South Park, Santa Rosa, California

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

South Park is a residential neighborhood in the southern part of Santa Rosa, California. It sits east of U.S. Route 101, south of Bennett Valley Road, and west of the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. The area covers about 60 blocks and is known for its old houses and murals, but it has a history of higher crime and gang activity. About 1,500 people live there, and the community is now mainly Latino.

History
South Park began as Italian and German American country neighborhoods. After World War II, many African Americans moved there from the South, and it was once seen as Santa Rosa’s Black neighborhood. The local NAACP started a chapter and a Black church, Community Baptist Church, was established, though the church was damaged by arson in the 1980s and later moved. In 1990, about 17% of residents were Black, 51% White, and 21% Hispanic. In the 2000s, the area became more Hispanic. Refugees from Africa, especially Ethiopia and Eritrea, also settled in the neighborhood during the 1980s and 1990s.

Crime
South Park, along with nearby areas, has had higher-than-average crime. Gangs were mainly Mexican American (Nortenos and Surenos), and drive-by shootings occurred during gang conflicts.

Features
The neighborhood is home to Ray Luv, a Boys & Girls Club, Martin Luther King Jr. Park, and two churches. It is near the Sonoma County Fairgrounds and has a community garden in the park. Edges of South Park include an Asian market, a Mexican market, Lola’s Mexican supermarket, a tire shop, a cannabis store, and an art and dance studio. The Hells Angels clubhouse is located just beyond Petaluma Hill Road on Frazier Avenue.

Housing
Most homes are houses, many in Victorian or old British styles. There are also apartment buildings and duplexes. Most buildings were built before 1960, with a few newer developments along the outer edges near Temple Avenue.

Films
A movie called Grand Avenue, about a Native American family moving from a reservation, is based on Grand Avenue in South Park, though most filming took place in other parts of Santa Rosa. It was written and produced by Santa Rosan Greg Sarris.