West Covina, California
| West Covina | |||
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| — City — | |||
| City of West Covina | |||
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| Motto: "Live, Work, Play." | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
| Country |  United States |
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| State |  California |
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| County | Los Angeles | ||
| Incorporated | February 17, 1923 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Type | Council-Manager | ||
| - Mayor | Shelley Sanderson | ||
| - Mayor Pro Tem | Steve Herfert | ||
| - City Manager | Andrew Pasmant | ||
| Area | |||
| - Total | 16.1 sq mi (41.7 km2) | ||
| - Land | 16.1 sq mi (41.7 km2) | ||
| - Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) 0.00% | ||
| Elevation | 362 ft (110 m) | ||
| Population (January 1, 2008) | |||
| - Total | 112,666 | ||
| - Density | 6,997.89/sq mi (2,701.82/km2) | ||
| Time zone | PST (UTC-8) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) | ||
| ZIP codes | 91790-91793 | ||
| Area code(s) | 626/909 | ||
| FIPS code | 06-84200 | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 1652809 | ||
| Website | www.westcovina.org | ||
West Covina is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. Located some 20 miles (32 km) east of Downtown Los Angeles in the eastern San Gabriel Valley, it is a mostly middle class suburb of Los Angeles. The estimated population for the city as of January 1, 2008 is 112,666.[1]
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History
West Covina was incorporated as an independent city in 1923 to prevent the city of Covina from building a sewage farm in the area. Walnut groves and orange groves continued to flourish during the following decades. The population in 1930 was 769 and blossomed to 1,549 in 1940. As a result of remarkable expansion during the post World War II building boom, West Covina became America's fastest growing city between 1950 and 1960, with the population increasing 1,000 per cent from less than 5,000 to more than 50,000 citizens. The last two decades have continued to demonstrate steady growth. The number of residents expanded to a total of 96,242 as of the 1990 Census.
The City of West Covina began the second half of the 20th century with exciting new developments and projects. The City Hall and Police facility were built in 1969 as the first phase of an example of a Joint Powers Authority in the County of Los Angeles. The Civic Center Joint Powers Authority, consisting of the County of Los Angeles and the City of West Covina, also completed a three-level parking structure in the Civic Center complex. The Civic Center complex includes the Los Angeles County Regional Library and the Citrus Municipal Court building and the City offices.
The first Redevelopment Agency project included a regional shopping center, the West Covina Fashion Plaza, with three major department stores and 150 shops in an air-conditioned, enclosed mall. It also included the revitalization of the older sections of the shopping center. The Fashion Plaza has provided the citizens of the San Gabriel Valley with convenient access to all shopping needs. In 1991 the mall was renovated adding a food court and additional shops, as well as the redecorating of the entire mall. The mall was renamed "The Plaza at West Covina." The Plaza opened a new 100,000-sq. ft. wing in October 1993 featuring 50 new stores including a new Robinson's-May and interior renovation throughout The Plaza.
The Redevelopment Agency's efforts have also resulted in several major office buildings in the City, such as "The Lakes," in addition to two new community shopping centers, freestanding retail developments, restaurants, residential projects, and the Auto Plaza.
West Covina Today
Today, West Covina is a medium to large suburban and commercial city. West Covina is mostly a working middle class suburb with some very affluent upscale neighborhoods. Voted in 2008 & 2009 one of the best places to live in Los Angeles County. The South Hills area of the city has a large concentration of multi-million dollar homes with some of the most breathtaking views in the San Gabriel, The South Hill Country Club is also located here. West Covina is as much as an important economical center as it is a great place to live.
New and current projects
West Covina Sportsplex Project (Phase 2)
A current project that is almost completed is the West Covina Sportsplex Project. It is made up of four components, which include the commercial development (completed), Big League Dreams Sports Park (completed), an 18-hole championship Public Golf Course (Phase 2), and a commercial office development(Phase 2). The 43-acre site commercial development has over 300,000 square feet of new high quality commercial retail space. The commercial area includes a Target, Home Depot, Fresh & Easy, Petsmart as well as various other specialty shops and restaurants. Big League Dreams Sports Park features batting cages, a multi-use pavilion that can be use as a soccer field, ice hockey rink , and can be rented out as a hall. It also has 6 high quality ball fields that replicate sporting landmarks like Yankee Stadium, Tiger Stadium, Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, Dodger Stadium and Edison Field. The Big League Dreams Sports Park is a City park. It is owned by the City and maintained and operated under contract by Big League Dreams. Phase 2, The 18-hole championship golf course & Corporate office buildings are both currently in the entitlement stage of development.
