A What If about Los Angeles. What if the Entertainment Industry never moved here? (San Diego: legal, shop)

[mrsltd]

Originally Posted by hipcat

What if LA wasn't the entertainment capitol of the US? Would this city be more like Kansas by the Sea or similar to San Diego? Because one of the main reasons why people move to Los Angeles is because of the entertainment industry and the image created by Hollywood.

I know at least one radio personality who opined that without the film industry, Los Angeles would be like Omaha, Nebraska (with palm trees, of course).

My understanding is that, in the past, Long Beach was known as "Iowa by the sea".

There was quite an influx of Midwesterners and Southerners in our history.

[Caladium]

Without the film industry, I think in the early years the areas closer to the beach would have developed much more, instead of the concentration of businesses in the Hollywood area. Santa Monica or Long Beach might have eclipsed Los Angeles as the "downtown" area. The port, the weather, and the proximity to Asia would have made the area important, with or without the film industry. Also, I think the aerospace industry would have been important with or without the entertainment industry.

[rzzz]

There wouldn't be any of the historical theaters. Probably not any of the glam hotels, either. Burbank would be more like Glendale. It still would have been huge due to the railroad, oil, port, post war manufacturing, and real estate development.

[majoun]

Originally Posted by Caladium

Without the film industry, I think in the early years the areas closer to the beach would have developed much more, instead of the concentration of businesses in the Hollywood area. Santa Monica or Long Beach might have eclipsed Los Angeles as the "downtown" area. The port, the weather, and the proximity to Asia would have made the area important, with or without the film industry. Also, I think the aerospace industry would have been important with or without the entertainment industry.

Santa Monica, no. Long Beach, maybe. (If Long Beach had Mulholland and the Chandler family and wound up annexing everything and anything in sight...)

More likely, San Diego would have become a more important city than Los Angeles. Los Angeles' and Long Beach's ports were manmade. San Diego has a natural port, and even more geographical advantages. There's no reason why the aerospace industry and international trade could have been based there.

[jm1982]

I think it would still be pretty significant , but I would think definitely a lot less expensive. Also less liberal too.
You'd probably also see more families than you do now.

Less traffic, less people maybe too? ..That would be nice.

On days when traffic is super light and there are not many people around...like the couple of days before Xmas when so many went "back home to visit family" . I kind of fantasize about how nice it would be if L.A were like that.

I think some people like the idea of people somewhere that is super crowded or busy. The high density people that think cities are only cities if they look like Manhattan with people all over.

Another thing is you might have had less over the top mansions or neighborhoods. Less need for them when you don't have entertainment people, entertaining people/showing off their places for business.

It's impossible to say for certain, but I imagine the city would be drastically different.

Probably less tourists too, since so much of the allure of L.A is the entertainment industry's past and present.

We'd still get tourists, but not as many i'm sure.

[HyperionGap]

Originally Posted by majoun

Santa Monica, no. Long Beach, maybe. (If Long Beach had Mulholland and the Chandler family and wound up annexing everything and anything in sight...)

More likely, San Diego would have become a more important city than Los Angeles. Los Angeles' and Long Beach's ports were manmade. San Diego has a natural port, and even more geographical advantages. There's no reason why the aerospace industry and international trade could have been based there.

I agree that San Diego had the superior port, however, I think you don't give enough importance to the huge oil boom in LA.

[jamills21]

This thread has gone full retard... Never go full retard.

[ExeterMedia]

What if Los Angeles didn't have moderate, comfortable, great weather? What if the snow, desert, and beaches weren't all about 1-2 hours apart? What if the coast from Santa Barbara to San Clemente weren't so jaw dropping beautiful? What if the Los Angeles basin didn't have large oil reserves?

One can only wonder!

[yby1]

Very different. My guess is that the port would play the most important role.

Where would the Aerospace industry be if Hollywood did not lure Howard Hughes here?

Interesting question.

[jamills21]

Everyone... I know this is hypothetical, but please read why Los Angeles came into existence in the first place before thinking Hollywood is the reason why other businessess are here.