Eagle Rock, California

Eagle Rock is an artistic and affluent hilly neighborhood in northeastern Los Angeles, California, United States. It is bordered by the city of Glendale on the north and west, Highland Park on the south, and the cities of Pasadena and South Pasadena on the east. Major thoroughfares include Eagle Rock Boulevard, Colorado Boulevard, and Figueroa Street. The Glendale and Ventura freeways run along the district's western and northern edges, respectively. A massive boulder at the district's northern edge contains an indentation which casts a vaguely bird-shaped shadow on the rock at certain times of day; the neighborhood derives its name from this geological feature.

The entire neighborhood has been experiencing gentrification for the last few years as young urban professionals, finding themselves priced out of Los Feliz, Silver Lake and Echo Park, have found affordable housing there. Eagle Rock is inhabited by a wide variety of ethnicities and socioeconomic groups, but it is best known as an eclectic gathering of hipsters and the creative class. Recently, there's been a noticable influx presence of LGBT people. Eagle Rock is known for its bohemian vibe, mix of class levels, and neighborhood feel.

A core of counter-culture writers, artists and filmmakers has existed in the town since the 1920s and is being supplemented by the recent influx of hipsters. The town was well known during the late '50s, '60s and '70s for its sizable hot rodder culture, which is now almost defunct.

Eagle Rock is the site of Occidental College, designed by famed architect Myron Hunt and built in 1914.

Eagle Rock is home to many historic and achitecturally significant homes, many done in the Craftsman, Georgian, Streamline Moderne, Art Deco and Spanish/Mission style.

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Occidental College was founded on April 20, 1887, by a group of Presbyterian clergy and laymen. The college's first term began a year later with 27 men and 13 women students, and tuition of $50 a year. Initially located in Boyle Heights, the college moved to a new campus in Los Angeles' Highland Park neighborhood in 1898. Despite a strong Presbyterian presence on its campus, Occidental cut ties to the church in 1910. In 1912, the school began construction of a new campus located in Los Angeles' Eagle Rock neighborhood. The Eagle Rock campus was to be designed by noted California Architect Myron Hunt. That same year, Occidental President John Willis Baer announced the trustees' decision to convert Oxy into an all-men's institution. However, students protested, and the idea was abandoned.

In 1962, Time Magazine described Occidental as a little giant in a story about the college's rise to national prominence. Indeed, this moniker was characteristic of the college's growth.

During the late 1960s, a strong anti-war sentiment made its presence felt at Occidental. The students' activism was characteristic of a rise of liberalism across campus. In 1969, the school opened its first two co-ed dormitories, and two more followed a year later. On May 6, 1970, the faculty voted to suspend classes in the wake of the Kent State shootings and America's invasion of Cambodia. Subsequently, Oxy students wrote 7,000 letters to Washington D.C., protesting U.S. involvement in the war in Southeast Asia.

In 1979, Occidental installed Water Forms II, a kinetic fountain designed by professor George Baker. The fountain is a campus landmark and was featured prominently in the 1984 film "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock." During the 1984 Olympic Games, some track events were held at Occidental's Patterson Field. By 1986, for the first time since World War II, women students outnumbered men. Today, the college is approximately 60 percent female and 40 percent male; roughly equivalent to the national average. On July 1, 2006, Susan Prager became Occidental's first female president. She then left her position in 2007 during the fall term. On January 30, 2009, it was announced that Jonathan Veitch, formerly dean of of Eugene Lang College, would become Occidental's 15th president beginning in the summer of 2009.

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The Wiota Circle Project has been underway since 2005, when a $5,270 grant was awarded by the City of Los Angeles to improve the Wiota cul-de-sac at the 134 Freeway on and off ramp. Since groundbreaking began in 2006, hard-working volunteers have transformed a barren asphalt wasteland into a low-maintenance oasis of floral beauty. The site is punctuated by several poured concrete planters featuring carefully selected native plants and custom-designed trellises and supports. Standing proudly at the center of the Wiota Circle project is a neighborhood identification marker designed by artist Bill Stutz. The marker is a poured concrete monolith based on the Eagle Rock for which the community is named. Though nearly complete, the project relies 100% on the efforts of volunteers. If you'd like to lend a hand, information is available at the Wiota Circle Project website. The community volunteers pictured above range in age from 2 to 100.

• January 15


• February 19


• March 19


• April 16


• May 21


• June 18


• July 16


• August 4 ~ National Night Out
  (Check Back for Details)


• September 17


• October 15


• November 19


• No Meeting ~ Happy Holidays!

All meetings take place from 6-7pm at Eagle Rock City Hall, located on the corner of Colorado Boulevard and North Maywood Avenue. Meetings are open to the public, and are conducted by an LAPD Senior Lead Officer (SLO) dedicated to Eagle Rock. For more information, please contact the CD-14 Eagle Rock Field Office at 323-254-5295.

Eagle Rock News
Occidental College
Eagle Rock CA.com
Eagle Rock Guide.com
L.A. Eagle Rock Farmers' Market
Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council
Eagle Rock Chamber of Commerce
George Baker ~ Sculptor (Occidental College Photo Credit)

© 2009 Kim Giancaterino

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