Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Mostly from other parts of the country due to the temperate weather.
Yes, that too. But California was hit pretty hard by the recession. The housing crisis displaced a lot of people all around SoCal. LA is just over run by displaced people, especially in the metro area. The closer you get to DTLA the more you see.
I think I read in the NY Times that LA was the first city in America to be mostly rich and poor, with the biggest income gap in the nation. It's also known as the homeless capital of the US.
Mostly from other parts of the country due to the temperate weather.
Agreed. This is mostly about the climate as well as California's general sympathy / availability of programs for the homeless. The teens sometimes are drawn here for other reasons, but they really only last a little while before they move on (hopefully back home).
I guarantee a trip up to Ventura or Santa Barbara would have Barcelona saying the same thing - "I've never seen a mid-size city with this amount of homeless". There are signs all over downtown Ventura saying "Don't feed / give money to beggers - donate to the Homeless Shelter". The gorgeous parks in downtown Santa Barbara are full of homeless too.
San Francisco also has a huge homeless population, seemed to be pretty equal to what I've seen in LA (Skid Row excluded), especially when you factor in the East Bay.
Simply put, the weather won't kill you in California if you live on the streets, so that is a huge draw.
There's a reason you'll see homeless-packed parks in L.A. on the cooler side of the mountains versus the parks here in the IE where temps are 25 to 30 degrees higher.
Agreed. This is mostly about the climate as well as California's general sympathy / availability of programs for the homeless. The teens sometimes are drawn here for other reasons, but they really only last a little while before they move on (hopefully back home).
I guarantee a trip up to Ventura or Santa Barbara would have Barcelona saying the same thing - "I've never seen a mid-size city with this amount of homeless". There are signs all over downtown Ventura saying "Don't feed / give money to beggers - donate to the Homeless Shelter". The gorgeous parks in downtown Santa Barbara are full of homeless too.
San Francisco also has a huge homeless population, seemed to be pretty equal to what I've seen in LA (Skid Row excluded), especially when you factor in the East Bay.
Simply put, the weather won't kill you in California if you live on the streets, so that is a huge draw.
It's not even about seeing all the homeless, but the fact that many people are living in cramped, overcrowded apartments and homes. It's rare to meet someone who does NOT have a roommate even in cheap bachelor apartments for $600. Good paying jobs were hard to come by even before the recession.
No, many people are perpetrating like they're doing well, but as you get to know them you'll see they're not.
You won't know this until you actually LIVE in LA to know how people struggle. It's ALWAYS a struggle to survive in LA. Hell, Southern California period.
Yes, SF has a bunch of homeless in the downtown areas too, but from what I've read and heard SF has BETTER programs in place to help them. LA has NOTHING. It's the WORST place to be homeless or poor.
Exactly. Well put, marilyn220. Los Angeles is unique in this regards vs most major cities. People are really struggling and it shows. You see people doing a lot of hard work that you wonder how they even live off of that; selling fruit, scrap pickup, sign spinning, vendor, part time work, bartending, retail, etc.
Just because they can still afford some H&M clothing, a bike and an apartment with two roommates, doesn't mean they're not scraping by. They're just adjusting to the economy accordingly and the best way to offset looking totally poor is to adopt a bit of that hipster lifestyle. Can't tell you how many people I've met that spruce up their bikes, live with two other people in a two bedroom, work full time or nearly full time retail work, and think that they're not working class. That to be poor, you have to look like a migrant worker or a homeless transient.
The large number of junky cars on the road, the crowded apartments, the number of people with jobs but no cars or reliable transportation, etc.
I am not basing LA's poverty problem on homeless or displaced people but on the huge number of working poor or working class people. It is like 60% of the city.
I mean what is there to debate here? Have people on this thread not been to other cities? I was just in San Diego and could notice a big difference. It still has similar problems but not to the large extent LA does, and its not just because of sheer numbers.
I tell my actor friends that I am studying a profession, do not need a roommate, have an office job and a nice car, they look at me like I am good but to me this was normal in Texas. Driving a junky car, reyling on public transit, working retail at 26 years old, living with three roommates, and bumming rides or relying on a bike were not normal things back home. That is a sign that the cost of living is high as hell and puts people in the working poor camp.
Exactly. Well put, marilyn220. Los Angeles is unique in this regards vs most major cities. People are really struggling and it shows. You see people doing a lot of hard work that you wonder how they even live off of that; selling fruit, scrap pickup, sign spinning, vendor, part time work, bartending, retail, etc.
Just because they can still afford some H&M clothing, a bike and an apartment with two roommates, doesn't mean they're not scraping by. They're just adjusting to the economy accordingly and the best way to offset looking totally poor is to adopt a bit of that hipster lifestyle. Can't tell you how many people I've met that spruce up their bikes, live with two other people in a two bedroom, work full time or nearly full time retail work, and think that they're not working class. That to be poor, you have to look like a migrant worker or a homeless transient.
