Bell Gardens, CA

Bell Gardens is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 50,769. Bell Gardens is known for its large Mexican American and Salvadoran American populations. The city has a long history of being a center of agriculture and manufacturing.

The first Europeans to visit what is now Bell Gardens were members of the Spanish Portolà expedition in 1769. The area that would become Bell Gardens was part of Rancho San Pedro y las Llagas granted to Juan Jose Dominguez by King Carlos III in 1784. In 1827, John Rowland bought Rancho San Pedro from Dominguez and began farming it with his wife Maria Antonia Carrillo de Alvarado. Rowland built an adobe home on a small hill overlooking present-day Bell Gardens Boulevard and named it La Puente (the bridge). In 1853, he sold the property to Enoch H. Roberts who developed it as a citrus farm and milling operation with several canneries and packing houses employing hundreds of workers.

In 1886, George Waring purchased Roberts' property and began developing it into an upscale residential community called Waring Heights; at its peak, Waring Heights had over 1,000 homesites and boasted some of the most prestigious addresses in Southern California including El Mirador (now part of Beverly Hills), Bolton Hill (now part of Westwood), Oak Knoll (now part of Brentwood) and Mount Olympus (now part of Hancock Park). In 1902, Waring subdivided his estate into smaller lots for sale to working class families; this development became known as Waring Village.

In 1917, real estate developer Amedeo Toscani purchased much of the land that would become Bell Gardens from George Waring's heirs; Toscani planned to build an exclusive residential community called "Toscani Hills" but World War I intervened forcing him to sell most of his holdings in 1920 to finance his war efforts. Developer Jules Stein acquired much of Toscani's land in 1922; Stein planned to develop it into an upscale residential community called Bel Air but again World War II intervened forcing him instead to sell most his holdings in 1942 to finance his war efforts.

Development resumed after World War II when developers such as Harry Chandler Jr., William Randolph Hearst Jr., Walter Annenberg and Sid Bass acquired large tracts of undeveloped land throughout Southern California; among these developers was Bass who developed much acreage along present-day Artesia Boulevard between Florence Avenue and Vernon Avenue into what became known as "Bassville". Development slowed during the late 1960s due to restrictive zoning laws enacted by then- Los Angeles City Councilman Tom Bradley which limited new construction within certain designated commercial districts; this led many affluent Angelenos living outside those districts move into newly constructed suburban communities such as Santa Monica or Encino rather than live within walking distance from their jobs downtown Los Angeles which is why development has not resumed at the same pace since then despite numerous attempts by local politicians such as Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa or City Councilman Mitchell Englander .

It wasn't until 1991 that significant development occurred when developer Armando Gutierrez purchased much undeveloped land eastward from Artesia Boulevard near Vernon Avenue which he plans on developing into a mixed-use urban center featuring high-rise apartments, retail stores, office buildings and parks ; thus far Gutierrez has completed two high-rise apartment buildings – Avalon Towers I & II – both containing over 400 units – along with two office buildings – Avalon Plaza I & II – both containing over 100 units each , four retail stores , one hotel - Renaissance Los Angeles Hotel - , one park - Gateway Park - , one school - Gateway School - , one government building - City Hall Annexe - , one public utility building - Pacific Gas & Electric Company Office Building - , three churches including Iglesia Ni Cristo Central Church which contains 12 stories above ground level . Another major development project currently underway is The Hub @ Bell Gardens which will include more than 1 million square feet consisting mainly luxury apartments but also including retail stores restaurants etc . ; construction started in early 2013 with completion scheduled for late 2016 .

Despite all these recent developments there are still areas within Bell Gardens that remain largely undeveloped ; among these are parts eastward towards Vernon Avenue near Florence Avenue where many vacant lots remain awaiting future development while other parts westward towards Artesia Boulevard near Vernon Avenue still lack any type or density housing although there have been several proposals submitted for various types housing ranging from single family homes up through high-rise apartments etc . ; furthermore there are still areas within Bell Gardens lacking any type infrastructure such as roads sidewalks or schools although some progress has been made recently through various projects such as The Hub @ Bell Gardens mentioned earlier or through initiatives taken by local businesses like Starbucks who have pledged $1 million dollars worth free coffee supplies for students attending schools located within walking distance from their locations . Overall despite all these challenges progress continues apace albeit slowly towards revitalizing this once thriving industrial city located just south westof Downtown Los Angeles