Downtown Los Angeles: Is it's revitalization redefining the way people look at Los Angeles? (Santee: gated community, income)

[joshualevi]

I've been showing a friend around downtown recently. Hes almost 50 and never spent any time downtown after living in Los Angeles for about 20 years. I've brought him down about 3 or 4 times now and the most recent time we went and saw Mary Poppins at the Ahmanson. Upon leaving we decided to walk down and check out Grand Park at night. This is of course, my new favorite part of downtown. Crazy thing was, as we were walking into the park, Mayor Villaragoisa was walking through! Some security was walking with him as he chatted, "man this is so great guys....this looks beautiful!" I of course had to introduce myself and he was more then willing to take a photo. "Are you guys having a great night? I just got back from Baco Mercat! It was wonderful!" He was so nice and more people obviously came up to talk to him. As we walked back to the metro, my friend looks at me and says, "ya know, I'm really starting to fall in love with downtown." Tonight he visited Perch and has already posted his photos of the view to facebook with captions "I'm really loving coming downtown." This is so heartwarming to me because its happening more and more. The city is starting fall back in love with it's center again. If you aren't a resident downtown it has truly become a treat to make the trek for a night.

[munchitup]

Originally Posted by joshualevi

I've been showing a friend around downtown recently. Hes almost 50 and never spent any time downtown after living in Los Angeles for about 20 years. I've brought him down about 3 or 4 times now and the most recent time we went and saw Mary Poppins at the Ahmanson. Upon leaving we decided to walk down and check out Grand Park at night. This is of course, my new favorite part of downtown. Crazy thing was, as we were walking into the park, Mayor Villaragoisa was walking through! Some security was walking with him as he chatted, "man this is so great guys....this looks beautiful!" I of course had to introduce myself and he was more then willing to take a photo. "Are you guys having a great night? I just got back from Baco Mercat! It was wonderful!" He was so nice and more people obviously came up to talk to him. As we walked back to the metro, my friend looks at me and says, "ya know, I'm really starting to fall in love with downtown." Tonight he visited Perch and has already posted his photos of the view to facebook with captions "I'm really loving coming downtown." This is so heartwarming to me because its happening more and more. The city is starting fall back in love with it's center again. If you aren't a resident downtown it has truly become a treat to make the trek for a night.

Wow what a cool story!

[SalParadise]

Yeah, cool story Joshua.

I was in downtown this past Sat. night and I was impressed how many people were out along the 7th Street corridor (between Figueroa and Hill). There were lines spilling out into the street with people trying to get into the various bars along this stretch of 7th.

I have yet to make it to Perch but I did notice a line outside a building at the northwest corner of 5th and Olive. I take it this was a line to get into Perch?

[TimTheEnchanter]

For anyone who has known LA and Downtown LA for any length of time it is nice to see Downtown making a comeback. But.... it has a very long, long ways to go. The shopping is horrid. The flagship Robinson's department store, with its wooden floors and wooden escalators is now an industrial telecom building. Can anyone imagine turning Macy's Herald Square into an industrial building?

As to comparing it to Downtown Denver, how can anyone say with a straight face, Downtown LA is better? I love LA, but come on, Downtown Denver has their baseball stadium, football stadium and basketball/hockey arena all within walking distance of each other. LA Live is nice, but LoDo is nicer. If they ever succeed in "Bringing Back Broadway", then you can talk about and compare the two, but LA has a long ways to go to catch up to Denver in the Downtown area.

[CaliSon]

Originally Posted by TimTheEnchanter

For anyone who has known LA and Downtown LA for any length of time it is nice to see Downtown making a comeback. But.... it has a very long, long ways to go. The shopping is horrid. The flagship Robinson's department store, with its wooden floors and wooden escalators is now an industrial telecom building. Can anyone imagine turning Macy's Herald Square into an industrial building?

As to comparing it to Downtown Denver, how can anyone say with a straight face, Downtown LA is better? I love LA, but come on, Downtown Denver has their baseball stadium, football stadium and basketball/hockey arena all within walking distance of each other. LA Live is nice, but LoDo is nicer. If they ever succeed in "Bringing Back Broadway", then you can talk about and compare the two, but LA has a long ways to go to catch up to Denver in the Downtown area.

