Our Communities

University Park Campus Neighborhood

The development of Los Angeles' University Park neighborhood began with the creation of Agricultural Park (now Exposition Park) in 1872, followed by the opening of the university eight years later. The extension of streetcar lines to these institutions from downtown, in combination with a doubling of Los Angeles' population in the 1890s, led to the rapid growth of residential neighborhoods just north and west of USC.

By 1910, University Park was completely subdivided, with fine residences being erected in the elite enclaves of Chester Place and St. James Park, near the intersection of West Adams Boulevard and Figueroa Street. Soon, middle- and upper-class homes in styles ranging from Queen Anne to Mission Revival began to fill the surrounding neighborhoods, followed by institutional structures such as the Automobile Club of Southern California, St. Paul's Cathedral and St. Vincent de Paul Church.

Today, USC's University Park campus has grown to some 229 acres anchoring the southern end of the Los Angeles Downtown Arts and Education Corridor. It is home to the USC College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and 15 of the university's 17 professional schools.

University Park Neighborhood Resources Map

Exposition Park has evolved as well. Visitors to the area today can venture back to prehistoric times at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, look to the future of science and technology at the California Science Center, take a stroll in one of the country's largest rose gardens or watch sporting events at the historic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, site of the 1932 and 1984 Olympic Games and home to USC Trojan Football.

Today's University Park neighborhood contains an outstanding array of museums, galleries, theatres, sport venues, gardens, libraries and churches. With its rich mixture of education and entertainment, art and culture, the past and the future, the University Park neighborhood offers exciting discoveries for people all ages.