Palms, Los Angeles

In Spanish and Mexican days, the area that later became Palms was a part of the Rancho La Ballona, where in 1819 Agustín and Ygnacio Machado, along with Felipe Talamantes and his son, Tomás, acquired grazing rights to 14,000 acres (57 km²) of land. It was thenceforth used as grazing land for cattle and sheep.[3] According to Culver City History, a 2001 work by Julie Lugo Cerra, published for the Culver City Unified School District:

The family lore relates that Agustín was chosen, by virtue of his skill as a horseman to ride his fastest steed, from dawn until dusk, beginning at the foot of the Playa del Rey hills to claim Rancho La Ballona, or Paso de las Carretas. It stretched to Pico Boulevard (abutting Rancho San Vicente y Santa Monica) and to what we know as Ince Boulevard, where Rancho Rincón de los Bueyes began.

Agustin Machado died in 1865, the same year La Ballona School was constructed to serve all elementary-age children within the Ballona School District.[4] In 1871, Ygnacio Saenz established a general store at the crossing which later became Washington Boulevard and Overland Avenue. (Three corners of that intersection are in Culver City and one is in Palms.[5]) The store, which was also a way stop on the county road between Los Angeles and the ocean, also housed the area's first post office.[6]

By 1882, the county's electoral district serving Palms was known as Ballona, with voting at La Ballona School.[7]

Deke Keasbey, real estate investment specialist for Tierra Properties, has noted that:

"The Southern Pacific completed its Los Angeles route in 1883, and only three years later the Santa Fe finished its Los Angeles spur. With a huge investment in their new coast-to-coast rail lines and large Los Angeles land holdings, the railroads set forth a long-term plan for growth. Southern California citrus farming was born. Tourism and the building of towns were promoted to attract investors, to raise land values, and to increase the value of railroad shipments".[8]

La Ballona Valley was part of that land rush. In 1882, several Midwestern families chartered a reconditioned freight car and left their homes in Le Mars, Iowa, to settle in the valley.[9] They held their first Sunday school in the old La Ballona School on Washington Boulevard, and in fall 1883 they organized a United Brethren Church with 11 members.[10]

Palms street layout circa 1893

About that time the valley drew the attention of three speculators – Joseph Curtis, Edward H. Sweetser and C.J. Harrison. They paid $40,000 for 500 acres (2.0 km²). They surveyed their land and cut it up, and then they sold it to the new arrivals. They planted 5,000 trees along eight miles (13 km) of graded streets. They named it The Palms, even though they had to bring in palm trees and plant them near the train station.[11] Their first tract map was dated December 26, 1886, which is now considered the birth date of Palms. During this time, the Palms-Southern Pacific Railroad Depot was constructed, serving as one of only two depots between Los Angeles and Santa Monica. It was moved to the Heritage Square Museum in 1976.

The site was midway between Los Angeles and Santa Monica on the Los Angeles and Independence Railroad (now the E Line light rail line.). Before the massive urban growth engendered by the Los Angeles Aqueduct, Palms was located within a farming and ranching area.

Station sign from The Palms train depot now located in Heritage Square Museum

The subdividers gave the United Brethren Church two lots and $200 in cash to get started. In 1887 the church building was completed, and in 1889 the parsonage was built. In 1908 the old chapel was moved to the rear of the lot and new sanctuary built. In 1916 the old parsonage sold and a new one built. Later a bungalow was added next door to be a Sunday school.[12]

Although its exact location has been lost, contemporary sources indicate the existence of a Palms Villa, Palm Villa, or Villa Hotel at least from no later than 1890[13] through 1904.[14] It may have stood on Tabor Street, which was known as Villa Avenue at the time.[15]

Map from the Los Angeles Times shows area that approved annexation on June 1, 1914. The white areas marked by dotted lines (including Culver City) voted against annexation in May and were excluded from the June vote.

The residential development of a vast area west of the Los Angeles city limits brought a pressure for annexation to the city. Particularly noted was, first, the construction by L.A. of a new outfall sewer that could serve the area and, second, plans by the city engineer for a flood control project for the La Cienega region. Agitation for annexation was begun by Palms residents, but the reach was extended all the way west to the then-separate city of Sawtelle limits so that municipality could be annexed later.[16]

There were two annexation elections. Both were hard fought. The first, on April 28, 1914, was voted down, according to the Los Angeles Times, "because the people in the suburban territory are afraid of the municipal bond craze, of which the power scheme is the last straw, and the threatened burden of extra high taxation." The vote was 387 in favor and 264 against; a two-thirds vote was needed, so the "yes" vote was shy by 47.[17]

