Exposition Park (Los Angeles)


Exposition Park in the south region of Los Angeles, California, is a urban park. Established in 1872 as an agricultural fairground, it includes the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the Banc of California Stadium, the California Science Center, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, and the California African American Museum. The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is under construction. Bounded by Exposition Boulevard to the north, South Figueroa Street to the east, Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to the south and Menlo Avenue to the west, it is directly south of the main campus of the University of Southern California.
The park is public open space, managed by the California Natural Resources Agency.

Features

Exposition Park houses the following:
near the Air and Space Exhibits Gallery
The cultural facilities mentioned above are operated by both the state and Los Angeles County.

Former venues

The site served as an agricultural fairground from 1872 to 1910. In 1880, John Edward, Ozro W. Childs, and former California Governor John G. Downey persuaded the State of California to purchase in Los Angeles to foster agriculture in the Southland. Farmers sold their harvest and arces on the grounds, while horses, dogs, and even camels competed on a racetrack where a rose garden now sits and blooms. In 1909, a group of civic-minded individuals led by former Pasadena Mayor Horace Dobbins set about reforming the park, removing the racetrack and other activities and replacing them with gardens and museums.
At the 2028 Summer Olympics, the Coliseum will host Athletics as well as the main closing ceremony. The Banc of California Stadium will be one of the soccer venues.

Public transportation

Along the northern edge of the park, the Metro Expo Line light rail line serves the park with its Expo Park/USC Station. On the northeast,, the Metro Silver Line bus rapid transit serves Exposition Park & USC at its 37th Street/USC Station on the Harbor Transitway. The Silver Line station is located on the freeway median level of the 1-110 freeway.

Crime rates

Exposition Park is a community located in South Los Angeles with varying amounts of crime. According to the L.A. Department of City Planning, the population in 2008 was about 33,400 people. Ethnicities in this neighborhood are mostly African American and Latinos.  About 56% are Latino and 38% African American. The remaining percentages are 2.2% white, 1.6% Asian and 2% other. The average age in Exposition Park is around 26 years old.
The University of Southern California is also located in Exposition Park. South of the campus is an assortment of museums, including the California African American Museum, the California Science Center, Exposition Park Rose Garden, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. All of this corresponds to the violence and crime that occurs near and in Exposition Park.
In the last several decades the crime rate has decreased tremendously. In 1995 reported violent crimes in Los Angeles County were 1,437 and in 2016 the rate was 553 total violent crimes. Exposition Park was rated number 16 for the most violent crimes in Los Angeles neighborhoods out of 197 in the year 2018. The week of November 22 through 28, 2018, there were 5 violent crimes, 23 property crimes, and about 840 crimes total by means of 10,000 people in Exposition Park.
In 2017 there was a massive gang arrest in Exposition Park. Arrested for federal charges, around 44 gang suspects were retained for murder and racketeering, which means false or crooked business dealings.