NANDC History

The NANDC Area

The NANDC area is located in the West Adams district, one of the oldest neighborhoods in Los Angeles, with most of buildings built between 1880 and 1925. It includes the neighborhoods of Adams-Normandie, Exposition Park, University Park and parts of Jefferson Park (area codes 90007, 90018, 90037,  90062, and 90089).

With its Victorian mansions and sturdy Craftsman bungalows home to Downtown businessmen and professors and academicians at USC, West Adams was once the wealthiest districts in the city. In the 1990s, three areas of West Adams were designated as Historic Preservation Overlay Zones by the city of Los Angeles, in recognition of their outstanding architectural heritage.

Four LA Metro Expo Line stations are located within the NANDC area: USC/Jefferson station Expo Park/USC station, Vermont station and Western station.

Historical Moments in the NANDC Area

• Two Olympic Games were held at various venues within Exposition Park; the 1932 Summer Olympics and the 1984 Summer Olympics. The Exposition Park neighborhood will once again play a major role when the Games return to Los Angeles for the 2028 Summer Olympics
• The very first Super Bowl took place in the NANDC area in 1968 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and then again in 1973 with Super Bowl VII
• 1960 Democratic National Convention took place at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
• In 2012, the decommissioned space shuttle Endeavour was placed on permanent display at the California Science Center in Exposition Park. It is the only space shuttle on the west coast.

Historical NANDC Buildings and Architecture

• Felix Chevrolet sign
• First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Los Angeles (Designed by Paul R. Williams in 1965, this is also the oldest church founded by African Americans in Los Angeles, dating back to 1872)
• Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Building (designed by architect Paul Revere Williams)
• USC Community House/Forthmann House (believed to be the sixth oldest house in Los Angeles)
• John B. Kane Residence (built in 1892, a Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument)
• Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
• Shrine Auditorium (When it opened in 1926 with over 6,700 seats, the Shrine was the largest theatre in the United States)