How did this stretch of land help Highland Park's development? I'm
glad you asked. Except for the notorious roadhouses in Sycamore
Grove, Highland Park might never have become annexed to Los
Angeles.
Hard liquor flowed freely in the saloons and roadhouses, which
served as stopovers for the red-light district in nearby Garvanza.
The Arroyo in general was a favorite location for bandits who
preyed on travelers. It was the inability of Highland Park
residents to control the behavior of those loitering in the Arroyo
that drove them to seek incorporation with the City of Los Angeles
and its police force. Highland Park joined Los Angeles in 1898.
In 1905, seven years after Highland Park's annexation to the
city, a section of the Sycamore Grove Park was purchased by Los
Angeles for its recreation system and two years later the remainder
of the present 15 acre site was donated by E. R. Brainerd.
Today it stands in the shadow of the Southwest Museum and is
across the street from the Gold Line Metro stop for the museum. On
the opposite side of the park, there is a bridge that crosses over
the 110 Freeway and the Arroyo that leads to the Montecito Heights
Recreation Area and pops you out near the Avenue 52 entrance to
Debs Park with easy access to the Audubon Center.
The park features barbecue pits, two children's play areas,
picnic tables, and lighted tennis courts. It is the home of Ramona
Hall Community Center, which can be rented for events and hosts
things like the 13th District City Council debates, and the
Sousa-Hiner Bandshell, named after Dr. Edwin M. Hiner (founder of
what is now the UCLA music school) and his friend John Philip
Sousa, composer of The Stars and Stripes Forever. The first concert
was held here on July 30, 1922.
There is a parking lot on the northerly side of the park off
Avenue 49, and the park is open from dawn to dusk.
The park can be a busy place. You may have to dodge maintenance
workers, homeless folks, excercise aficionados, and/or children of
all ages and their chaperones. That said, all of the waypoints can
be retrieved without alerting the locals by using a modicum of
stealth and fair bit of common sense.
Starting items:
• Logbook and pen
• Target brand hand sanitizer
• Moist towelette from Zeke's BBQ
• Scary witch finger
• Small flashlight with battery
• 2 AA batteries
• Interstate Racer TB