Spotlight on Leimert Park, Los Angeles, CA

Measuring only 1.2 square miles in a county of 4,750 square miles, Leimert Park is a neighborhood that may easily go unknown to even the native Angelino. However, since its inception as one of the first planned communities in Southern California in 1928, the quaint neighborhood has been home to many notable public figures such as Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, and former Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley. As the names indicate, the neighborhood has been a remarkable arts and cultural scene since the 1950s when African Americans became the dominant demographic. Today residents who prefer jazz clubs, venues for hip hop, theaters for dramatic performance, and open-mic nights are never short on options.

Provided the resurgence of residential and commercial real estate throughout Southern California, Leimert Park is still recognized as reasonably priced; but for how long? Impactful economic drivers that increase land and home values usually take the form of large redevelopment projects and infrastructure developments that create jobs during and after construction. Leimert Park has three in the works. The first is the extension of the Crenshaw/LAX line, which is partially complete. The second is Chicago-based Capri Capital’s redevelopment of the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza. The plan is to redevelop the 43-acre property with over two million square feet of office, residential, retail, and hotel space. Lastly, Kaiser Permanente is developing a 100,000-square foot medical office to offer a full range of primary and specialty services at the hands of 60 world class providers. It would seem that Leimert Park may be on the verge of falling into the throws of exponential real estate growth in the near future.