Chapter 1: Regions and Themes

Lynwood is part of Los Angeles County but remains as an incorporated city. It has its own city council, fire department, and school district.

Location of Lynwood within Los Angeles County. From wikipedia

Although Lynwood has no official regions, there are significant characteristics that contrast the different areas of Lynwood. Such characteristics include areas of Lynwood that have varying concentrations of apartment complexes, homes, greenery, small businesses, low-income families, middle-class families, restaurant concentrations, shopping center concentrations, ethnicities, schools, gang violence, relative tranquility, and also contrasting socio-political views.

Welcome to Lynwood: Picture taken a few blocks south of where my family grew up on Santa Fe St, near the Alameda Corridor. The peaceful looking background and vegetation is contrasted by graffiti of a clique. Image courtesty of my sister, Antonia Santana (http://www.myspace.com/jdubnklue)

Although no official boundaries to the city exist, there are many historical dividing lines and structures that accent the city's areas. The city website, http://www.lynwood.ca.us/, acknowledges historical boundaries such as Long Beach Blvd, the approximate midpoint and mainstreet of the city. There is also Fernwood Avenue, which runs parallel alongside the 105 freeway. The intersection of Long Beach Blvd and Fernwood Avenue is a historic site. It was the depot of the Pacific Electric Railroad.