South Central. Straight out of Compton. Livin' in the 'wood. Diez y ocho. Blood Stone Pirus 30's. Ducky Hood Compton Crips. Get yo' ass strapped, 'cause South Central ain't no place to be steppin'.
Unless, of course, you're an undead predator, in which case you should be just fine.
South Central is the worst part of Los Angeles. Compton, Paramount, Inglewood, Florence, Watts, and East L.A. all make up the District of South Central, which in our World of Darkness is a much more dangerous place than it is in reality (and that's saying something). The mortal population, mostly Black and Latino, lives in fear of the gangs that prowl the streets. The gangs are bad, and crime is bad. But there are worse things in the 'hood.
Traditionally, South Central is home to a number of "anarch" gangs - coteries of vampires who, to one degree or another, buck the system, flaunt the traditions, and hold the power of the Camarilla in contempt. South Central has always been violent, and outbursts are regular. In 1965, under the cover of the Watts Riots, the anarchs of the city rose up, coming together in a rare showing of open defiance. Most recently in 1992, the populace, undead and mortal, rose up against real and perceived oppression and laid waste to vast stretches of the city. Although not nearly as destructive as 1965, at least a handful of vampires again reportedly disappeared in those chaotic nights. But the District is not all rebellion and violence: there are several Camarilla-aligned "gangs" as well.
Please find below an overview of the various areas in the South Central District. The maps do not match our grid any longer. However - they do provide an impression of the location of the various places within an area or district. Please find an overview of how the places mentioned below, match the areas on our grid here.
P - Inglewood
Inglewood dates its history to the construction of the Centinela Adobe in 1834 by Ygnacio Machado. The arrival of the railroad to the area caused Inglewood to be established in 1888, carved out of the 25,000 acre (100 km²) Centinela Ranch, which contained the Centinela Adobe. By 1908, it had a population of 1,200. Between 1920 and 1925, it was the fastest-growing city in the United States and was known for its chinchilla production.
The current median income for a household in the city is $34,269, and the median income for a family is $36,541. Males have a median income of $28,515 versus $30,096 for females. The per capita income for the city is $14,776.
22.5% of the population and 19.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 30.1% of those under the age of 18 and 11.8% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Since the 1970s, the city has been a center of the region's African-American community. It was often considered a working-to-middle-class black suburb. This has changed somewhat, however, as more Latinos have moved in.
See http://www.cityofinglewood.org/default.asp for more information.
Q - Baldwin Hills
Baldwin Hills is a district in southwestern Los Angeles, California, in South Los Angeles. It is located on the central hills overlooking the Los Angeles Basin, and in the flats immediately to their north. (Areas in the flats are often referred to as Baldwin Village.) It includes the Village Green "garden city" housing development, which was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 2001.
Baldwin Hills is bordered on the southwest by Inglewood, on the south by View Park-Windsor Hills, on the west by Culver City, on the north by Mid-City, and on the east by the Crenshaw district of Los Angeles. The district's ZIP code is 90008.
African Americans make up approximately 78.5% of Baldwin Hills' population. It is one of the wealthiest majority-black areas in the United States. Like nearby Ladera Heights, it has seen a recent influx of white, Asian, and Latino families drawn to its relatively affordable yet extremely high-quality housing.
The area is new and growing, peaceful and affluent, and boasts the large Kenneth J. Hahn Recreation Area, which is built on land reclaimed from petroleum extraction activities.
R - South Central Core
The name "South Central" originally referred to an area bounded roughly by Main Street on the west and Washington Boulevard on the north, and sharply by Slauson Avenue (which had Santa Fe Railroad track running alongside it) on the south and Alameda Street (including Southern Pacific Railroad track) on the east. Central Avenue bisects this area from north to south. Along with Watts several miles to the south, this corridor was the only district-scale area within the city in which African-Americans could purchase property prior to 1948. While some African-Americans rented and sometimes even owned property in other areas of the city, they were generally confined to single streets or small neighborhoods.
