OCLB - Inglewood Urban Walk

The Orange County/Long Beach Chapter of Great Outdoos presents:

OCLB - Inglewood Urban Walk

Sunday, October 12, 2025, starting at 9:00 AM

(In the event of extreme heat, the hike will be postponed.)

Contact: Frederick Brown E-mail: [email protected] Phone: 562-754-1838

Bring comfortable walking shoes, sunscreen, sunglasses and a liter of water.

(This writeup was adapted from LAIST written by Paul Haddad)

Where are we headed?

Old and older Inglewood: Market Street, whose pedestrian-friendly central business district hearkens back to the 1920s, and Edward Vincent Jr. Park, where Centinela Springs provided fresh water from prehistoric times through the 1940s.

Why now?

Inglewood, if you haven’t noticed, is having a moment. During the L.A. Lakers’ Forum days, it was the “City of Champions.” Now it’s home to the Rams’ SoFi Stadium and the Clippers’ brand-new Intuit Dome. But Inglewood is far more than its multi-billion-dollar sports shrines. This route retraces the city’s roots and leans into its African American footprint.

Quickly, what can I expect?

• Route conditions: Flat with slight grades

• Difficulty: 2 on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the hardest

• Distance: 2.8 miles

• Dog friendly: Yes

• Costs/Parking: Free parking lot at approximately 700 Warren Lane, or on Warren Lane itself, which skirts the northern boundary of Edward Vincent Jr. Park. (The Metro K Line stops just south of here.)

• Meet up point: At the entrance to Edward Vincent, Jr. Park which is at the intersection of Warren Lane, Stepney Street and N. Park Avenue. Click Here for map.

OK, Let's Get Started

Inglewood has undergone major demographic shifts throughout its history beyond the well-trodden succession of Indian, Spanish and Mexican communities. Beginning in the 1970s, the city increasingly drew Black professionals and working-class families. This route covers all eras, with an emphasis on Downtown, which has vacillated between vibrant and struggling conditions over the decades.

Like many SoCal communities, water is at the heart of why Inglewood is where it is. What better place to start this hike than at the place that nourished its rise? Twenty feet beyond the eastern driveway of the parking lot for Edward Vincent Jr. Park, look for a gated walkway that advertises the “Willie Agee Playhouse,” a beloved 55-seat community theater. Follow the path to the playhouse. Just before its entryway, turn right at the palm tree. Cross the grass to two stone markers nearby.

One of the monuments contains a capped valve that used to control the bubbling waters of Centinela Springs (or as the Spanish called it, Aguaje de Centinela). An inscription reads, “From Time Immemorial God’s Blessing of Sweet Water to All His Creatures.” Next to it, a plaque details the history of the former artesian well, one of the first Registered Historical Landmarks in California. Amazingly, the spring quenched the thirst of Inglewood residents as late as 1949 before it ran dry.

What is a 'Pump Track'?

The concrete foundation that supports the old well includes a short, paved connection to another pedway. Turn right on this path, away from a magnificent outdoor amphitheater. Honestly, this whole park is the bomb, bustling with families and well-maintained recreational facilities, including the first pump track in Greater L.A. What’s a pump track, you ask? Imagine a self-contained bicycle and skating course with lots of whoop-de-doos (mountain biker lingo for fun trail humps). Take in the organized chaos from the park’s southern walkway or relax on one of several mosaic-tiled benches melded into an old stone wall.

Exiting Stoneview we make a right, continuing on our walk. We'll soon come up on Lavender Chiveeví, a Los Angeles County commissioned mural that honors the biodiversity of the plants found in the area, the surrounding community and roads, and the indigenous people who once called the area home. Active oil pumpjacks can be seen in the distance, part of the Inglewood Oil Field. The trail will dip once more before it begins a climb of 200 feet over the next half mile. Along the way, take an opportunity to pause and turn. At several points, we can enjoy the blissful feeling of seeing nature all around, and barely any signs of "civilization" beyond a glimpse of some power lines and the whirring of traffic in the distance.

Rise. Fall. Repeat.

Exit the park at its southwest corner, crossing to the other side of E. Florence Avenue. After three blocks, turn left onto North Market Street, the northern portal of downtown. Interestingly, Inglewood was rejuvenated after a damaging 1920 earthquake. Investors swooped in, making it the fastest-growing city in America from 1920 to 1925! As you stroll down Market, note the ornamental center median, which used to support the Los Angeles Railway.

Despite having good bones, many historically significant buildings have struggled to secure tenants. At 115 N. Market, a former Fox Theatre has been slowly decaying for decades. Across the street, at 100 N. Market, a longtime bookstore never recovered after the pandemic. Its Mediterranean Revival building, erected in 1927 as the Bank of Inglewood, also awaits new life.

Exploring the DT hub

Another block, however, reveals a brighter side of Downtown. Black pride public art abounds, and 139 S. Market hosts the popular Inglewood Marketplace (once a JC Penney). On the northeast corner of Market and Manchester Boulevard, the World Hat & Boot Mart occupies a Streamline Moderne building from 1927 that underwent a funky makeover in the 1960s, creating the architectural Frankenstein you see today. This intersection of Market and Manchester represents Inglewood’s cultural nexus, as street events ranging from Jazz Fest to Juneteenth celebrations often spoke off from here.

One place that remains fixed: Dulan’s Soul Food Kitchen at 202 E. Manchester — one block west of Market — an institution since 1975 and well worth visiting for their cornbread and candied yams alone.

What’s old is new

As you continue south on Market, the middle of the next block (233 S. Market) features an ornate brick building once owned by S.H. Kress, a defunct department store chain. Now a clothing outlet, the “Kress” insignia is still visible near the roofline.

On the east side of the street, the former Ritz cinema fared better than the Fox. In an era of theatrical X-rated movies, it became a Pussycat Theatre in the 1970s, morphing, at long last, to the Miracle Theatre, a live-events venue that kept the marquee.

This is the turnaround point

Time to return from whence you came. Go right on East Nutwood Street and right again on North La Brea Avenue, whose original name in these parts — Commercial Street — telegraphed its importance to the town’s nascent business district. Today, the street’s junction with Queen Street affords the best view of the nine-story Inglewood City Hall, erected in 1973. Its architect was Charles Luckman, he of the Los Angeles Convention Center, Madison Square Garden, and Inglewood’s own Forum. More importantly, Luckman’s pedigree was a symbol that Inglewood had truly arrived.

With plans afoot to further revitalize Downtown, ever-evolving Inglewood will no doubt look different upon subsequent visits. For now, after leaving City Hall, turn right on Florence Avenue to retrace your steps to where it all began.