Lol dtla is gritty, urban, chaotic, while downtown Denver, is new, clean, cookie cutter urbanism, youre right that you can't compare the two

[MB8abovetherim]

Originally Posted by TimTheEnchanter

For anyone who has known LA and Downtown LA for any length of time it is nice to see Downtown making a comeback. But.... it has a very long, long ways to go. The shopping is horrid. The flagship Robinson's department store, with its wooden floors and wooden escalators is now an industrial telecom building. Can anyone imagine turning Macy's Herald Square into an industrial building?

As to comparing it to Downtown Denver, how can anyone say with a straight face, Downtown LA is better? I love LA, but come on, Downtown Denver has their baseball stadium, football stadium and basketball/hockey arena all within walking distance of each other. LA Live is nice, but LoDo is nicer. If they ever succeed in "Bringing Back Broadway", then you can talk about and compare the two, but LA has a long ways to go to catch up to Denver in the Downtown area.

Downtown Denver can't hold a candle to DTLA, please. This is the same guy who is convinced BART is as good as the NYC subway Ooooh a baseball stadium, oooooh a football stadium! wow. So what's going on when there aren't any games? Yeah Denver has that outdoor shopping mall, but I'll take LA's fashion district, Santee st, Maple ave, Los Angeles st, Spring st or Broadway. At least LA's downtown is real, it's itself, it's raw and not pre-planned to be trendy or "hip". Saying Downtown Denver is better than DTLA is like saying SF's PT is equal to Montreal or New York

[Chicano3000X]

Originally Posted by MB8abovetherim

Downtown Denver can't hold a candle to DTLA, please. This is the same guy who is convinced BART is as good as the NYC subway Ooooh a baseball stadium, oooooh a football stadium! wow. So what's going on when there aren't any games? Yeah Denver has that outdoor shopping mall, but I'll take LA's fashion district, Santee st, Maple ave, Los Angeles st, Spring st or Broadway. At least LA's downtown is real, it's itself, it's raw and not pre-planned to be trendy or "hip". Saying Downtown Denver is better than DTLA is like saying SF's PT is equal to Montreal or New York

True, they don't use DTLA to portray NYC for nothing.

[TimTheEnchanter]

Originally Posted by CaliSon

Lol dtla is gritty, urban, chaotic, while downtown Denver, is new, clean, cookie cutter urbanism, youre right that you can't compare the two

LoDo is new? DT Denver is new? The Brown Palace Hotel opened in 1892. What DTLA hotel opened in 1892 and is still a going luxury hotel? Denver was a big city and major hub when LA was a sleepy backwater.

[TimTheEnchanter]

Originally Posted by MB8abovetherim

Downtown Denver can't hold a candle to DTLA, please. This is the same guy who is convinced BART is as good as the NYC subway Ooooh a baseball stadium, oooooh a football stadium! wow. So what's going on when there aren't any games? Yeah Denver has that outdoor shopping mall, but I'll take LA's fashion district, Santee st, Maple ave, Los Angeles st, Spring st or Broadway. At least LA's downtown is real, it's itself, it's raw and not pre-planned to be trendy or "hip". Saying Downtown Denver is better than DTLA is like saying SF's PT is equal to Montreal or New York

Denver isn't real? What are those facades? Mannequins in the streets?

You can have LA's "fashion" district which is anything but fashionable and pretend that it is just like NY's fashion district.

There are never games NOT going on in DT Denver between the four sports and the college sports there.

Denver is hardly a new city, it was bigger and more important than Los Angeles at the start of the 20th century.

You must not get out of the house much.

[nslander]

Originally Posted by TimTheEnchanter

Denver isn't real? What are those facades? Mannequins in the streets?

You can have LA's "fashion" district which is anything but fashionable and pretend that it is just like NY's fashion district.

There are never games NOT going on in DT Denver between the four sports and the college sports there.

Denver is hardly a new city, it was bigger and more important than Los Angeles at the start of the 20th century.

You must not get out of the house much.

Wow. Sports.

I was in Denver last week, and stayed at the Brown Palace 2 months ago (just a beautiful hotel). Downtown Denver is very nice. It's also sterile and boring in comparison. Then again consider the source: Corona del Mar.