Gang crime spurred residents living near Mid-City in the 1980s to erect gates to separate their tree-lined Los Angeles neighborhood from a stretch of Pico Boulevard.
Today, the gates act as a barrier between Pico’s auto shops, beauty salons and low-rise apartment buildings and Country Club Park, a neighborhood to the north that’s known for its Craftsman and Tudor Revival homes and expansive lawns.
Country Club Park residents say the gates create a pleasant, park-like area that draws dog-walkers and strollers from across the city. At Christmas, carolers take to the sidewalks.
Now the gates are an issue in the March 5 election for a Los Angeles City Council seat, sparking a debate about public space and crime.