A new petition was almost immediately submitted, leaving out all the areas that had voted against annexation. Nevertheless, Harry Culver, the founder of Culver City, denounced the new plan as a gerrymander and opposed it.[18] But The Times wrote:

"This district comprises some of the richest country between the city and the sea and is directly in the path of the residence expansion westward. Because its growth is inevitable and its population certain to be greatly increased soon, advocates of annexation believe the necessity for securing adequate and permanent water rights is urgent and are working diligently to secure the required two-thirds vote".[19]

On June 1, 1914, the annexation succeeded, by a 342–136 vote,[20] and on May 4, 1915, Los Angeles voters approved the annexation of the Palms district, as well as that of the extensive San Fernando Valley.[21] Both Palms and the Valley entered Los Angeles on May 22, 1915.

Map depicting boundaries of Palms annexation to City of Los Angeles, 1915

The Travelers' Handbook to Southern California, published in 1904, stated that "The Palms" was "named from the number of large palms which dot the region for quite a distance near the Southern Pacific depot"[22] and that "The Los Angeles and Pacific road has [been] built via The Palms and Ocean Park to Santa Monica, making its line a belt of sixteen miles or more on each lap."[23]

Over the decades following the turn of the 20th century, the definite article was dropped from the place name. By the 1920s, the name was simply "Palms" on local transit maps.[24]

Palms is served by the 405 (San Diego) and the 10 (Santa Monica [Rosa Parks]) freeways.

Palms is served by the Metro E Line, reactivating Pacific Electric passenger service which had been in place from 1875 to 1953. Service restarted in 2012, with the western terminus located near the intersection of Venice and Robertson Boulevards. The line now runs between Downtown Los Angeles and Santa Monica, with a stop at the Palms station, which opened on May 20, 2016.[32]

Palms is considerably more bicycle-friendly than many other urban neighborhoods in Los Angeles, and bicycling is very popular owing to the neighborhoods density, young population, and scarcity of parking. Venice Boulevard and Motor Avenue, the two primary commercial corridors in the neighborhood, both feature dedicated bicycle lanes. The construction of the Metro E Line was accompanied by a Class A bicycle trail running adjacent to the tracks along Exposition Boulevard, the Expo Bike Path, which allows for easy bicycle access to the Palms station as well as being popular for recreational use by cyclists and joggers. This path was controversial, however, because of a large gap (stretching from Palms Boulevard to Overland Avenue) in the promised route following the E Line to connect to Santa Monica and the Pacific Ocean.

Palms is served by LAnow a new on demand shared-ride service. Serve started in May 2019, users can reserve a ride through the LAnow smartphone app, online or by phone. Once reserved, users can meet the shuttle at the scheduled LAnow pick-up/drop-off point. Within the service area, pick-up/drop-off points are never more than a few blocks (1/4 mile) away.

Palms is served by a Los Angeles city-certified neighborhood council, whose governing body is called the Representative Assembly.[35]

The council was certified as part of the city government on December 14, 2004. Its founding president was Len Nguyen, who resigned shortly after his taking office to work for newly elected City Council Member Bill Rosendahl. Todd Robinson succeeded as the second president, but he resigned a few months later. In March 2006 Vice President Pauline Stout moved up to become president. She was succeeded by George Garrigues (2008–09), Dee Olomajeye (2009–12), Eli Lipmen (2012–14), Marisa Stewart (2014–16), Nick Greif (2016–2018) and Alison Regan (2018–2019).

All of the stakeholders in Palms are members of the neighborhood council. Stakeholders include not only those who live, work, or own property in the district but also a broader category of people who can claim affiliation through some other kind of activity on behalf of Palms organizations. Three from that category were elected in spring 2005 to the Representative Assembly, a 13-member governing body composed of officers chosen on a district-wide basis and representatives elected from local areas. Over the last decade, the Palms Neighborhood Council (PNC) has worked to:

• Improve the quality of life in Palms
• Give our neighborhood a voice on issues affecting the community
• Improve the delivery of City services to our area
• Make City officials and Departments more accountable to community needs and concerns
• Represent the diverse people of Palms; including renters, homeowners, employees, merchants, and others affiliated with local cultural, educational, and religious organizations[36]

The Los Angeles Fire Department operates Station 43, which also serves portions of Rancho Park and Cheviot Hills.

Los Angeles Police Department operates the Pacific Community Police Station at 12312 Culver Boulevard.[37]

The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services SPA 5 West Area Health Office serves Palms.[38]

The United States Postal Service Palms Post Office is located at 3751 Motor Avenue.[39]