The large number of junky cars on the road, the crowded apartments, the number of people with jobs but no cars or reliable transportation, etc.
I am not basing LA's poverty problem on homeless or displaced people but on the huge number of working poor or working class people. It is like 60% of the city.
I mean what is there to debate here? Have people on this thread not been to other cities? I was just in San Diego and could notice a big difference. It still has similar problems but not to the large extent LA does, and its not just because of sheer numbers.
I tell my actor friends that I am studying a profession, do not need a roommate, have an office job and a nice car, they look at me like I am good but to me this was normal in Texas. Driving a junky car, reyling on public transit, working retail at 26 years old, living with three roommates, and bumming rides or relying on a bike were not normal things back home. That is a sign that the cost of living is high as hell and puts people in the working poor camp.
this is all relative to the circles one travels in. i've lived in LA for 7 (having moved just up the road from OC) and have never really known this 'scraping by' crowd that people are mentioning. while i understand these people exist, most of the people i know have decent to good jobs and live in nicer parts of town, many even own their homes and/or have kids. i don't even hang out with lawyers or doctors, just 4 year college grads who work desk jobs M-F. while i still see 'show off' crowd that likes to create an image well beyond their income bracket, this is more of an exception than the norm in my honest opinion.
this is all relative to the circles one travels in. i've lived in LA for 7 (having moved just up the road from OC) and have never really known this 'scraping by' crowd that people are mentioning. while i understand these people exist, most of the people i know have decent to good jobs and live in nicer parts of town, many even own their homes and/or have kids. i don't even hang out with lawyers or doctors, just 4 year college grads who work desk jobs M-F. while i still see 'show off' crowd that likes to create an image well beyond their income bracket, this is more of an exception than the norm in my honest opinion.
Never seen it driving down LA metro area; Echo Park, DTLA, Koreatown, etc? These people just don't "exist" they dominate huge portions of the city.
By four year college grads, do you mean BS in Engineering, Computer Sci., Business, Finance, Accounting, Economics, etc?
By desk job do you mean paralegal, engineering firm, admin assistant at large firm, office manager, etc?
Because if we're talking about people with no degree, an associates, bachelors in liberal arts, technical or private for profit degree, then we're looking at office jobs at small law firms, bail bonds, collections, small construction offices, receptionist, admin assistant at rinky dink businesses. Basically jobs that pay 10, 12 maybe if you're lucky 15 bucks an hour.
And I don't even know how pulling off a 30k millionaire front could even work in LA?
this is all relative to the circles one travels in. i've lived in LA for 7 (having moved just up the road from OC) and have never really known this 'scraping by' crowd that people are mentioning. while i understand these people exist, most of the people i know have decent to good jobs and live in nicer parts of town, many even own their homes and/or have kids. i don't even hang out with lawyers or doctors, just 4 year college grads who work desk jobs M-F. while i still see 'show off' crowd that likes to create an image well beyond their income bracket, this is more of an exception than the norm in my honest opinion.
I didn't say everyone was poor or broke. Yes, those people you associated with DO exist, but they really are a minority.
Also, just because they're professionals doesn't mean they're not living on credit or in incredible debt. They're not gonna tell you that. They're too busy perpetrating the perfect LA lifestyle.
Exactly. Well put, marilyn220. Los Angeles is unique in this regards vs most major cities. People are really struggling and it shows. You see people doing a lot of hard work that you wonder how they even live off of that; selling fruit, scrap pickup, sign spinning, vendor, part time work, bartending, retail, etc.
Just because they can still afford some H&M clothing, a bike and an apartment with two roommates, doesn't mean they're not scraping by. They're just adjusting to the economy accordingly and the best way to offset looking totally poor is to adopt a bit of that hipster lifestyle. Can't tell you how many people I've met that spruce up their bikes, live with two other people in a two bedroom, work full time or nearly full time retail work, and think that they're not working class. That to be poor, you have to look like a migrant worker or a homeless transient.
The large number of junky cars on the road, the crowded apartments, the number of people with jobs but no cars or reliable transportation, etc.
I am not basing LA's poverty problem on homeless or displaced people but on the huge number of working poor or working class people. It is like 60% of the city.
I mean what is there to debate here? Have people on this thread not been to other cities? I was just in San Diego and could notice a big difference. It still has similar problems but not to the large extent LA does, and its not just because of sheer numbers.
I tell my actor friends that I am studying a profession, do not need a roommate, have an office job and a nice car, they look at me like I am good but to me this was normal in Texas. Driving a junky car, reyling on public transit, working retail at 26 years old, living with three roommates, and bumming rides or relying on a bike were not normal things back home. That is a sign that the cost of living is high as hell and puts people in the working poor camp.
What's funny is that those people probably don't think they're poor enough to get food stamps, but they can, especially if they're making $13 or less an hour part time. I'd say 70% of LA could qualify for it and I'm being "conservative" with that estimate.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