See: http://www.wikipedia.org/South_Los_Angeles
S - Florence
Florence (Florence-Graham) is the second largest unincorporated community in eastern South-central Los Angeles. With sixty thousand people crammed into five square miles and a per capita income well less then ten thousand, it's easily one of the poorest communities in South Central and exists as an urban hotbed of gang life.
Forty percent of Florence's sixty thousand people are under the age of eighteen, while only five percent have made it above and beyond the grand old age of sixty-four. Eighty-five percent of the population is hispanic of some kind, while twenty percent are varying shades of white and a paltry thirteen percent (mostly in the southern region) claim to be what the census terms 'black'. There are vast cultural gaps between each ethnic group and, while they live side by side in some places, this and the language difference prevent any true mingling. By the vast majority, the average resident of Florence is somewhere in their early twenties, hispanic, very poor and gang affiliated. In fact, thirty five percent of the population exists below the poverty line.
Despite that, some sections of Florence are in markedly better condition then others. The southern portion, while still possessing the aura of urban threat and the graffiti drawn reminders of overwhelming gang prominence, is less dangerous then the parts of Florence that haven't received cultural input from other bordering neighborhoods. Quite a few of the homes there are owner occupied and, after the '92 riots, the area has undergone a bit of community-driven rejuvenation.
T - Watts
Watts is a region bounded by 103rd Street on the North and Imperial Highway on the South. Its boundaries are defined on the other two sides by Mona Boulevard on the East and Central Avenue on the West.
The demographics are testimony to the alienation and desperation of the minorities who haven't been able to realize the American Dream. 60.63% of the people here are Hispanic or Latino, while 38.17% is Black and 14.6% is White - although almost all of those Whites are of mixed race, living with Latinos and Hispanics. The single unifying factor for these citizens is their poverty - 49.7% of famililes and 49.1% of individuals living under the pottery line.
Historically, it had been settled by lower-class workers - at first hosting all races, but then becoming predominantly black as other neighbourhoods sprang up around Watts, most of which were closed to Blacks during the days of segregation.
In 1965, the Watts Riots changed the face of the neighborhood. Although the arrest giving rise to the riots occurred outside of the area, the large and already incensed Black population's anger boiled over in the confines of this neighborhood they were confined to. It gave a sense of identity to the community - for both those within and those on the outside. It precipitated the organization of gangs in the 1970s, and laid the ground for gang domination and violence, particularly involving the notorious Crips (with 2 cells in the area) and Bloods (who have 1 cell). Hundreds of deaths in Watts have been attributed to gang activities from 1990 to 2005; however, the gangs themselves have attempted to broker a peacea amongst themselves with a treaty. However, recently, the gang treaty has been cancelled, leading to speculation that the rates of violence are due to only increase.
More recently, Blacks have been leaving Watts to move to other poor areas, and have been replaced with Latino and Hispanic poor. This process only increased following the 1992 Riots, which saw significant amounts of violence between the two races - a concentrated display of the undercurrents that have been been present since the influx of Hispanics into the traditionally, proud, community-based Black Watts.
In an attempt to gentrify the area, a number of museums and art galleries have been opened around the perimeter of the neighborhood; however, this has proven anything but effective. Now, the poor and conflicted residents of the area look out at the opulence surrounding them with an increasing sensation of injustice at this encroachment of white luxury.
U - Compton
The incorporated city of Compton is home to some ninety-three thousand residents making up roughly twenty two thousand households. It is lesser known as a hub for transportation as five freeways outline the general boundaries of the city, the Metro Blue Line runs north-south through the city, the small Compton/Woodley Airport is present, and the Long Beach and Port Los Angeles ports are less than twenty minutes. These details lend justification to the City's nickname “the Hub City.
