Arlington Heights was a 665 acre townsite established in December 1886 at present-day Arlington Avenue and Pico Boulevard, west of what were then Los Angeles city limits. Since Arlington, VA is famous for its ties to George Washington, Arlington Heights surely got its name because Washington Boulevard (then “Street”) bisected the development. If you poke around this neighborhood, you’ll notice that there are numbered avenues – 2nd through 13th – but no 1st. Indeed, Arlington Avenue was originally called First Avenue, since it was laid out in what was meant to be a standalone town. In 1897, after the City of L.A. annexed Arlington Heights, City Council proposed changing First Avenue to Primero Street, primero being Spanish for “first”. But residents led by one J.L. Starr demanded an “American” name instead, saying that if they couldn’t have their First Avenue back, then at least change it to Arlington Avenue, after the old town’s moniker. Council complied.
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