Built in 1886, the Western Hotel is the oldest building in Lancaster, and a California Historic Site. Test pilots associated with Edwards Air Force Base are recognized and celebrated at the Aerospace Walk of Honor. It consists of a series of monuments with five new honorees inducted every year. The first musical road in the U.S. was built in Lancaster. When drivers go over a certain stretch of road near Apollo County Park, the road plays the William Tell Overture.
The City of Lancaster’s city council has created very specific guidelines for new developments. Any new structures built must adhere to the measures put into place to preserve open areas, ensure housing is available for people of all income levels, and to encourage walkable neighborhoods, among other purposes.
Lancaster has 36,835 single-family properties and 935 multi-family properties. Condo units make up 1,219 assets of the real estate market. The total number of commercial buildings is 1,109, and there are 420 industrial buildings, and another 33 buildings zoned for mixed use. More than 10,000 vacant lots offer opportunities to developers.
State Route 14 offers a simple route to Los Angeles to the south and the High Sierras to the north. The Antelope Valley Transit Authority provides local bus services, along with dial-a-ride services for disabled persons. There are also commuter buses connecting directly to specific Los Angeles neighborhoods. LA can also be accessed via high speed rail, which also connects to Santa Clarita from nearby Antelope Valley.
Lancaster is home to three public elementary schools, each of which have a Lancaster CARES free after-school program. Antelope Valley Union High School oversees all high schools in the city, including SOAR, a specialized high school that includes college courses, and six different career academies. Private schools in Lancaster include several parochial schools. There are numerous charter schools as well.
Antelope Valley Hospital is the largest public medical and surgical hospital in Lancaster. It is home to 368 beds and sees an average of more than 66,000 patients in its emergency room each year. Other hospitals and medical facilities in Lancaster include Lancaster Community Hospital, Mayflower Gardens Convalescent Hospital, Antelope Valley Women’s Care, and Antelope Valley Healthcare.
Lancaster does not have its own police force. Instead, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department operates and oversees the Lancaster Police Station. The city has taken steps to incorporate technology into its police department. Citizens are able to digitally file police reports and a Cessna 172 aircraft with a remote-control camera patrols the city. The FBI reported 1,005 violent crimes and 3,818 property crimes in 2015.
Fans of the arts have a number of choices in Lancaster, including a visit to the Lancaster Performing Arts Center to see some community theater, listen to classical music, or enjoy a variety of dance styles. Skate UniverCity is a local skateboarding park popular with teens. The city is home to more than 600 acres of developed or planned parkland, including everything from simple playgrounds and picnic areas to a tournament-level softball sports facility. The Prime Desert Woodland Preserve in West Lancaster is dedicated to preserving the land and educating citizens about the High Desert.
There are four major shopping centers in the area: Valley Central Way, Lancaster Commerce Center Shopping Center, Lancaster Boulevard, and West Lancaster Plaza Shopping Center. Several times a year, the downtown is transformed for street fairs and farmer’s markets. Every spring, more than 60,000 people attend the California Poppy Festival in Lancaster City Park.
Professional go-kart race drivers come in October for the annual Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix.
