Burbank, Los Angeles County, California
This article is about the city of Burbank, California. For other localities named Burbank, see "Burbank".The city of
Burbank is in the eastern corner of the
San Fernando Valley, part of the
Greater Los Angeles Area, in
Los Angeles County, California just north and east of the city of
Los Angeles,
USA.
Billed as the
"Media Capital of the World", many media and entertainment companies are headquartered or have significant production facilities in Burbank, including
NBC,
The Walt Disney Company and
Warner Bros.The town has come a long way from the days when it was ironically referred to as
"Beautiful Downtown Burbank" on
Laugh-In and
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
Commonly believed to be named for famous horticulturalist
Luther Burbank who once lived in
Santa Rosa, California, the city is actually named for
New Hampshire-born dentist and entrepreneur David Burbank.
Originally part of two large
Spanish land grants, the vast Rancho San Rafael, granted to Don Jose Maria Verdugo by the Spanish government in
1798 and the Rancho La Providencia created in
1821.
Dr. David Burbank purchased over 4600 acres (19 km²) of the former Verdugo holding and another 4600 acres (19 km²) of the Rancho La Providencia in
1867 and operated a successful sheep ranch for many years.
A shrewd businessman, foreseeing the value of
rail transport, Burbank sold
Southern Pacific Railroad a
right-of-way through the property for one dollar.
A boom created by a rate war between the
Santa Fe and
Southern Pacific would bring people streaming into
California shortly thereafter and a group of land speculators would purchase much of Burbank's land holdings in
1886 for $250,000 USD.
The speculators formed the Providencia Land, Water, and Development Company and began developing the land, calling the new town "Burbank" after its enterprising founder and began offering farm lots on
May 1,
1887.
Laid out and surveyed with a modern a business district surrounded by residential lots, wide boulevards were carved out as the "Los Angeles Express" printed:
"Burbank, the town, being built in the midst of the new farming community, has been laid out in such a manner as to make it by and by an unusually pretty town. The streets and avenues are wide and, all have been handsomely graded. All improvements being made would do credit to a city.... Everything done at Burbank has been done right." |
Burbank as envisioned by Providencia Co. |
The town grew steadily, weathering the
drought and
depression that hit
Los Angeles in the
1890s and in 20 years, the community now consisted of its own
bank,
newspaper,
high school and a thriving business district with a hardware store, livery stable, dry goods store, general store, and a bicycle repair shop.
The population would
petition the
State Legislature to incorporate and formally become a
city on
July 8,
1911, naming
Thomas Story, a local businessman, as their first
mayor.
By
1916, 1,500 residents claimed Burbank as home. By
1930, as
First National Studios,
Andrew Jergens Company, The
Lockheed Company, McNeill and Libby Canning Company, the Moreland Company, and
Northrop Aircraft Corporation opened factories and studios there, the numbers had swelled to 16,662.
The Federal government officially recognized Burbank's status in
1923 when the
United States Postal Service reclassified the city from the rural
village mail delivery classification to
city postal delivery service.
In the meantime, the United States Department of Commerce recommended Burbank as the most favorable airport location in the Los Angeles area. Dedicated on Memorial Day Weekend (
May 30 -
June 1),
1930, the
United Airport was the largest commercial
airport in the Los Angeles area until it was eclipsed in
1946 by the
Los Angeles Municipal Airport in
Inglewood when that facility (the former
Mines Field) commenced commercial operations.
Burbank's airport has undergone a number of name changes since its opening day in
1930. It remained
United Airport until
1934, when it was renamed
Union Air Terminal (
1934-
1940). Lockheed bought the airport in
1940 and renamed it the
Lockheed Air Terminal, which it was known as until
1967, when its name changed again, to
Hollywood-Burbank Airport. It remained Hollywood-Burbank Airport for over a decade, until
1978, when it was renamed
Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport (
1978-
2003). Most recently, in December of
2003, the facility was renamed
Bob Hope Airport in honor of the famous comedian (see "Burbank Today" below).
The growth of companies such as Lockheed and the burgeoning entertainment industry drew more and more people to the area as Burbank's population doubled again between
1930 and
1940 to 34,337. But Burbank saw its greatest growth during
World War II due to
Lockheed's strong presence in the city, employing some 80,800 men and women to contribute to the war effort producing aircraft such as the
Hudson,
P-38 Lightning,
PV-1 Ventura and America's first
jet fighter, the
P-80 Shooting Star, arriving too late to participate in the war, but would see service in the
Korean War, logging the world's first jet-to-jet aerial kill in history. Lockheed would go on to produce the super secret spy planes
U2,
SR-71 Blackbird and the
F-117 Nighthawk at its Burbank-based "
Skunk Works."
 |
Burbank companies were involved throughout the war, joining together on this P-38 |
Disney and
Warner (formerly First National Studio) contributed to the war effort by producing training films and morale films for the
armed services and
cartoons promoting the sale of
war bonds. Disney artists designed more than 1000 unit mascot designs for units from every branch of the armed forces.
