Pico-Union Tutors

About Pico-Union

Pico Union California is a community bordered by the Olympic Boulevard and Santa Monica Freeway. It is an area rich in history and cultural diversity, and is a historic district in the Los Angeles area. If you’ve been meeting with your Pico Union history tutor then you know that our history is what shapes us, and it is so important to preserve it.

Pico Union as originally a part of El Pueblo de Los Angeles, which was a city founded in 1781. The town didn’t really take off until the 1860’s, when the development of railroad systems brought people by the trainloads to the area. Immigrants from all over the nation came to this spot, and gave rise Pico Union. It began as an area called Westlake District, and began formation in the 1880’s. Comprised mostly of European immigrants with some Mexican-American immigrants as well, the community was a suburbia that sat on the edge of the city, where residents could easily commute to the center of town. As Los Angeles grew, Westlake found itself no longer on the edge of town but in the middle of it, and slowly grew to the inner-city area it is now, full of history and culture. The area was dubbed Pico Union when in 1980 a renewal project was formed to bring the area back its old luster. In those times the area had become a refuge for Salvadoran and Guatemalan immigrants to flee civil war. The area now boasts an impressive population of Central American, Mexican, Cuban, and Korean immigrants. One of the most amazing things about this area, however, is its collection of historical buildings.

South Bonnie Brae Street boasts an impressive collection of homes that all look surprisingly similar. This is because the homes were built at a time when a style called Queen Anne, was quite popular in the area. The oldest building can be found on Westlake Avenue, a home that was originally built in 1880, during a time when most of the area was still undeveloped fields. You can also visit the Angelic Lutheran Church, which was originally founded in 1888. The church has held services in English, Spanish, Korean, and Kanjobal, which is an indigenous language in Mexico and Guatemala. They also served as a Sanctuary in the 1980’s for the Salvadoran and Guatemalan immigrants that had fled to the area. If you meet with you Pico Union tutor I’m sure you will hear more about this period of time.