Avalon, California Avalon, California City of Avalon Official seal of Avalon, California Motto: To the Island Valley of Avalon Location of Avalon inside Los Angeles County Location of Avalon inside Los Angeles County Avalon, California is positioned in the US Avalon, California - Avalon, California Named for Avalon island, Idylls of the King Avalon is the only incorporated town/city on Santa Catalina Island of the California Channel Islands, and the southernmost town/city in Los Angeles County.
Wrigley oversaw much of the evolution of Avalon, including the assembly of the landmark Catalina Casino.
Avalon attracts about 1 million visitors a year and is incessantly visited by cruise ships.
Main article: History of Santa Catalina Island, California The island was a primary source of soapstone to the Tongva, who used the material to make contemporary vessels for cooking. The Tongva called the island Pimu or Pimugna and referred to themselves as the Pimugnans. However, by the 1830s, the entire island's native populace had either died off, or had been relocated to the mainland to work in the missions or as ranch hands for the many private territory owners. In the 1860s, German immigrant Augustus William Timms ran a sheep herding company on Catalina Island.
Shatto purchased the island for $200,000 from the estate of James Lick at the height of a real estate boom in Southern California in 1887. Shatto created the settlement that would turn into Avalon, and can be credited with building the town's first hotel, the initial Hotel Metropole, and pier. Although early maps labeled the town Shatto, Shatto's sister-in-law Etta Whitney came up with the permanent name of Avalon in reference from a poem by Lord Tennyson called "Idylls of the King" about the legend of King Arthur. Shatto laid out Avalon's streets, and introduced it as a vacation destination to the general public.
The sons of Phineas Banning bought the island in 1891 from the Lick estate and established the Santa Catalina Island Company to precarious it as a resort.
They assembled a dance pavilion in the center of town, made additions to the Hotel Metropole and steamer-wharf, assembled an aquarium, created the Pilgrim Club (a gambling club for men only). Just as the Bannings were anticipating the assembly of a new, Hotel Saint Catherine, their accomplishments were set back on November 29, 1915, when a fire burned half of Avalon's buildings, including six hotels and a several clubs. In 1919, due to debt related to the 1915 fire and a general diminish in tourism amid World War I, the Bannings were forced to sell the island in shares. bought a controlling interest in Santa Catalina Island and its associated properties from the Banning Brothers. Wrigley devoted himself to preserving and promoting it, investing millions in needed transit framework and attractions, including the assembly of the new Catalina Casino, instead of May 29, 1929. In order to encourage growth, Wrigley purchased additional steamships to service Avalon, including the SS Virginia (renamed the SS Avalon) and the SS Catalina which was launched on the morning of May 3, 1924. Wrigley also brought consideration to the town of Avalon by having his Chicago Cubs use the island for the team's spring training from 1921 to 1951, absent the war years of 1942 45. Wrigley took over the Santa Catalina Island Company.
Philip continued his father's work in the enhancement of the transit framework of the City of Avalon. During World War II, the island was closed to tourists and used for military training facilities, including a U.S.
In 1975, Philip Wrigley deeded the Wrigley shares in the Santa Catalina Island Company to the Catalina Island Conservancy that he had helped create.
The Conservancy now stewards 88 percent of the island, primarily outside of the City of Avalon. The Santa Catalina Island Company maintains control of much of its resort properties and operations inside the City of Avalon.
It still owns and operates many of the chief tourist attractions in Avalon, including the Catalina Visitors Country Club, Catalina Island Golf Course, Descanso Beach Club and the Casino Ballroom. In May 2007, a fire ripped through 4,750 acres (19.2 km2) of territory just outside Avalon's town/city limits.
A report in June 2011 by the Natural Resources Defense Council listed Avalon as having one of the 10 most chronically polluted beaches in the United States.
In the 2010s, the Santa Catalina Island Company began a series of projects to upgrade the tourist amenities in Avalon, including the installation of a zip line at Descanso Beach. By 2014, the Santa Catalina Island Company was working on a number of redevelopment and remodeling projects, including a spa, aquatic facility, improve center, new hotel, and 120 new homes.
Avalon is positioned on Santa Catalina Island, approximately 22 miles (35 km) south-by-southwest of the Los Angeles Harbor breakwater. It is the only incorporated town/city to be positioned on one of the eight Channel Islands of California.
Due to its locale on Catalina Island, it is the southern-most town/city in Los Angeles County.
The City of Avalon is oriented around Avalon Bay, with the harbor and beaches forming the center of the town's activity.
The Cabrillo Mole, positioned at the south end of the harbor, acts both as a breakwater and the chief docks for the cross-channel passenger boats. Many of the commercial businesses dedicated to serving visitors are positioned along the Crescent Street pedestrian mall, which runs just behind the three chief beaches of Avalon Bay.
Outside of the bay and just north of the Casino is Descanso Beach, a private beach, entertainment and meetings venue run by the Santa Catalina Island Company. At the farthest north end of town are the Hamilton Cove condominiums, a gated improve consisting mostly of second homes. South of the bay is Lovers Cove dive park, a marine reserve incessanted by both snorkelers and the classic glass-bottom boat tours. Further south still is Pebbly Beach, an industrialized area home to the heliport and Pebbly Beach Generating Station where Avalon gets its power. Most of the residentiary units in Avalon are tucked away off of the beachfront, either in the flat lands further back into the canyon or on the hills that constitute the sides of Avalon Valley.
