Glendale, situated at the eastern end of the San Fernando Valley and adjacent to the vibrant Los Angeles neighborhoods, is a suburb with a flourishing business district and stunning views of the surrounding mountains. It is home to many renowned companies, such as ABC7, IHOP Corporation, The Walt Disney Company and Walt Disney Imagineering, DreamWorks Animation, Baxter BioScience, and Forest Lawn Memorial-Parks. The Glendale Galleria is one of the largest shopping malls in Southern California. The city has a long history that dates back to 1821 when New Spain gained its independence from the Spanish Empire.
In 1860, Teodoro Verdugo, grandson of José María Verdugo, constructed the Catalina Verdugo Adobe, which is the oldest building in Glendale. Leslie Coombs Brand (1859-192) built a farm in 1904 called El Miradero, with an impressive mansion that combined characteristics of Spanish, Moorish and Indian styles. The American Green Cross was formed in 1926 and Grand Central Airport was the starting point for Charles Lindbergh's first commercial east-to-west transcontinental flight. The average annual rainfall in Glendale is just over 21 inches (530 mm), with most of it falling between November and April.
Rainfall totals vary significantly from year to year, and the wettest years are usually associated with warm El Niño conditions. The population of Glendale is distributed as 35,732 (18.6%) under 18 years of age, 16,609 (8.7%) aged 18 to 24, 54,518 (28.4%) aged 25 to 44, 54,942 (28.7%) aged 45 to 64, and 29,918 (15.6%) aged 65 or over. For every 100 females there are 91.1 males and for every 100 females age 18 and over there are 87.9 males. Lead vocalist Serj Tankian and bassist Shavo Odadjian of the Armenian-American rock band System of a Down resided in Glendale at the time of their formation. The Cathedral of St.
Gregory the Illuminator is located in Glendale and is the seat of the North American diocese of the Armenian Catholic Church. Grand Central Airport was a municipal airport developed starting in 1923 which became Glendale's largest employer for many years and contributed to the development of aviation in the United States in many important ways. DreamWorks Animation is still located in the city's Grand Central Business Center on land that previously occupied a helicopter landing base next to the old airfield (and next to KABC-TV). Therefore, many American animators who worked on feature films in the 1990s and 2000s have spent much of their careers in Glendale working for Disney or DreamWorks. Brand Boulevard is a renowned stretch of road filled with a variety of stores including The Americana at Brand - an expansive outdoor shopping complex brought to the city by the same developer as Los Angeles' famous The Grove. It has a dancing fountain, a free streetcar, plenty of dining and drinking options including Bacari GDL - an elegant wine bar and restaurant where Italian-style tapas cicchetti are one of the standout dishes - and 18 Pacific Theatres theaters where you can watch a movie.
Oh, and you can also shop at about 80 retailers! Far from The Americana, Brand Boulevard is a bustling mini-mecca of cafes, shops, and culture including the Neon Art Museum. Glendale also maintains its own police department (GPD), led by Police Chief Manny Cid which operates from a main station in downtown Glendale, a centrally located substation in Glendale Galleria, and the Montrose substation in Verdugo City. The department offers a full range of services including patrol, traffic control, investigations, a crime lab, a custody center, air support, engines, SWAT teams, drones, bicycle patrol units, vicerarcotics teams and Federal Task Force intelligence. Glendale is an exciting city worth exploring with plenty to offer visitors and locals alike! From its rich history to its vibrant business district to its picturesque views - there's something for everyone!.
