Watts | |
|---|---|
 The Watts Towers, created by Simon Rodia | |
 "Welcome to Watts" sign on Central Avenue | |
  Watts Location of Watts, Los Angeles  Watts Location within Southern Los Angeles  Watts Location within Southern California  Watts Location within California  Watts Location within United States | |
| Coordinates: 33°56′30″N 118°14′30″W / 33.94167°N 118.24167°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Los Angeles |
| City | Los Angeles |
| Government | |
| • City Council | Tim McOsker |
| • State Assembly | Mike Gipson (D) |
| • State Senate | Steven Bradford (D) |
| • U.S. House | Nanette Barragán (D) |
| Area | |
• Total | 2.0 sq mi (5 km2) |
| Population (2000)[1] | |
• Total | 34,830 |
| • Density | 17,350/sq mi (6,700/km2) |
| ZIP Code | 90002, 90059 |
| Area code | 323 |
| Website | Watts Neighborhood Council |
Watts is a neighborhood in southern Los Angeles, California. It is located within the South Los Angeles region, bordering the cities of Lynwood, Huntington Park and South Gate to the east and southeast, respectively, and the unincorporated community of Willowbrook to the south.
Founded in the late nineteenth century as a ranching community, the arrival of the railroads and the construction of Watts Station saw the rapid development of Watts as an independent city, but in 1926 it was consolidated with Los Angeles. By the 1940s, Watts transformed into a primarily working class African-American neighborhood, but from the 1960s developed a reputation as a low-income, high-crime area, following the Watts riots and the increasing influence of street gangs.[2] Watts has become a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood with a significant African American minority,[3] and remains one of the most impoverished neighborhoods in Los Angeles despite falling crime rates since the 1990s. Notable civic activities by residents of Watts include the "Toys for Watts" toy drive, the Watts Christmas parade, and the "Watts Summer Games" athletic tournament, as well as a local theatre and a dance company, in an effort to improve the neighborhood.[4]
Watts is noted internationally for the landmark Watts Towers by Simon Rodia, which are a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument and also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The neighborhood has also been featured or referenced in numerous forms of media, particularly West Coast hip-hop music, and movies and television shows set in Los Angeles.
- ^ a b "Mapping L.A. 'Watts'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 30, 2010.
- ^ "Watts". Mapping L.A.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
AP 2020-08-10was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Shaver, Shonassee (February 27, 2014). "The Beautiful Color of Watts; Lynn Manning's gift for theatre thrives at the Watts Village Theater Company". L.A. Watts Times. Retrieved November 6, 2015.