Alhambra, California

Like several other cities in Los Angeles County, Alhambra, California became a settlement during the boom of the 1880s. Alhambra is located a few miles east of Downtown Los Angeles in the western San Gabriel Valley, near the cities of San Gabriel, San Marino, South Pasadena, Temple City, and Monterey Park. Alhambra was incorporated in 1903.

In 2010, Alhambra was awarded the "Eddy Award" by the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation for Most Business-Friendly City in Los Angeles County with a population of 60,000 or more. Alhambra received the award, in part, due to the City’s commitment to economic development as a priority. Alhambra Auto Row features eight dealerships, including one of the largest Honda volume dealers in the United States. Several mixed-use projects have been developed in the City in recent years. Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, which has a large facility on Freemont Avenue, is Alhambra’s largest employer. Other major employers include AHMC Healthcare (which operates Alhambra Hospital Medical Center and employs more than 600 employees), and Eastern Los Angeles Regional Center (ELARC). ELARC is one of 21 Regional Centers in California devoted to providing services to individuals with developmental disabilities under contract with the California Department of Developmental Services.

Alhambra Place is a 120,000-square-foot retail center connected to “88 at Alhambra Place,” a large luxury apartment complex.

One local bank, a branch of Wing Lung Bank, which primarily serves the Chinese community, has one of the largest glass tile murals in North America installed on its façade.

Among Alhambra’s most famous businesses is The Hat, a fast-food restaurant – marked by an old, iconic neon sign. The Hat, which opened in 1951, is famous for its pastrami sandwiches.

Twohey’s Restaurant – the “Home of the Little Stink-O,” which also has an iconic neon sign featuring a character named “Stink-O” – opened in 1943 and relocated to Alhambra in 1955.

The native people who lived in the area have been identified by many names, including the Tongva, Kizh, Kichireños, Serrano, Tataviam. and Gabrielino. They lived in villages scattered through the region.

Beginning in 1769, Spain sought to assert control over the area that became known as Alta California (which includes what is now the State of California), by establishing a chain of mission churches and military forts (presidios) extending several hundred miles. Much of what is now Alhambra was included in the 1771 land grant made to the Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, which was the fourth of what would be 21 Spanish missions founded in California.

In 1874, Benjamin Wilson bought acreage in the vicinity, which he divided into lots. Benjamin Wilson named his real estate venture “The Alhambra Tract.” The name was inspired by “Tales of the Alhambra,” a collection of essays and stories by Washington Irving, brought about by his visit to the Alhambra complex in the City of Granada in southern Spain. Washington Irving is perhaps best known for penning the seasonal favorite “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”

In the late nineteenth century, San Gabriel Winery Company became Alhambra’s first successful business, and at one time was considered the largest winery in California. The estate covered one thousand four hundred acres and included an exceptionally large wine cellar. The establishment was popular with tourists. During the 1890s a blight disease destroyed many of the vines. In addition, competition from vineyards in Northern California using more modern and cost-effective methods and offering superior products led to its collapse.

Southern Pacific Railroad built a station in Alhambra in about 1886. The Pacific Electric extended its interurban trolley system to Alhambra in 1902. In the 1920s and 1930s, the short-lived Alhambra Airport thrived. At one time, the airport featured what was then the largest airplane hangar in the world. The Ramona Expressway, the precursor to Southern California’s modern freeway system, opened in 1935. The approximately four-mile expressway allowed drivers to travel without any stops (and originally without a center divider) from central Los Angeles to the edge of Alhambra.

Now Alhambra, known as the gateway to the San Gabriel Valley, is an important business, cultural, and political center for the San Gabriel Valley with a population of over 80,000 residents. Author, Clive Cussler; musician, Kenny Loggins; artist, Norman Rockwell; model, Cheryl Tiegs; and actors, Mitch Vogel, and Jonathan Ke Quan, have all called Alhambra home at one time.

A valid parking permit or valid disabled placard is required when parking on any city street between 2 and 6 a.m. No parking is permitted between 2 and 6 a.m. on six major city thoroughfares: Valley Boulevard, Mission Road, Main Street, Fremont Avenue, Atlantic Boulevard, and Garfield Avenue. Parking restrictions for street sweeping also apply to city streets.

Alhambra has a council manager form of government. The citizens of Alhambra elect city council members. The City Council decides important policy-related issues. The City Council also appoints a City Manager. The City Manager acts as the chief advisor for the City Council and as chief executive officer. The City Manager also directs and oversees City departments and staff. Members of the Alhambra City Council serve four-year terms. There are five City Council members, each of whom serves as mayor for a nine-month period. The largest City expenditure is for Public Safety. Alhambra Courthouse is a branch of the Los Angeles County Superior Court, the largest unified trial court in the United States. Alhambra Library is over 45,000 square feet.

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