Walt Disney had authorized that the creation of these insignias were to be designed for free and by the end of the war was estimated to have cost Disney over thirty thousand dollars.
Burbank would also witness its first real civil strife as the culmination of a six month labor dispute between the
Set Decorator's union and the
studios resulted in the
Battle of Burbank on
October 5,
1945.
Burbank's growth did not slow as war production ceased and over 7,000 new residents created a postwar real estate boom and real estate values soared as housing tracts sprang up on formerly vacant land in the Magnolia Park area of Burbank between
1945 and
1950.
As America entered the
atomic age, the city's industries thrived and as the world changed around it, Burbank continued to evolve to meet its demands ushering in the 21st century vastly different from the town's sheep-farm roots.
A predominantly upper-
middle class community, Burbank is home to many employees of the
motion picture and
television studios located in and around the city.
Entertainment has generally replaced the
defense industry as the primary employer of its citizens, who are attracted by the relative safety and security offered by its own
police and
fire departments, highly rated
schools and
hospital. Other reasons cited are its small-
town feel while located only 10 minutes away by
car to the
hip clubs and
restaurants of
Hollywood.
The convenience of a local
airport and proximity to major
freeways is crucial in today's world, and Burbank is no exception.
The former
Burbank/Glendale/Pasadena Airport (which opened in
1930 as the
United Airport) was renamed in December 2003 in honor of comedian
Bob Hope, who lived in nearby
Toluca Lake for many years. The airport services 4.9 million travelers per year on seven major carriers, with more than 70 flights daily.
Burbank is easily accessible by and can easily access the
Southern California freeways via the
Golden State Freeway, which bisects the city from northwest to southeast, and the
Ventura Freeway which connects Burbank to the
U.S. Route 101 on the south and the nearby
Foothill Freeway to the east.
Those without cars can take advantage of the
Metro which operates
public transport throughout
Los Angeles County, connecting her citizens to 18,500 stops on 189 bus lines including those in Burbank while commuters can easily access the
Metrolink and
Amtrak for service south into
Downtown and
Union Station, west to
Ventura and north to
Palmdale and all points beyond.
While at home, residents enjoy the
Los Angeles Equestrian Center, the
Starlight Bowl, fine
restaurants, the city's Downtown Burbank Mall, a burgeoning "Burbank Village" shopping district, and many
theatres,
parks, and
libraries. Visitors to Burbank are attracted to the
Warner Bros. Studio VIP tour and close proximity to all other entertainments and attractions that Los Angeles offers.
Recently, the murder of Burbank police officer Matthew Pavelka by a local gang known as the Vineland Boys sparked an intensive investigation in conjunction with several other cities and resulted in the arrest of a number of gangmembers and other citizens in and around Burbank. Among those arrested was Burbank city councilwoman Stacey Murphy, implicated in trading guns in exchange for drugs.
Burbank is also affiliated with the following
sister cities :
*
Gaborone, Botswana*
Incheon, South Korea*
Ota, Japan*
Solna, SwedenBurbank is located at (34.180170, -118.328341).
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 45.0
km² (17.4
mi²). 44.9 km² (17.4 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (0.12%) is water.
 |
Looking west over Burbank with Olive Ave. crossing over the I-5 in the foreground |
It is bordered by
Glendale to the east,
Toluca Lake on the west, and
Griffith Park to the South.
Hollywood is easily accessible from Burbank by driving down Barham Blvd. (past Warner Bros. Studios & Universal Studios) to Cahuenga Blvd., formerly known as the
Cahuenga Pass.
As of the
census of 2000, there were 100,316 people, 41,608 households, and 24,382 families residing in the city. The
population density was 2,232.4/km² (5,782.4/mi²). There were 42,847 housing units at an average density of 953.5/km² (2,469.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 72.18%
White, 2.06%
Black or
African American, 0.55%
Native American, 9.15%
Asian, 0.14%
Pacific Islander, 9.88% from
other races, and 6.04% from two or more races. 24.87% of the population were
Hispanic or
Latino of any race.
There were 41,608 households out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.8% were
married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.4% were non-families. 33.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.3% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 35.4% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $47,467, and the median income for a family was $56,767. Males had a median income of $41,792 versus $35,273 for females. The
per capita income for the city was $25,713. About 8.1% of families and 10.5% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 13.3% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.
The number of violent crimes recorded by the
FBI in its
2004 Uniform Crime Reports was 262 of which there were 4
murders and homicides. The violent
crime rate was approximately 2.5 per 1,000 people, well below the
national average as reported by the U.S. Department of Justice in the Bureau of Justice Statistics.
|
Looking east over Burbank from Universal Studios |
Much of Burbank's economy is based on the entertainment industry.