Westfield West Covina Expansion
Another project is the ongoing major renovation and expansion to Westfield West Covina. It Includes both cosmetic & structural renovation and expansion to the inside and outside of the mall that will include a new 45,000 square foot Best Buy (completed), 32,363 added square feet of restaurant & retail space (under construction), XXI Forever Luxury Store (completed). The renovation is expected to be completed in the spring of 2011 and will bring a new assortment of shops, restaurants, & high-end stores to Westfield West Covina.
Other Projects
A new 2 1/2 star hotel is under construction, The Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott is a five-story, 110 bedroom hotel covering 57,028 square feet, located at 3211 E. East Garvey Avenue. Completion of the hotel is anticipated for 2010. The McIntyre Square is an existing shopping center on Citrus Ave. that consists of 60,470 square feet of retail and restaurant space on 6.37 acres, It is undergoing a complete renovation. McIntyre Companies, the property owner, anticipates rehabilitation of the entire center, completed in phases with the first phase currently underway for the rehab of the former Trader Joe's building.
Health care in West Covina
Citrus Valley Medical Center - Queen of The Valley Campus
West Covina has many health care facilities including the main hospital Citrus Valley Medical Center - Queen of the Valley Campus also known as Queen of The Valley Medical Center. Citrus Valley Medical Center — Queen of the Valley Campus is a comprehensive, full-service health care facility, well-known for its Family Birth & Newborn Center, with more deliveries than any other health care facility in the East San Gabriel Valley. The Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit has cared for more than 15,000 babies since opening in 1972. The Queen's Mammography Center provides low cost mammography screening and breast health education. "Queen of the Valley Campus" Emergency Department is one of the busiest in Southern California, with nearly 54,000 visits annually. Other services include an 18-bed Pediatrics Unit, Cardiac Services, a 12-bed Rehabilitation Unit, state-of-the-art MRI and CAT-scan machines and Lithotripsy.
Other Medical Facilities in WC
There are many other private medical practices and clinics that serve the city of West Covina. Kaiser Permanente operates both the West Covina Medical Offices and West Covina Behavioral Health Offices. East Valley Community Health Center is a large, free clinic for low-income families, focused on family planning and counseling services into a comprehensive health care provider and some free medical services. East Valley accepts all public health insurance such as MediCal (also known as Medicaid), Medicare, and Healthy Families (also known as SHIP), as well as private health insurance such as Blue Cross/Blue Shield, among others. Most importantly, if one's family is not covered by any health insurance plan, the East Valley Center will provide services according to one's ability to pay.
Demographics
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 105,080 people, 31,411 households, and 25,254 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,518.4/km² (6,524.6/mi²). There were 32,058 housing units at an average density of 768.3/km² (1,990.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 38.03% White, 4.82% African American, 0.3% Native American, 26.02% Asian, 0.6% Pacific Islander, .2% from other races, and 31.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino mainly of any race were 49.81% of the population.
There were 31,411 households out of which 41.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.2% were married couples living together, 15.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.6% were non-families. 14.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.32 and the average family size was 3.67.
In the city the population was spread out with 28.5% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 94.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $53,002, and the median income for a family was $57,614. Males had a median income of $38,160 versus $31,138 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,342. About 6.8% of families and 9.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.1% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.
