Anyone else think LA is going down the toilet? (Los Angeles: home, gangs)

[dusesean1986]

Sunny helena a little of what you think is correct...but most blacks are cool with the white folks in Los Angeles...but the major point is the blacks attitude toward the latino population...ecspecially the hispanic street gangs. Racial tensions in the 'hood' of Los Angeles have increased at a soaring rate..black on hispanic, hispanic on black attacks have increased greatly...i'm a white male and i've encountered hundreds of black folks in los angeles i'd say only 1-2% have had any racial bias towards me...yeah i've been called white bread, and put your shirt on white boy, and the white man is evil but you gotta let that stuff go;forgive those people and don't let isolated and not frequent incidencies in los angeles affect you and you'll be alright.

[dusesean1986]

I Think Everyone On This Website Is A Little Off On Los Angeles. But I Am Truly Not Offended Friends. The City Is Large, But It's Not A Suffocating Anaconda. The Immigrants Are Definently Noticable, But They Don't Kill Americans, And They Don't Litter More Than Others. They Are Good Honest People Who Are Here For One Reason, El Dinero (money), They Come From Poor Locations In Their Homeland. Southern California Has The Best Weather In The World, The Summers Are Dry, Not Humid, And Reach High 70's To Mid 90's Inland, The Mild Winters Only Reach A Low Of Mid To Upper 40's At Night With Upper 60's During The Day. The County Of Los Angeles Is Enormous, It Has The Capability To Hold The 10-12 Million People. I Live In An Upscale Suburb, Manhattan Beach. The Suburbs Are Nicer Than The City Itself, Because There Is Much Less Congestion And People, But It Is Not Unbearable To Say The Least To Be In The City. To Live In Los Angeles You Need To Develop And Immune System For The Big City. If You Can Get Used To It, You Will Be Fine...and Trust Me Folks If This City Was Too Much For Them, People Would Already Be At Los Angeles International Airport.

[montevista1]

Are you kidding me, you live in Manhattan Beach?

Life has to be grand if you live there.

Each home ther is min 1.5million.

Most people live in the Valley, IE or Palmdale and commute hours to work spend a ton on housing and then cant send their kids to public school.

[jlrobe]

Originally Posted by hedgefundpirate

Just my own humble opinion been to many cities such as NY,Miami,Tampa,Orlando and I personally think that the city of Los Angeles because of poor political leadership is going down the tubes.The middle class seem to running for the exit.Who wants to live 50 miles out and sit in traffic for 3 hours to get to work.The crappy areas of LA could be bulldozed and redeveloped but I think the liberal PC crowd prevents the real estate developers from doing this.The gang problem could be solved if the LAPD had the support of the good citizens but I think they are underappreciated.Imagine what a train wreck the city would be without them.In order to live in a good area of LA you really have to have a much higher salary than the average family.Myself I think the Cali dream ended years ago.I see a city in the future of only two classes the very few rich and the very large number of poor.The gangs are turning LA into our American version of Bogota or Beirut.

LA has always been limp when it came to politics, and the middle class has been dwindling since the 50's in LA probably. I think LA is getting worse as far as affordability, but this is NOT LA's low point. LA went down in flames in the northridge earthquake, the 92 riots, and during the shooting at Westwood village. That was when LA was at its historic low point. Now, LA has more jobs than it did since the early eighties, crime is down from the mid-90;s (although on the rise again over the last year). Near New York quality botiques, theatres, and entertainment options are being built daily. Brand new houses are springing up all over the nicer areas, professionals are moving in, streets are being repaired. I think all and all, LA is moving forward as far as development goes.

The city has BEGUN to ATTEMPT and to THINK about the middle class problem, but I doubt the middle class can be saved. LA's current road map is to build build build. Although I LOVE that because it is fun for me, I dont think it is making the city "healthier" as a whole.

For me LA is WAY better now than in the 90's. There is far more entertainment, dining, cultural, and shopping options to keep me busy, and plenty of hiking trails and vistas for me to escape the city with.

I do notice that LA's deepest problems: poor unity, bad schools, severly outdated infrastructure, and class disparity could be getting worse, but I am not so sure.

