shops, markets, and bakeries.CBS Television City was built in 1952 on the former site ofGilmore Stadium at Fairfax Avenue andBeverly Boulevard . This is whereCBS tapes "The Young and the Restless ", the "Late Late Show", and "The Price is Right".Other shows over the years filmed at Television City included "
All in the Family ", "The Twilight Zone" (with Rod Serling), "The Smothers Brothers ,The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour ,The Carol Burnett Show ,The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour ",Tony Orlando & Dawn andThe Jacksons , "House Party", "The Dinah Shore Show", "The Mike Douglas Show ", "The Merv Griffin Show " and many television specials.In the late 1970s, after then-governor
Jerry Brown canceled theBeverly Hills Freeway that would have razed the entire length ofMelrose Avenue . That avenue became known as a street of funky shops, restaurants and galleries. The early 1980s brought media attention and a new revitalized look to the area. Today,Melrose Avenue remains a fashion district, but east of Fairfax it is somewhat down at heel and of interest mainly to the young. It is perhaps similar to parts ofSoHo andGreenwich Village inNew York City , as well asThe Haight and Upper Fillmore districts of San Francisco.Education
Residents are zoned to
Los Angeles Unified School District schools:
* Fairfax High SchoolThe
Los Angeles Public Library operates the Fairfax Branch.Emergency services
Fire service
Los Angeles Fire Department operates [http://lafd.org/fs61.htm Fire Station 61] , serving the community.Police service
Fairfax is served by two separate
Los Angeles Police Department stations [http://www.lapdonline.org/our_communities/content_basic_view/23934] .
* [http://www.lapdonline.org/hollywood_community_police_station Hollywood Community Police Station] (North of Beverly Boulevard)
* [http://www.lapdonline.org/wilshire_community_police_station Wilshire Community Police Station] (South of Beverly Boulevard)Landmarks
*
Canter's
*CBS Television City
*Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
*Fairfax High School
*Farmers Market
* [http://www.johnnyrockets.com/aboutus/ Johnny Rockets]
*The Beverly Center
*The Grove
*The Improv
*Pan-Pacific Park
* [http://www.silentmovietheatre.com/ The Silent Movie Theatre] , the only theater in the USA dedicated to silent moviesee also
*
Pan-Pacific Auditorium External links
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