In 1988, Baldwin Village became a distinct community in the city's General Plan, and signs were to be posted to identify the area.[1] It is bounded by La Brea Avenue, Marlton Avenue, Obama Blvd, Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Santo Thomas Drive.[2]
History
Baldwin Village was developed in the early 1940s and 1950s by architect Clarence Stein, as an apartment complex for young families. Baldwin Village is occasionally called "The Jungles" by locals because of the tropical trees and foliage (such as palms, banana trees and begonias) that once thrived among the area's tropical-style postwar apartment buildings.[3] The Los Angeles City Council changed the name in 1990, after residents complained that it reinforced the neighborhood's image as a wild and menacing place.[4] They renamed it Baldwin Village after the Baldwin Hillsneighborhood.[5]
Development
Marlton Square
Development of Marlton Square was stalled in bankruptcy after years of work and millions of dollars of public and private funds until 2012.
A first-of-its-kind, mixed-use development featuring a Costco store beneath 800 residential units has broken ground in the neighborhood as of September 2024. Occupying the former site of a cable company facility, the development will include over 180 units of affordable housing and surpass the Baldwin Village Apartments as the largest single residential complex in the area. Originally conceived as only a retail development, the project took advantage of new state laws streamlining development approvals and loosening zoning laws for projects with large amounts of affordable housing.[7]
Education
Hillcrest Drive Elementary - 4041 Hillcrest Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90008