Why Culver City? We don't include the word "City" in any other city. (Los Angeles: crime, neighborhoods)

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

From time to time I find myself wondering about things that have little to do with anything other than it seems to be interesting at the time, keeps my attention and seems to amuse me. After reading another post regarding Culver City I began to wonder why is it that we call it that? Does anyone just say Culver? I never would say that I live in Oxnard City, and some of you are thinking that if you did live in Oxnard you would never let it be known anyway, although for me I do love Oxnard.

Back to the point. Does anyone know the history of Culver City's name? I looked around some but could not find anything. Do people say that they live in the city of Culver City? I may say that I live in the city of Oxnard, but someone in Culver City may find that redundant. What would be the proper way to say that you live in Culver City?

I did find that it is cool that the old Helms Bakery was based in Culver City. I still miss the old panel Chevy Suburbans from the late 1960's with the distinctive horn.

[uptown_urbanist]

There are other "City" names around -- Temple City, City of Industry, etc. I don't know Culver City's name history, but I assume that unlike other cities (those with a lower case "c") the "City" in "Culver City" is an official and integral part of the name. Maybe it is for the City of Oxnard, too, but if that's the case then it might have just evolved because "City of Oxnard" is kind of long, while "Culver City" rolls more easily off the tongue.

I've heard people say they live or work in Culver City.

[Charles]

Culver City, California - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Harry Culver - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[BRinSM]

the seal cracks me up, "City of Culver City". A bit redundant much?

[majoun]

Originally Posted by BRinSM

the seal cracks me up, "City of Culver City". A bit redundant much?

Not the only one in California to have a "redundant" name and seal.

City of Union City, California - Official City Website

(Speaking of Union City, CA, I've wondered why Fremont, CA, isn't named Jersey City, CA. It is between Union City and Newark, so that would be a more appropriate name.)

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

OK So other places do the same thing. I can see calling Industry the City of Industry. For the most part that is about what you have there. I grew up in Port Hueneme and no one ever calls it the Port Hueneme City. Surrounding Port Hueneme is Oxnard and no one ever calls it Oxnard City, although I have heard people say such things as the City of Oxnard. I could understand if people called Ventura the City of Ventura or Ventura City to distiguish it from Ventura County. About the only thing that I can asume and my asumptions hold little value is that because of its proximinty to Los Angeles, (or should we say Los Angeles City?) and the fact that many geographic areas within Los Angeles could be considered cities unto themselves accept for the fact that they are part of Los Angeles, that Harry Culver decided to make sure everyone knew that this is a city and not a geographic location within Los Angeles. Just my thoughts on this bit of trivia and lore of a city I have only visited from time to time.

I think I need to get a hobby. LOL

[majoun]

Originally Posted by SOON2BNSURPRISE

OK So other places do the same thing. I can see calling Industry the City of Industry. For the most part that is about what you have there. I grew up in Port Hueneme and no one ever calls it the Port Hueneme City. Surrounding Port Hueneme is Oxnard and no one ever calls it Oxnard City, although I have heard people say such things as the City of Oxnard. I could understand if people called Ventura the City of Ventura or Ventura City to distiguish it from Ventura County. About the only thing that I can asume and my asumptions hold little value is that because of its proximinty to Los Angeles, (or should we say Los Angeles City?) and the fact that many geographic areas within Los Angeles could be considered cities unto themselves accept for the fact that they are part of Los Angeles, that Harry Culver decided to make sure everyone knew that this is a city and not a geographic location within Los Angeles. Just my thoughts on this bit of trivia and lore of a city I have only visited from time to time.

I think I need to get a hobby. LOL

Harry Culver also wanted to make his city bigger. He wanted to annex Palms (an area larger than the current neighborhood of Palms - it included what is now Cheviot Hills, Beverlywood, and parts of South Robertson as well) but the residents there thought that joining Los Angeles would "preserve their identity" instead.

Too bad for them. Those neighborhoods would be in better shape if they'd joined CC and would have better schools and be family-friendly today(although no one could have foresaw that at the time, particularly because the areas mentioned were family friendly for many decades afterwards, really until about 1980). There would've been a direct border between Culver City and Beverly Hills. And it might've prevented L.A. from doing its Hitler-styled forced annexation of Venice.

[SandyCo]

No one mentioned Panorama City yet. Unfortunately, it's neither panoramic nor a city (it's part of the City of L.A.)!

[majoun]

Originally Posted by SandyCo

No one mentioned Panorama City yet. Unfortunately, it's neither panoramic nor a city (it's part of the City of L.A.)!

Studio City isn't a city either, and it's about as opposite as you can get from Panorama City and still be in the part of the Valley that's within the city of L.A.

Now if Panorama City was a separate city, it would be in considerably better shape. It wouldn't be in as good shape as Burbank or Calabasas, but probably similar to San Fernando (which would mean less gang activity and FAR less crime than Panorama City actually has).

[californio sur]

People in the Bay Area refer to South San Francisco as "South City" and it doesn't even have a downtown. Same with Daly City.

Interesting discussion, SOON2BNSURPRISE and if you added "city" to Ventura it would have to be San Buenaventura City to be official.