The racial profile of the City, as per the 2000 census, shows the city to be 40% Black or African American and roughly 56% Hispanic or Latino. These numbers vary as one moves east or west, with East Compton being predominantly Hispanic/Latino and West Compton being predominantly Black/African American. The age spread of the city is mostly young, 39% under the age of eighteen, with a full 50% of the population being under the age of twenty-four. Poverty is widespread throughout the region with 28% of the overall population and 35% of those under the age of eighteen living below the poverty line.
No discussion of Compton would be complete without including the subject of Crime. The so-called 'inner city' community has been made notorious for gangs by the music of certain rap artists and the label is not entirely far from the truth. With Latin gangs like the Compton Varrio Tortilla Flats, Compton Varrio 70's, Compton Varrio Largo 36, and the Compton Varrio Alondra represented in addition to the infamous African American gangs, the Crips and the Bloods. Indeed, the city has the highest violent crime rate in the entire state of California, and was designated the third most dangerous city with more than seventy-thousand people by the Morgan Quitno Corporation. To go with that, the city's homicide rate is eight times higher than the national average for the U.S.
It would be wrong to judge Compton on just its crime and reputation, however, as the city is home to many African-American and Latino working professionals. It possesses an equestrian club, one of the top teen astronomy programs in the country, and is home to the Major League Baseball Academy.
For more on Compton please check out http://www.comptoncity.org/ as well as other valuable sites on the web.
V - Bellflower
Bellflower, together with neighbouring Artesia and Cerritos, makes up the A-B-C region which is considered one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse in the United States. It is a lower class community, occupying 6.2 square miles of Los Angeles County, California, with 16% of the population living below the poverty line. Its racial makeup is approximately 43% Latino, 30% White, and 13% Black or African American.
The name derives from belle fleur, a variety of apple tree (linking the name with an orchard of these apples grown by a pioneer settler), and famous residents have included Cindy Sheehan (anti war activist) and Chris Carter (screenwriter for the X Files).
The city has a homepage at http://www.bellflower.org/home/index.asp
W - East Lost Angeles
East Los Angeles (often shortened to East L.A. or East Los) is an unincorporated area located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The community is bounded by the Boyle Heights neighborhood of the city of Los Angeles to the west, the unincorporated area of City Terrace to the northwest, the city of Monterey Park to the northeast, the city of Montebello to the east, and the city of Commerce to the south. As of the 2000 census, this area had a total population of 124,283. 96.80% of the population are Hispanic or Latino; The average household size is 4.15 and the average family size is 4.42. The median age is 26 years The median income for a household in the community is $28,544, and the median income for a family is $29,755. Both the song and film Born in East L.A. by Cheech Marin could either be about the unincorporated community of East Los Angeles, or the East Los Angeles region. A notable resident of the region is/was Val Valentino, a latino magician who grew up in East LA and moved to Las Vegas.
X - Expo Park
Exposition Park and the nearby district of Jefferson Park are tied together by their similarity of evolution. Exposition Park was originally established as a privately owned show ground with stables, paddocks, and a racetrack. The location was first used to hold agricultural fairs, livestock and farm shows, and horse races. It was the opening of USC which led to the Park's current incarnation as the families of the student body did not approve of the gambling and seediness the racetrack engendered. A movement was led to reclaim the land and turn it to public stewardship. The change brought the racetrack to an end and replaced it with the beauty of the rose gardens which exist to this day. In addition the area was to house a museum and an armory. Over the years in between the area was developed further with the county museum becoming the east wing of the Natural History Museum and the Ahmanson State Exposition Building being made into the California Science Center.
Where Exposition Park is the story of development, Jefferson Park is the story of declining fortunes. The area was first constructed as one of the city's most prosperous areas, the hills the site of fine mansions constructed by the wealthy white Angelenos. Edwardian, Craftsman, and Art Deco mansions, were built along with churches and commercial buildings of similar quality. With the addition of the richer blacks, the area came by its old nickname of 'Sugar Hill'. When the Supreme Court banned segregationist property restrictions, the face of the area changed as the upper crust whites moved out to be replaced by middle and upper class blacks whose families still own many of the houses today. As the area deteriorated beginning in the seventies, the working-class black population in the bungalows and ranch homes of the area was replaced by Latinos. In the end, the area has become like most of South Los Angeles in its racial mixture of blacks and Latinos and its fortunes though it remains on the whole nicer than areas such as Florence and Compton.