Over the past two decades, West Covina has experienced significant demographic change. The Hispanic proportion of its population has increased from 21% in 1980 to 35.7% in 2000, while the white non-Hispanic proportion has decreased from 64.8% to 23% in that period. The proportion of the population that is Asian or Pacific Islander increased from 3.8% to 32.6% from 1980 to 2000. At the same time, the population of the city as a whole has grown:
- 1980 - 80,291
- 1990 - 96,086
- 2000 - 105,080
Government and infrastructure
The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services operates the Pomona Health Center in Pomona, serving West Covina.[3]
Education
Primary and secondary schools
Public schools
West Covina is mostly served by the West Covina Unified School District, which has 13 public and seven private elementary schools; three middle schools; one high school, one continuation high school (Coronado Alt. High); and one adult school. Approximately 35,000 students were enrolled in West Covina public schools during the 2001-2002 school year.
West Covina High School is 52 years old at this time and South Hills high is 42 years old.
Some portions of West Covina are also served by the Covina Valley Unified School District and Rowland Unified School District. Half of the residents of the South Hills neighborhood of West Covina have the option of choosing either West Covina Unified School District (WCUSD) or Covina Valley Unified School District (CVUSD). South Hills High School, Traweek Middle School, and Mesa Elementary School) are located within the city limits of West Covina, but are administered by CVUSD. Residents of the Woodside Village neighborhood are covered by Rowland Unified School District. These schools include: Nogales High School, Rincon Intermediate School, Giano Intermediate School, and Hollingworth Elementary School.
International Polytechnic High School (I-Poly), a public school located at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, is also available to high school students who go through an application process.
Universities and colleges
While there are no universities or colleges within the city, there are several colleges and universities within a few miles of the city limits including Azusa Pacific University; Citrus College; Mt. San Antonio College; the Pasadena City College; Whittier College; University of the West; and the California State Polytechnic University at Pomona.
Business
As part of the pro-active redevelopment efforts of the city's business districts, it has successfully attracted many popular restaurant chains, retail stores, and other companeys such as The Home Depot, Regal Entertainment, Hooters, Elephant Bar, XXI Forever, Sephora, Audi, Bob's Big Boy, and more.
Dealerships
There are also many major auto dealerships in West Covina, most of them located in the West Covina Auto Plaza & Citrus Auto Row. West Covina Auto Plaza: Toyota, Honda, Hummer(Closed), Chevrolet, Ford,Mercedes-Benz, Smart Car and Audi. Citrus Auto Row (south/City of West Covina): Mazda, Nissan, Buick, Pontiac (closed, part of Buick/GMC lot), GMC, GMC Trucks. Citrus Auto Row (north/City of Covina): Acura, Kia, and Volkswagen. Others in West Covina: Cadilac, Chrysler, Jeep, and Dodge.
Shopping
There are 3 major shoping centers in West Covina; Westfield West Covina, Westfield Eastland (both of which are owned by Westfield Shoppingtown), and The Heights at West Covina.
Westfield West Covina
Westfield West Covina is a large, major regonal mall that has 208 shops, stores, and restaurants. The mall is two levels and is anchored by Macy's(180,000 sq ft.) to the east, JC Penny(193,963 sq ft.) to the south, Sears(137,820 sq ft.) to the west, Best Buy(45,000 sq ft.) to the north, and the newly-opened XXI Forever flagship store, also to the north. There is a food court on the second level as well as other restaurants, and food & drink kiosks. The mall is known for its many fashion shops and high-end fashion boutiques. The mall is also undergoing major renovation and expansion.
Westfield Eastland
Westfield Eastland is a two level enclosed shopping center or power center Uniquely, the power center is two levels, with parking for the lower level on south side of the center and parking for the upper level on the north side. It has many larger dept stores like Burlington Coat Factory, Dick's, Bed Bath & Beyond, Babies "R" Us, and more. Eastland Center is anchored by Mervyn's(Closed December 2008) (81,000 sq. ft.) to the west and Target (122,000 sq. ft.) to the east.
The Heights at West Covina
The Heights at West Covina is a new 340,000 square foot retail shopping center located just south of Big League Dreams Sports Park. It is anchored by The Home Depot to the north, and Target to the south. The center has many stores and restaurants, some of the other major stores are; Staples, Petsmart, Fresh & Easy, and more.
Other Large Shopping Centers
This is a list of the other larger and important shopping centers in West Covina and some of there major stores, restaurants, shops, and services.
