Universal City, California

Universal City is an unincorporated area within the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California. Located within the area of Universal City is the film studio complex Universal Studios Lot and the theme park Universal Studios Hollywood, as well as the Universal CityWalk shopping and entertainment center. Universal City is nearly surrounded by Los Angeles, with the area's northeastern corner touching the city of Burbank.

Roughly 323 acres of the 391-acre Universal Studios Complex are inside the Universal City unincorporated area, which is located two miles north of Hollywood and 10 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. The remaining acreage falls within the City of Los Angeles. In fact, parts of what is commonly referred to as “Universal City” are officially within Los Angeles, including 10 Universal City Plaza (a 36-floor office building for Universal and NBC), the Sheraton Universal, and the Universal Hilton.[1] The One Universal office building also falls within the City of Los Angeles following a 2015 annexation.

The exact boundaries of Universal City were adjusted in January 2015 as part of Reorganization 2014-01, where parts of Universal CIty were annexed into the City of Los Angeles, while other areas were detached from the City of Los Angeles and returned to the jurisdiction of the County. The annexation/detachment actions were meant to follow historic and planned on-site land use patterns, such as having the entire theme park within the unicorporated part of Universal City.

Universal City's ZIP code is 91608,[2] and the community is inside area code 818.[3]

History

Carl Laemmle officially opened the Second Universal City (Lankershim Boulevard) on March 15, 1915, on the 230 acre Taylor Ranch property.[4] At the launch event, in what is now the North Hollywood area, a crowd of men and women eagerly awaited the display of the film stages, daredevil stunt pilots and silent film idols, as well as the movie cameras Laemmle had brought along. "See how slapstick comedies are made. See your favorite screen stars do their work. See how we make the people laugh or cry or sit on the edge of their chairs the world over!" stated a poster touting Universal's opening. "C'mon out! Aw, c'mon!"[5]

In 1950, Universal Studios Lot increased its overall size to approximately 391 acres after Universal acquired additional land at the southern border of the studio. Music Corporation of America (MCA) bought the Universal Studios Lot in 1958.[6] Universal then leased back its property from MCA until MCA and Universal merged in 1962. The mountain portions above 600 ft were not incorporated into studio use until MCA/Universal's master plan to level the hills and create the Universal Studio Tour Center and City Walk.

The exact boundaries of Universal City were adjusted in January 2015 as part of Reorganization 2014-01, where parts of Universal CIty within Los Angeles County were annexed into the City of Los Angeles, while other areas were detached from the City of Los Angeles and returned to the jurisdiction of the County. The annexation/detachment actions were meant to follow historic and planned on-site land use patterns, such as having the entire theme park within the unicorporated part of Universal City.

Districts

In 2013, NBCUniversal released the NBCUniversal Evolution Plan, which was a blueprint for the 391-acre Universal City Lot and was approved by both the City and County of Los Angeles.[7] The plan informally divides the unicorporated Universal City into four districts: the Business District, the Entertainment District, the Studio District, and the Back Lot District. However, the plan acknowledged that the uses of each district blended together, with an overlap between the Studio and Back Lot Districts, the intermingling of uses between the Studio District and the Entertainment District through the Studio Tour.[7]

Climate

Government and infrastructure

Fire protection in Universal City is provided by the Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACFD). The LACFD operates Station #51 at 3900 Lankershim Boulevard as a part of Battalion 1.[12]

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) operates the West Hollywood Station in West Hollywood, serving Universal City.[13] In addition, the department operates the substation at Universal CityWalk in Universal City. Prior to the summer of 1991, the West Hollywood Station handled all calls for police service from Universal City. In the summer of 1991, the LASD established the substation in a trailer in the parking lot of the studio tour and remained in the area until two years later, when the substation was moved into a permanent location in the CityWalk theme mall when it opened.[14] The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) also shares jurisdiction with the LASD in providing protection to Universal City, operating the North Hollywood Community Police Station in North Hollywood, whose responsibilities include Universal City.[15]

The Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACFD) Station 51, located on studio property in Universal City, is of special significance to Universal, as "Station 51" was the fictional setting of the Universal and Jack Webb television series Emergency![16][17] The current Station 51 was not used for external shots, or used as a model for the interior shots seen on the show (LACFD Station 127 in Carson was used).

Transportation

The area is served by the Universal City / Studio City station of the Metro B Line, which is located in the City of Los Angeles and located opposite 10 Universal Plaza.

External links

• Oak Crest -Universal Ranch 1913