When people tell me that LA is an ugly city... (Compton: best cities, homes)

[DistrictDirt]

...I'm just going to send them this video:

[vimeo]97726387[/vimeo]

Seriously, of all the LA timelapses that have come out over the past 2 years, this one is my favorite by far. It perfectly illustrates the lights, the topography, the reflections on the buildings during that beautiful dusk light...everything I love about how this city looks.

[Ralph Sampson]

Sure, but everything looks great when you've cherry-picked certain scenic spots, zoom all the way out, and time-lapse it.

Seeing it from a human scale and experiencing it in human time is completely different and unfortunately much worse.

[pwright1]

I think LA has ugly areas but so do all cities. And believe me, I've seen many. But from my few years of living here, I have seen many beautiful neighborhoods across the city.

[jen5276]

I think anyone saying this is just jealous.

[CCrest182]

In my opinion, when someone says "LA is ugly" they are just looking at places like South Central LA and East LA, and claiming that's it. Fact is, LA is a city where nationwide, and even in some cases worldwide, is seen as a city of prosperity, opportunity, fame, a place to dream of, etc. Even the "oh so bad" neighborhoods like Compton, which somehow get this rep of the worst neighborhood ever, has well kept lawns and homes, and anyone who says "It's the worst" has never been to any midwestern or east coast ghettos like the Bronx, Philly, Detroit, Camden, Gary, Chicago, etc. Truly in comparison to those places, Compton looks almost like a middle class to upscale community. LA, even in the bad parts, is not "ugly", and if anything, it's one of the best cities in the world.

[socal88]

Like many things with LA, it's aesthetics can also be a bit of a love/hate relationship. There are certainly areas that are very grungy and are more industrial without many trees or plants, but there are also some amazing areas especially by the mountains or charming neighborhoods that are in between not so charming neighborhoods. For instance, you can be in a rundown area of Hollywood and then in less than 5 minutes, be at Griffith Observatory, where you can get amazing views of the city and enjoy a tranquil setting in the mountains. Then you have beautiful areas like Hancock Park, which has a lot of greenery, but is next to Koreatown, which is high density with lots of older buildings and strip malls.

It may not be the most beautiful city in the world, but with the ocean, mountains, and city all mixed in together, it is sure a unique place where if you explore enough, you can find a lot of beauty.

[Gurbie]

Originally Posted by DistrictDirt

...I'm just going to send them this video:

[vimeo]97726387[/vimeo]

Seriously, of all the LA timelapses that have come out over the past 2 years, this one is my favorite by far. It perfectly illustrates the lights, the topography, the reflections on the buildings during that beautiful dusk light...everything I love about how this city looks.

Gorgeous.

I used to love to head up to the observatory in late afternoons, and watch the sunset.

[Gurbie]

Originally Posted by Ralph Sampson

Sure, but everything looks great when you've cherry-picked certain scenic spots, zoom all the way out, and time-lapse it.

Seeing it from a human scale and experiencing it in human time is completely different and unfortunately much worse.

LOL... On the other hand, you can speed up videos of SOME places all you want- and they'll still look like ****-holes.

[Moreau36]

Originally Posted by jen5276

I think anyone saying this is just jealous.

It's not necessarily the means of "jealously".

Just like every city, mass media and the Chamber of Commerce presents the beautiful side of said city to the viewer, but it also has its downsides. What's shown on television or in magazines can be completely different from each human experience (which varies). It's just what a person makes of it.

Personally, I lived in "borderline" areas, but I made the best of the living in the area.

I say, to each it's own.

[yby1]

Originally Posted by CCrest182

In my opinion, when someone says "LA is ugly" they are just looking at places like South Central LA and East LA, and claiming that's it. Fact is, LA is a city where nationwide, and even in some cases worldwide, is seen as a city of prosperity, opportunity, fame, a place to dream of, etc. Even the "oh so bad" neighborhoods like Compton, which somehow get this rep of the worst neighborhood ever, has well kept lawns and homes, and anyone who says "It's the worst" has never been to any midwestern or east coast ghettos like the Bronx, Philly, Detroit, Camden, Gary, Chicago, etc. Truly in comparison to those places, Compton looks almost like a middle class to upscale community. LA, even in the bad parts, is not "ugly", and if anything, it's one of the best cities in the world.

I don't think most of theese people are looking at South Central or East LA. Most likely they are referring to Hollywood.