Leimert Park was one of the first planned communities in Southern California. It was developed by Walter H. Leimert Sr. and designed by Olmsted Brothers, a firm headed by the sons of Frederick Law Olmsted Sr., the landscape architect behind New York City’s Central Park.

On a recent Thursday night, sounds of classical jazz melodies streamed out into the streets. Inside, heads nodded in time with the beat as men of all ages and shades approached the stage. Incense burned on a table in the front and musicians wielding oboes, saxophones, and trumpets collected at the World Stage to jam.

Eighty-one-year-old Van Gray entered the room with a grin on his face. In his electric wheelchair, he moved to the beat, calling out sounds of praise to his friends on stage. Born in Brooklyn, Gray takes the bus to Leimert Park at least once a week to hear classical jazz.

Leimert Park, a predominately African-American neighborhood in South LA, has long been known for its unique blend of classic jazz, hip-hop and traditional African clothing, drumming and cuisine. For decades it has been an enclave for artists and musicians, but that mosaic is changing in Leimert Park. With development and rising rents, artists have been driven out and the elders of the neighborhood are working to make sure their village doesn’t fade away. [Read more…]