Y - Athens
Athens is an unincorporated community in south-central Los Angeles. The population is 56.1% 'black', 39.3% latino with the remainder being equally divided between white and asian. Families represent over 80% of the population, and the median age is 28.2. About a quarter of the population lives below the poverty line, and about half of the households include children under the age of eighteen. Racial tensions are high between the two dominant ethnic groups, and it is unusual to see caucasians other than the LAPD in the area. Like most of south-central L.A., Athens is a hotbed of gang activity and is the base of operations for gangs such as the Athens Park Boys who are affiliated with the Bloods.
Z - North Inglewood
Inglewood dates its history to the construction of the Centinela Adobe in 1834 by Ygnacio Machado. The arrival of the railroad to the area caused Inglewood to be established in 1888, carved out of the 25,000 acre (100 km²) Centinela Ranch, which contained the Centinela Adobe. By 1908, it had a population of 1,200. Between 1920 and 1925, it was the fastest-growing city in the United States and was known for its chinchilla production.
The current median income for a household in the city is $34,269, and the median income for a family is $36,541. Males have a median income of $28,515 versus $30,096 for females. The per capita income for the city is $14,776.
22.5% of the population and 19.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 30.1% of those under the age of 18 and 11.8% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Since the 1970s, the city has been a center of the region's African-American community. It was often considered a working-to-middle-class black suburb. This has changed somewhat, however, as more Latinos have moved in.
See http://www.cityofinglewood.org/default.asp for more information.
AA - Lincoln Heights
Lincoln Heights runs along the eastern bank of the Los Angeles River, and is bound on the other side by Soto Street. On the south, it's border is the San Bernardino Freeway, while its northern border is unclear - the neighborhood giving way gradually to Mt. Washington.
Originally built up in the 1880s, the area was host to the wealthy elite of the day, who built Victorian mansions - many of which remain in place still. The wealthy citizens began to leave the area as industrial development on the banks of the Los Angeles began to impact on their properties. They were replaced redominantly by Italian-Americans (who opened the area's noted San Antonio Winery, still present and operating - although with non-local grapes), and later, Mexican-Americans.
The Golden State Freeway was constructed through the area following World War II, causing the Italian-Americans and Mexican-Americans to leave the area en masse. The Freeway has devastated the once prestigious area, turning it into a shadow of its former prestigous self - a low-income mixed residential/commercial area home to Latin-American, Chinese and Vietnamese immigrants able to afford no better, crammed in amongst other impoverished minorities in nearby Chinatown, El Sereno, City Terrace, et cetera.
BB - Central City
CC - Huntington Park
Huntington Park was an area built in 1906, intended to house factory workers employed in the industrial areas of southeastern Los Angeles.
Historically Huntington Park was populated almost entirely by whites - the area being staunchly segregationist until the 1950s; however, there was a white exodus following the collapse of many industries in the area after the conclusion of World War II and booming real estate elsewhere in the areas around Los Angeles (including Orange County). The space was soon filled by Latinos eager to leave the barrios of East Los Angeles, and newly-arriving Mexican immigrants (many of whom are illegally in the country).
Today Huntington Park is a young, thriving Mexican/Latino community (over 95% of the population of that makeup) with safe and thriving residential and commercial areas. Spanish is more prevalent than English, and roughly half of the population is under 25 years old.
The area is far from wealthy; in spite of the thriving small businesses in the area, 23% of families and 32% of minors live in poverty. Gang violence and criminal activities challenge local, law-abiding citizens, although these problems aren't at the endemic proportions present elsewhere in Los Angeles. There is also a high incidence of single-parent families, with over 20% of households in the area being single mothers and their children.