- Hong Kong Plaza was rebranded into HK2 Food District and the strip mall and was completely remodeled to include many Asian cuisine restaurants — mostly Chinese with some Filipino, Indonesian, Malaysian, Thai, and Vietnamese
- West Covina Village; A large shopping center that has many stores, restaurants, shops, and services like Stater Bros, Bally Total Fitness, Nickel Nickel 5cent Games, FedEx Kinkos, Green Field, and more.
- The Lakes At West Covina; Is a large Development that is made up of The Lakes At West Covina; DSW Shoes, old Best Buyspace, Barnes & Noble, Starbucks, Edwards Entertainment Center; Edwards Theater 18, Dino Sushi, Green Leaf, Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill, Seafood Bay Bar & Grill, and Cold Stone, and The Lakes Office Towers.
- South Hills Plaza; Maruki Market, 24hr Fitness, U.S. Post Office, Subway, Taco Bell, and more.
- The Citrus Grove; Buffalo Wild Wings, The Vitamin Shoppe, Dalia's, T-Mobile, and more.
- West Covina Parkway Plaza; Fresh & Easy, Petco, Panera Bread, Sizzler, and more.
- Quailridge Shopping Center; Foodmart International, CVS Pharmacy, Panda Express, Baskin Robbins, and more.
- Island Plaza/Woodside Village Shopping Center; Island Pacific Supermarket, Rite Aide, PepBoys Auto, Shakey's, and more.
- Woodside Plaza; Walgreens, KFC, Jolliebee, and more.
- Seafood City Plaza; Seafood Ctiy, Carls Jr., and more
- Sunset & Francisquito Shopping Center; Northgate Markets, Melrose Family Fashion's, Dd's discount's, and more.
- Glendora Retall District/Old Town Shops
- McIntyre Square
- Grand Creek Plaza
- Amar & Valinda Center
Restaurant's/Dinning
There are many dining options in West Covina, from burger joints, fast food, and dinners, to more casual dining. West Covina has been attracting popular restaurant chains that are opening all over the city like, Norms, Bob's Big Boy, Elephant Bar Restaurant, Bj's Restaurant & Brewery, and Hooters. There are 3 major casual dning Centers/plazas, The main one is West Covina's Restaurant Row located off the 10 frwy and Barranca Ave. and between 4 hotels, it has a Hooters, Dockside Grill, MJ Ranch, Mariposa Inn, Marie Callender's, and El Torrito Mexican Grill. The Curve is new plaza located next to Westfiled Eastland and has 4 restaurant's; Pick Up Stik, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Johnny Carino's, and Islands Restaurant. The 3rd is The Lakes Entertainment Center near the mall, it has; Dino Sushi, Green Leaf, Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill, and Seafood Bay Bar & Grill and Red Room Night Club, there is also a Juice it Up and Cold Stone.
Entertainment/Hotels
The Lakes Entertainment Center conatains an Edwards Cinema 18, restaurant's, kiosk, and The Red Room Night Club. Two other popular night clubs are Crazy Horseand Club Spice. Theres also the Brunswick West Covina Lanes that has Cosmic Bowling, and The newly opened Big League Dreams Sportsplex.
Hotels
There are meny levels of logging in West Covina, The main hotels located in the city are; Courtyard by Marriott, Hampton Inn, Clarion Hotel, Best Western, and coming soon Fairfield Inn by Marriott.
Recreation
There are many large beautiful parks in West Covina including Ridge Riders Park and Big League Dreams. South Hills Country Club is located in the eastern side on the city in the South Hill neighborhood, it is a private golf course, plans are underway to build a public 18-hole championship golf course on the hills above the city in the coming years. There also many tree lined walking paths in the city, one goes along Walnut Creek and the others are in Woodside Village.
Go West
The City operates the Go West shuttle system, 3 routes GO WEST that provide transportation to several West Covina destinations. The City also provides a free shuttle to the Baldwin Park Metrolink station.
References
- ↑ California Department of Finance. “E-1 Population Estimates for Cities, Counties and the State with Annual Percent Change — January 1, 2007 and 2008.”
- ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ↑ "Pomona Health Center." Los Angeles County Department of Health Services. Retrieved on March 27, 2010.
External links
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