Need info on Downey, CA (South Gate, Compton: middle-class, real estate, apartment complex)

[tina1]

Would it be a good place to start a business or is it not an attractive city? Is it known as a good area or bad? What do people say about Downey?

[Des_Demona]

They say it is by Compton and very ghetto. My mom was born there but it's not like it used to be. Now it's very run down and basically a ghetto. As far as a business goes I don't know though, it probably would depend on what kind of business. I mean, businesses flourish in Compton (the worst area in probably the U.S.) so it really depends. Would I LIVE in or near Downey? Hell no!

[LivingLikeAGradStudent]

The reflexive use of the term ghetto is quite limited. Downey is a first-generation suburb that has suffered with people moving farther away from L.A. It's a reasonable middle-class place that is reasonably located to downtown, the airport and the beach.

[Jonah K]

Downey used to be a fairly nice place; however, it's been on the decline since Rockwell International (now Rockwell Automation) closed down their facilities there during the late 1990s. The population there is about now 60% Latino, so a business that caters to the needs of the Latino community would probably do fairly well. Overall, Downey is better than the neighboring cities of Lynwood, South Gate, and Bell Gardens but it's not as good as the cities of Lakewood and Cerritos a few miles to the south.

[Paula Lynn]

At one time, it was a very nice area - beautiful homes and sub-divisons. Like the other posters said, it has gone down-hill, and that is a shame.

[the one]

downey has changed, lookin at census figures from 90 to 2000 you see the big shift in demographics. the houses are still very nice. mansions just north of florence. award winning homes. award winning gardens. if you live off the major streets, imperial, firestone, paramount, then you probably live in a mega apartment complex. i am referring to living right on these streets, not turn the corner down the block from imperial. mega apartments!!! and well i said it before, and ill say it again, apartment dwellers might not have the same respect for property as people living in an owner occupied homes. the more apartments, the more people, the more kids, the more trash. but overall downey is a safe neghborhood aand a good place to raise a family. there are some dirty parts, like everywhere, but there are plenty of million dollar homes in this area. i think the median home goes for 600K or so.

[DNC]

Ghetto?!?! Hahaha.. yea right! Dont talk if you have never been there. I have lived there all my life.. Just because there are more hispanics in Downey, doesnt make it ghetto. It's actually getting better. They have the new Downey Landing, which is a town center with Best Buy, Elephant Bar, Bally's Fitness, Chili's, etc.. Downey is also getting big in the real estate industry building beautiful, big homes by my house. Property is definitely going up in value. And now with the new Downey Studios, they have filmed movies like Spiderman and other major feature films. Yea, I admit Downey is next to some crappy cities, but that hasnt made Downey ghetto.. only the ghetto people that visit!

[carlos24hrs]

I don't really think of Downey as a ghetto, not too many ghetto's have million dollar homes in Northeast Downey, or 1 million dollar tear downs. Downey like all aging suburbs has seen it's demographics change over time but the value of the homes and the integrity of the neighborhoods has remained constant. Just look at the scores for Downey schools. Just because the demographics have changed does not make the city a ghetto. If anything, Downey has matured quite nicely, given it's easy access to 4 freeways, it's highly regarded school and it's above avergage real estate prices.

[dennismpat]

Originally Posted by carlos24hrs

I don't really think of Downey as a ghetto, not too many ghetto's have million dollar homes in Northeast Downey, or 1 million dollar tear downs. Downey like all aging suburbs has seen it's demographics change over time but the value of the homes and the integrity of the neighborhoods has remained constant. Just look at the scores for Downey schools. Just because the demographics have changed does not make the city a ghetto. If anything, Downey has matured quite nicely, given it's easy access to 4 freeways, it's highly regarded school and it's above avergage real estate prices.

The northern part of Downey seems to be the only nice part. Everywhere else looks to be aging and on the decline. A little trivia: Does everyone know that Downey is where Richard and Karen Carpenter are from (for those of us who are over 40 )?

[clp63]

I haven't been to Downey in years...but I hear that it has really gone down. My grandparents lived in Bell Gardens & we used to go to Downey all of the time. It used to be a really nice community.

And yes, I knew that about the Carpenters. They had the apts. there, remember??