Presidential Park got its name from the streets that honor past Presidents of the United States. The Presidential Park neighborhood is bounded by Jackson Street on the southwest, Jefferson Street on the northeast, the Riverside (91) Freeway on the northwest and located midway between Lincoln and Victoria Avenues, with the Arlington Heights Neighborhood to the southwest.
This neighborhood offers a blend of automotive related commercial, light industrial, residential and public uses. The northeasterly portion of the neighborhood is primarily developed with the Riverside Auto Center, government operations facilities, a senior apartment complex and manufacturing uses.
The southwesterly portion of the neighborhood is made up of mostly single-family residences and institutional uses. Mixed within the conventional single-family residential tracts are several gated planned residential developments and a small number of apartments.
Presidential Park has the unique privilege of being home to one of the first auto centers in the nation. Established in 1965, the Riverside Auto Center represented cutting edge thinking away from the traditional concept of the stand-alone auto dealer by concentrating multiple dealers within an auto-related shopping center format that provides freeway visibility. It was the forerunner of the widespread development of auto malls/auto centers occurring within the last 30 years. Auto dealers offering virtually all makes of cars and auto-related services are grouped in a centralized regional hub that attracts customers from all over Western Riverside County and points beyond. Sales tax from the automobiles is expected to continue to represent a significant component of the City's tax revenue for many years to come.
Several public facilities grouped in the northeasterly portion of the neighborhood include the City's Utility Operations Center, the City Corporate Yard and the City Emergency Operations Center. Other public facilities within the neighborhood include a police station, the California Highway Patrol and a Fire Training Academy. The neighborhood is proudly served by nearby fire stations just beyond the neighborhood boundaries, including the Arlington Heights Fire Station No. 10 located on Jefferson Street, and the Arlington Fire Station No. 2 located on Van Buren Boulevard. The 21-acre Don Derr Park includes numerous sports fields, basketball courts, and covered picnic and barbeque facilities for residents to enjoy. Educational needs of the neighborhood are served by Arlington High School within the neighborhood and Hawthorn Elementary School, located immediately adjacent to the neighborhood. Both schools are close to residences and conveniently serve the neighborhood.