North Village, the residential neighborhood west of the UCLA
campus, will be recognized with identifying signs starting
today.
The signs, reading “North Village,” have been placed
on the corners of Gayley and Strathmore, Gayley and Veteran, and
LeConte and Levering.
The North Village Improvement Committee (NVIC), a group of North
Village residents working to address neighborhood issues, made a
request to City Council for signs to be placed in three areas
around North Village, and have been working on the issue for over a
year.
The signs are part of a move by the NVIC to help residents
rediscover their neighborhood’s identity, explained Shelley
Taylor, President of NVIC, in a statement to the Education and
Neighborhoods Committee of the Los Angeles City Council.
Taylor went before the committee after the request for signs by
NVIC was delayed due to the formation of the Education and
Neighborhoods Committee (ENC). The ENC was created explicitly to
dealwith the sign request process.
In her statement to the committee, Taylor cited documents such
as articles and grants where the neighborhood was identified as
North Village. The fact that the neighborhood has been recognized
by the name North Village by outside groups supports the argument
that the area has a set identity, she said.
NVIC gathered 33 signatures and 25 e-mails from members and
leaders of the Westwood community who supported their argument.
Another supporter was Councilman Jack Weiss, who submitted the
motion to the City Council.
Taylor said she hopes the signs will get residents, property
owners and the city to take better care of the neighborhood.
“When something has a name, you have an identity and it
gives you pride,” she said.
Some residents say they do not share Taylor’s sentiment,
and believe the signs are unnecessary.
“Distinguishing between communities is pointless,”
said Cassidy Randall, a fourth-year English student and North
Village resident.
Other residents say they agree with Taylor and like the idea of
giving their community an identity through the signs.
“I like the idea of giving the neighborhood a name,”
said Tom Lu, geography graduate student.