Mid-Wilshire, Los Angeles facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mid-Wilshire
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 Mid-Wilshire
Location in Western Los Angeles
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Los Angeles |
| City | Los Angeles |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (PST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| Zip Code |
90010
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| Area code(s) | 323 |
Mid-Wilshire is a cool neighborhood in the middle of Los Angeles, California. It's famous for awesome places like the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Petersen Automotive Museum, and the Miracle Mile shopping area.
Contents
Exploring Mid-Wilshire's Location
Mid-Wilshire is part of a bigger area called the Wilshire Community Plan Area (CPA). This whole area has clear borders. To the north, it's bordered by Melrose Avenue and Rosewood Avenue. To the south, you'll find 18th Street, Venice Boulevard, and Pico Boulevard. Hoover Street is the eastern border, and the cities of West Hollywood and Beverly Hills are to the west.
The Wilshire area includes many neighborhoods. Some of these are Wilshire Center, Koreatown, Windsor Square, Hancock Park, Larchmont, and of course, Mid-Wilshire itself. You'll also find Miracle Mile, Beverly–Fairfax, and the Carthay neighborhoods.
Mid-Wilshire's Specific Borders
Mid-Wilshire has its own specific boundaries. It's generally bordered by Crenshaw Boulevard, Pico Boulevard, Fairfax Avenue, and Wilshire Boulevard. Part of the famous Miracle Mile is actually inside Mid-Wilshire.
The Los Angeles Times has its own map of Mid-Wilshire. On their map, West Third Street is the northern border. La Brea Avenue and Wilshire Boulevard are to the northeast. Crenshaw Boulevard is on the east, and Pico Boulevard is to the south. Fairfax Avenue forms the western border.
Mid-Wilshire is surrounded by other neighborhoods. These include Fairfax, Hancock Park, and Windsor Square to the north. To the east, you'll find Koreatown and Arlington Heights. Mid-City is to the south, and Mid-City West is to the west and northwest.
Cool Neighborhoods in Mid-Wilshire
Mid-Wilshire is home to several unique neighborhoods, each with its own special vibe.
Little Ethiopia: A Taste of Africa
Little Ethiopia is a special part of Fairfax Avenue. It's about a block long, between Olympic Boulevard and Whitworth Drive. This area is famous for its many Ethiopian restaurants. You'll also find many people of Ethiopian and Eritrean background living here. It's a great place to experience a different culture!
Miracle Mile: A Shopping Hotspot
The Miracle Mile is a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) long stretch of Wilshire Boulevard. It runs between Fairfax and Highland Avenues. Back in the 1920s, this area was just an unpaved farm road with dairy farms. A smart developer named A. W. Ross saw its potential. He turned Wilshire into a major shopping district, designed for cars, to compete with downtown Los Angeles.
Oxford Square: A Historic Spot
Oxford Square is an old neighborhood with a lot of history. It's located between Pico Boulevard and Olympic Boulevard. It also includes both sides of Victoria Avenue and South Windsor Boulevard.
In 1910, this neighborhood was planned out. It was served by the Pico Street streetcar line. The streets were wide, with big sidewalks and parkways meant for palm trees and flowers. Fancy streetlights were also planned.
Park La Brea: Giant Apartment Complex
Park La Brea is a huge apartment complex. It's bordered by 3rd Street to the north, Cochran Avenue to the east, Sixth Street to the south, and Fairfax Avenue to the west. It has 4,255 homes in eighteen 13-story towers and 31 two-story "garden apartment buildings." This makes it the largest housing development in the United States!
Park Mile: Business and Beauty
Park Mile is a business area along Wilshire Boulevard. It stretches between Highland Avenue on the west and Wilton Place on the east. To the north is Sixth Street, and to the south is Eighth Street. The buildings here are designed to look nice with the nearby Hancock Park area. They often use brick and have a horizontal, warm look. There's a height limit of three stories for buildings here. This helps keep the area looking good and protects the nearby homes.
Sycamore Square: A Quiet Corner
Sycamore Square is a neighborhood located near Hancock Park to the north and Miracle Mile to the west. It's bordered by Wilshire Boulevard to the north and Olympic Boulevard to the south. La Brea Avenue is to the west, and Citrus Avenue is to the east.
Wilshire Vista: Historic Homes
Wilshire Vista is a neighborhood with about 1700 homes. It's special because it has two buildings that are recognized as Los Angeles Cultural Historic Monuments.
Who Lives in Mid-Wilshire?
In 2000, about 41,683 people lived in Mid-Wilshire. The neighborhood is about 2.78 square miles. This means there are about 14,988 people per square mile, which is a lot for a city! By 2008, the population grew to about 47,176. The average age of people living here was 34.
Mid-Wilshire is known for being very diverse. In 2000, the population included people from many different backgrounds. About 33.6% were white, 22.7% were black, 19.9% were Latino, and 19.8% were Asian. Many residents were born outside the U.S., with Mexico and Korea being common birthplaces.
The average household income in 2008 was about $58,483. Most people in Mid-Wilshire rent their homes (78.3%). Many adults (45.2%) have a four-year college degree, which is a high rate for Los Angeles.
Schools and Parks in Mid-Wilshire
The City of Los Angeles provides public services like parks and libraries. Public schools are part of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Here are some of the schools and parks you can find in Mid-Wilshire:
- Los Angeles Senior High School, at 4650 West Olympic Boulevard.
- Los Angeles Community Adult School, also at 4650 West Olympic Boulevard.
- Hancock Park Elementary School, at 408 South Fairfax Avenue.
- Wilshire Crest Elementary School, at 5241 West Olympic Boulevard.
- Queen Anne Place Elementary School, at 1212 Queen Anne Place.
- Queen Anne Recreation Center, a park at 1240 West Blvd.
Fun Places to Visit in Mid-Wilshire
Mid-Wilshire has many exciting landmarks and attractions.
- The Wilshire Ebell Theater is a beautiful historic building. It's a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument.
- The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is a huge art museum. Right next to it are the Page Museum and the famous La Brea Tar Pits. You can see ancient fossils there! These are all on Wilshire Boulevard.
- The Miracle Mile is a cool commercial street. It was designed in the 1920s for cars, not just people walking.
- The Petersen Automotive Museum is on the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue. It's one of the biggest car museums in the world! You can learn all about car history there.
- Olympia Medical Center is a hospital in the area.
- Harold A. Henry Park is a nice park named after a former city councilman.
- Los Angeles High School Memorial Park has a library dedicated to students who fought in World War I.
- Queen Anne Recreation Center is a park with lots of things to do. It has an auditorium, barbecue pits, a baseball field, basketball courts, a playground, picnic tables, and tennis courts.
- Town and Country shopping center is a place to shop.
- The William Grant Still Residence is a historic home. William Grant Still was a famous African-American composer.
Famous People From Mid-Wilshire
Some well-known people have lived in Mid-Wilshire:
- Christian Audigier – A French fashion designer.
- Leonard Cohen – A famous Canadian singer and writer.
- William Grant Still – An important African-American composer, known for his "Afro-American Symphony."