Many of the primary municipal amenities are positioned even further into the canyon, including City Hall, the fire station, the Catalina Island Medical Center, and Avalon Schools.
The Wrigley Memorial and Botanical Gardens are positioned at the farthest end of town away from the bay. The Memorial prominently features native Catalina Island building materials, including the famous pottery and tile that were made on the island from 1927 through 1937. Climate data for Avalon, California (Avalon Pleasure Pier) The 2010 United States Enumeration reported that Avalon had a populace of 3,728.
The ethnic makeup of Avalon was 2,313 (62.0%) White (41.1% Non-Hispanic White), 20 (0.5%) African American, 22 (0.6%) Native American, 49 (1.3%) Asian, 13 (0.3%) Pacific Islander, 1,137 (30.5%) from other competitions, and 174 (4.7%) from two or more competitions.
The populace was spread out with 960 citizens (25.8%) under the age of 18, 316 citizens (8.5%) aged 18 to 24, 953 citizens (25.6%) aged 25 to 44, 1,093 citizens (29.3%) aged 45 to 64, and 406 citizens (10.9%) who were 65 years of age or older.
According to the 2010 United States Census, Avalon had a median homehold income of $65,433, with 12.5% of the populace living below the federal poverty line. Other primary sources of employment in Avalon encompassed education and healthcare (9%), assembly (6%), transit and warehousing (6%), and enhance administration (5%) Overall, there were a total of 202 establishments with a combined annual payroll of $90 million as of 2012. The Catalina Island Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau operates as the official Destination Marketing Agency for the island and hosts a Visitor Center open 364 days a year on the Green Pleasure Pier. The city's poverty rate is 14.0% and the number of families in poverty stands at 11.9%. The unemployment rate stood at 3.7% as of October 2014, compared to 7.9% in Los Angeles County as a whole. Avalon City Hall front entrance, 2014 The municipal government of the City of Avalon is of the council-manager type.
The City Manager is the executive officer of the town/city and is appointed directly by the City Council.
In the California State Legislature, Avalon is positioned in the 26th Senate District, represented by Democrat Ben Allen, and in the 70th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Patrick O'Donnell.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) operates the Avalon Station in Avalon. Several deputies are stationed on the island full-time with additional units brought from the mainland on an as-needed and cyclic basis.
The town/city has its own full-time and volunteer fire departments for incidents inside the town/city limits, while the Los Angeles County Fire Department serves the rest of the island.
The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services operates the Torrance Health Center in Harbor Gateway, Los Angeles, near Torrance and serving Avalon. The United States Postal Service Avalon Post Office is positioned at 118 Metropole Street. Avalon Schools high school building, 2014 There are two preschools inside the City of Avalon, Catalina Kid Ventures and Pre-School Learning for Avalon Youth (P.L.A.Y.).
Kid Ventures is positioned next to City Hall and is funded through the town/city support, tuition payments, and charitable donations. P.L.A.Y.
Avalon Schools are part of the Long Beach Unified School District.
It is divided into an elementary, middle, and high school, but a single principal administers all three levels of education. The ground is composed of three Mission Style buildings, a gymnasium, four secondary bungalows, and sixteen elementary bungalows. For high school sports, Avalon is a member of the CIF Southern Section. The school mascot is the Lancer.
Home games are played in Avalon, and visiting squads must travel by boat to the island in order to make the games.
Children may also study at the private Avalon Christian School, positioned on 346 Catalina Avenue. Students then attend Avalon Schools for junior high and high school education.
In 2014, LBUSD closed their long-time one-room school, Two Harbors Elementary School, at Two Harbors in unincorporated Los Angeles County, citing that just two 4th undertaking students remained inside Two Harbors.
Catalina Express leaving Long Beach for Avalon, 2008 The town/city is served by a several high-speed passenger boats with daily services such as the Catalina Express to the Los Angeles precinct of San Pedro, and to Long Beach, and Dana Point.
Private vessels that come to Avalon Harbor are assigned a mooring by the Avalon Harbor Patrol on a first-come, first-served basis.
Boaters can get from their vessels to shore either by mooring their dinghies at one of the dinghy docks, or by catching a ride on a private shoreboat. Several helicopter companies serve the city, with most landing at the Pebbly Beach Heliport, positioned south of Avalon Bay.
Small planes can also territory at the Catalina Airport, known as the Airport in the Sky, positioned 7 miles (11 km) northwest of Avalon. Historically, amid the early 1970s, scheduled passenger seaplane service was directed by Catalina Air Lines, a division of Golden West Airlines, between Avalon Harbor and both Long Beach Airport and the Orange County Airport (now John Wayne Airport). Golden West Airlines also directed de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter STOL turboprops with scheduled passenger service at this same time between Airport in the Sky and both Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Long Beach Airport. For purposes of vehicle registration, Catalina Island is divided into two classifications: inside Avalon and "Interior" (areas outside the town/city limits).
The town/city has its own strict permit program with which small-town vehicle owners must comply, in addition to the usual requirements imposed by the California Department of Motor Vehicles. Because of these restrictions, there is no regular vehicle ferry service for visitors to take their car to Avalon and the rest of Catalina Island.
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Categories:
Cities in Los Angeles County, California - Santa Catalina Island, California - Populated coastal places in California - Populated places established in 1913 - 1913 establishments in California - Channel Islands of California - Los Angeles Harbor Region - Incorporated metros/cities and suburbs in California
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