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 [[File:Westwood view from drone.png|thumb|View of Westwood as seen from a drone]]
 '''Westwood''' is a designated community area on the west side of Greenfield, California. It is located west of [[Downtown|Downtown Greenfield]].
+It's bordered east (Barons Bar) by US-101. North is bordered by the railroad and features multiple bridges leading the avenue's out over the railroad to Ashfield West. South primarily faces the Pacific Ocean. And the westside currently is undeveloped, but there lies an empty layout which presumably is a future stretch of Westwood or a new district.
 == History ==
-Back in the late 19th century Greenfield saw a massive boom in industrial expansion and therefore needed to expand further west of the city. This was urgent because a ton of residents were displaced in order to build a port right next to Barons Bar.
+The name Westwood stems from the former overgrown 'woods' that used to be west of Greenfield during the 19th century.
+After the growing industrialization of Barons Bar beginning around the 1900s. Westwood, which was a rather underdeveloped area gained it's first set of planned-out roads. The already existing railroad was also upgraded, with a trainstation established
+The stretch from the 1920s to 1940s Westwood would see enormous amounts of construction, factories were built along the shoreline and traintracks. And neighbourhoods were built on what was just empty land a day ago.
+The 1950s was the most booming decade for the district. Incoming profits from the factories led to the construction of multiple industrial piers. This would cause a massive influx of new residents, and acres of new, affordable family housing was built directly west of Westwood, expanding the area by a lot compared to before.
+Though controversial, the Westwood projects located near the US-101 and I-5 interchange also brought in a wave of new working residents. But would fall in disrepair rather quick and is considered a major crime hotspot in the area, as shootings happen monthly in and around that block. It received mass criticism as these projects were very cramped and cheaply made, but reflected America's neglect on adequate public housing.
+Westwood would see demolition of factories south of the neighbourhood as the construction of I-5 took place in the 60s. Further that decade would the newly built US-101 separate Westwood from Barons Bar. Demolishing multiple stores, homes and industrial buildings. The landvalue would slowly start decreasing in value, kickstarting the decay of Westwood and it's infrastructure. Greenfield's southern highways, US-101 especially to this day remains a source of urban decay, extreme noise pollution and is often seen as an overshadowing, crumbling, dividing wall between the two neighbourhoods.
-At the turn of the century Barons Bar grew to a decent size, while the land right next to it was home to a few dilapidated houses and a lot of shanties because of the port expansion. But it was from 1900 that new area would be slowly built up. The neighbourhood was mostly made up of regular single-family homes or duplexes and other things alike, with wall-to-wall commercial buildings along the grand avenue's.
+These freeway works received much opposition and backlash from city residents. But all attempts proved to be futile as construction went through anyways. This increased further unrest in Westwood.
-Multiple factory buildings were placed along the canal and towards the port which made a direct access to the railroads leading in and out of Greenfield. The current passenger railroad was relaid onto a small elevation held up by concrete walls which goes right through the neighbourhood with a train station being built on one of the main avenue's. And multiple bridges were constructed that connected Westwood and Ashfield west which made transporting goods easier with cargo-vehicles. Westwood and it's neighbouring districts generated alot of income for the city.
+In the time between 1970-1980, like in much of America, industries dried up or went overseas. Resulting in mass unemployment. Westwood experienced saw increasing numbers in the homeless population. As Barons Bar, which by 1980 was mass abandoned and had multiple empty demolished lots at the time was a prime breeding ground for homelessness. All the while abandonded buildings appeared left and right.
-Rolling into the 1930s and 1940s, many factories were constructed and or updated for more for more workers and better production rates. On the very outskirts of town a few houses were built making Westwood a fairly large neighbourhood.
+Crime continued to go uncared for because of corruption within Greenfields law authority and government. With the crack epidemic in full swing during the 80s made Westwood to be one of the most dangerous districts in the city. And gang activity reached an all time high throughout the 90s.