Hollywood is considered a symbol of the glamorous entertainment industry, but much of the actual production takes place in Burbank. Many ancillary companies are also located there. Many companies have their headquarters in Burbank, including
ABC,
Arri,
DIC Entertainment,
Dick Clark Productions,
NBC,
Nickelodeon,
The Walt Disney Company,
Warner Bros., and
Warner Music Group.
Burbank is also conveniently located close to
CBS Studio Center,
DreamWorks, and
Universal Studios in neighboring
Studio City,
Glendale, and
Universal City, respectively.
Capitol Records and
Paramount are just south of Burbank in
Hollywood proper.
Local
IATSE union offices for the Stagehands Local 33,
Grips Local 80, Make-up and Hairstylist Local 706 and Set Painters Local 729 also make their home in Burbank with
Teamsters Local 399,
IBEW Local 40 and many other IATSE locals nearby.
The
Greater Los Angeles area relies on a multiple-airport system because of its sheer size. The
Bob Hope Airport, one of these airports, is located in Burbank.
Burbank is home to several California Distinguished Schools including the confusingly named
Luther Burbank Middle School (see history above). Both its
public and
private K-12 schools routinely score above state and national average
test scores. A number of colleges are also located in Burbank including the
Woodbury University with its renowned design program and several
make up and
beauty trade schools servicing the entertainment industry.
please follow the given format and place in alphabetical order by last name.
name (date of birth-date of death), profession. notable accomplishments
-->A number of famous people have lived in Burbank at one time or another, here's a partial list of some of people who have called Burbank home.
*
Wally Albright (
1925-
1999) actor.
The Little Rascals*
Tim Burton (
1958-) writer and director.
Edward Scissorhands,
The Nightmare Before Christmas*
Rod Beck (
1968-)
Major League Baseball player.
San Francisco Giants,
Boston Red Sox*
Dick Clark (
1929-) TV personality. "America's oldest teenager".
American Bandstand,
New Year's Rockin' Eve *
Debbe Dunning (
1966-) actress.
Home Improvement*
Soleil Moon Frye (
1976-) actress.
Punky Brewster,
Sabrina the Teenage Witch*
Mark Harmon (
1951-) actor.
St. Elsewhere,
Stealing Home*
Clint Howard (
1958-) actor.
Gentle Ben,
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine*
Ron Howard (
1954-) actor and film director.
Happy Days,
A Beautiful Mind,
The Da Vinci Code*
James J. Jeffries (
1875-
1953) "The Boilermaker"
World Heavyweight Boxing Champion*
Kelly Johnson (
1910-
1990) chief aeronautical engineer at Lockheed's
Skunk works*
Patton Oswalt (
1969-) comedian, actor and writer.
Magnolia,
MADtv*
Sean Penn (
1960-) actor, director, activist.
Fast Times at Ridgemont High,
Mystic River*
Tom Petty (
1950-) musician.
*
Eve Plumb (
1958-) actress.
The Brady Bunch*
Bonnie Raitt (
1949-), singer/songwriter.
Luck of the Draw,
Longing in Their Hearts*
Debbie Reynolds (
1932-) actress, Miss Burbank
1948.
Singin' in the Rain,
The Unsinkable Molly Brown*
Randy Rhoads (
1956-
1982) Lead guitarist and founding member of
Quiet Riot (1976-1979) and lead guitarist for
Ozzy Osbourne (1979-1982).
*
John Ritter (
1948-
2003) actor and comedian of TV's
Three's Company and
8 Simple Rules*
Doug Savant (
1964-) actor.
Melrose Place,
Desperate Housewives*
Adam Schiff (
1960-)
Democratic U.S.
Congressman from California since
2000.
*
Martin Scorsese (
1942-) director.
Taxi Driver,
Raging Bull,
Goodfellas*
Kyle Searles (
1985-) actor.
7th Heaven*
Wil Wheaton (
1972-) actor and writer.
Stand By Me,
Star Trek: The Next Generation*
Brief History of Burbank, California (Burbank Chamber of Commerce, 1961)
*
Of Men and Stars, A History of Lockheed Aircraft Corporation (Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, 1957-1958)
*
Ranchos de Los Santos, The Story of Burbank (The Burbank Branch of the Security Trust and Savings Bank, 1927)
*
The Story of Burbank from Her Eventful Pioneer Days (The Magnolia Park Chamber of Commerce, 1954)
*
Your Burbank Home (Burbank Merchant's Association, 1928)
|
Burbank today, as seen looking north from Griffith Park (July, 2006) |
*
City of Burbank - Official*
Downtown Burbank*
Burbank Airport Authority*
Burbank Unified School District*
Burbank Chamber of Commerce*
Burbank Community website*
Burbank Historical Society*
Burbank Live Web Cam*
Burbank News and Realestate on a Google Map*
Burbankia