-Westwood's most booming decade was the 1950s. During this period a ton of industries would settle inbetween Westwood and Barons Bar. Along with a massive expansion to the Greenfield Port. This caused for a major population boom and a big expansion for Westwood. As it became a hotspot for a cheap, easy living, close to the city center and to tons of jobs available. Many cheap, brand new houses were built in order to house the incoming residents moving in.
+The 1994 Northridge earthquake only made things worse, causing multiple structures to collapse and parts of the US-101 to be unstable. A wave of mass-looting and rioting followed which caused several building fires. Westwood's infrastructure was so bad that in the late 90s it took a journalist to make a documentary to show the lack of care for major repairs to roads and buildings in the district for to have finally been some work done to few important roads in the area.
-But as car-depency became a trend, the new Interstate-5 would cut right through Westwood, Barons Bar and other poor neighbourhoods. This caused many long-time residents to be displaced and the neighbourhood to change drastically. Leaving behind a path of destruction that is still seen to this day.
+In recent times crime has decreased slightly from the 2000s onward. But as of today, Westwood has seen little to no influx of wealth or hasn't experienced any gentrification unlike Barons Bar. There are still many abandoned homes throughout the district and many stores sit empty and vacant.
-Westwood did not suffer too much from the car-dependent expansions. But would slowly start to fall off from it's glory days. Land value starting to decrease along with a creeping abandonment issue forming in the neighbourhood. And citizens wanted to be paid fairly, as some companies simple gave very low loans, which led up to a huge garbage strike that started from 1968 and lasting till early 1973. Devolving into a dirty, smog-filled poor ghetto. And the usual petty crimes are now starting to become more frequent.
+== Neighbourhood architecture ==
+In terms of architecture makes Westwood a very diverse mix in terms of housing types.
-One by one businesses and companies left the place in search to settle in well-off areas. The once grand avenues slowly being overtaking by empty lots, filth and shady stripmalls that have fallen into disrepair. Not much was left of the original Westwood apart from the decrepit, old houses and boarded up stores or factories that were literally falling apart.
+Both north and east of Westwood is where you'll find older development of Westwood. The houses are either small, simple bungalows or older-style duplexes. Further up north you can find factories, warehouses and smaller houses because of it's proximity to Ashfield West. The commercial zone in this area is also consists of classic wall-to-wall stores with few stripmalls inbetween. The Westwood projects are also located east, on the edge of the district next to US-101.
-With the formation of gangs, many people nicknamed it 'The Murder Grove' because of arson and rivalling gangs fighting for territory, drugs and guns, along with the pressure of major riots due to police-brutality and the government corrupt to the core. The streets once peaceful are now being fought over with rising gun violence, and the police non-stop busting traphouses and drug-trafficking operations due to the ongoing Crack Epidemic that greatly impacted the city of Greenfield.
+The southern part is mostly dominated by the I-5. But the coastline features many industrial commodities such as a power plant, oil refinery, water treatment plant and direct-access to Greenfield's ports.
-The 1994 Earthquake left Westwood in dazzling conditions. Collapsed buildings, ruined roads and an increased level of poverty and homelessness. Which resulted in several construction companies re-doing the roads along with demolishing and cleaning up only a few of the ruins left by the disaster. But despite it's infrastructure redone, that was only a one-time fix. And to this day many poor residents have to live in decrepit, run down houses that still look battle-torn ever since. With many abandoned and burnt-down houses and stores still left gutted and torn apart, and the roads being full of garbage and looking just as awful and beat-up before the earthquake hit. And crime decreased since the 1990s but still not enough for it to be safe to walk outside. Little has been done and it's basically left as a decaying slum as of 2023.
+The western section is designed much more broader. Because of the growth in the 1950s, it features many big-boxstores such as the Wallcart, and many stripmalls. This area consists of mainly larger, affordable midcentury bungalows. With occasionally older-style houses located about. This area features most of Westwood's educational buildings such as Westwood Middle and the Catholic elementary school.
 == Notable builds ==
+CONCOR Oil Refinery
+Ampeco Power Plant
+Westwood Middle School
 == Transit ==