[jlrobe]

Originally Posted by Des_Demona

That's the trouble with L.A. - In order to feel safe or happy you have to be rich enough to completely seclude yourself from the rest of society therein losing your chance to interact and learn from other people and cultures.

LA has its problems, but C'mon people. I have been to little saigon, little bankok, ktown, Jtown, Jtown west, Jewish communities, persian communities, and I have been around other ethnic groups all over los angeles. Come to think of it, I just got back from eating Ramen at the Asian market (I consider that a normal every day activity) and had ethopian food off of fairfax last saturday. I had a few interesting conversations with people in the area. I am happy to report that I felt safe while eating in the ethnic areas!

[jlrobe]

Originally Posted by TheRealAngelion

The posts here are quite amusing. I wonder how many of the folks who are responding to these threads on LA actually live there. Getting to your question, YES, if I were SUPER RICH and could afford to live anywhere I chose, I would make LA my primary city of residence. The city is awesome to put it simply. It has everthing under the sun to see and do. There's a lot of interesting neighborhoods and areas in and around the city limits and I like the diversity of people you find there from all over the country and world.

I live in San Diego now, which is a nice place to be. But it lacks the stature, diversity and amenities of an international, world class city. If you are super rich, LA is one of the best places on the planet to live a world class life.

I couldnt agree more. I have been here 2 months and have more things at my disposal than any other region in the US outside of NY. It all depends on what you like and want though. I am the kind of guy that wants everything and I want it in one area, and LA provides that. I went to beatiful Laguna beach (in 45 minutes) saw a sunset, walked along the beach, and had a picnic at the montage resort (for free of course). I hung out in downtown laguna and had another excellent meal. I took pictures of surfers cathing awesome waves, and I was in shorts and a t-shirt myself! IT WAS 74 degrees in DECEMBER!!!! After that, I heard some christmas carrolers in Redond Beach, and caught a FIRST RATE comedy show and some drinks in Hermosa. Where can I do all that in the same area in the same day?!? Los Angeles of course. From downtown, to the mountains, to the small towns, to the 10+ nice beach cities, LA does have ALOT to offer.

Where would I live in Metro LA if I was super rich.....hmmm. Pacific Palisades, santa monica, nicer parts of west LA, southern beverly hills,a westwood high rise, the venice canals, the beach cities, south torrance, windsor square, belmont shores, naples, studio city, south pasadena, sherman oaks, woodland hills, magnolia district of burbank, wherever. It just depends on where I work.

[jlrobe]

Originally Posted by tinaweha

So....there are some of you that say you have everything in LA. You love it there. Other than weather and beach, what EXACTLY do you have there? Please tell me what it is. I just don't GET LA.

If you dont know, you probably never will and probably need to move. Like I tell alot of people. If all you want is your costco, bed bath and beyond, star bucks, and olive garden in a quiet SUV laden suburb with white picket fences and decent schools, then LA probably isnt for you, and there is NOTHING you can gain by staying here. 90% of the country is beckoning for you, be it Idaho, el paso, or missouri. Each place will have decent schools,low crime, and of course, the wonderful olive garden, costco, star bucks, and a gap. What else do you need?

[jlrobe]

Originally Posted by TheRealAngelion

Ms. Phitt, I'm sorry you live in a lousy area of LA. I suggest you move to a safer neighborhood. I am from LA and lived in different parts of the city at different times in my life. There are bad parts (sounds like you live in one), but there are also many good parts. Before I moved to San Diego, I lived in Park La Brea in the Fairfax District near The Grove and Farmers Market and absotutely loved my neighborhood.

MAn...that is the place to be. W. third, la cienega, the beverly center, melrose, santa monica, roberston, la brea, beverly blvd., wilshire, etc. etc. are all right there. Plus west hollywood, beverly hills, k-town and larchmont are not too far off, and you can get to other cool places pretty fast too. I wished I lived there sometimes, but I am happy in the hermosa beach area. It is a little too white (i.e not diverse) and has a few too many olive garden like places for my tastes but it is very safe and by the beach, so I guess it is okay since i go into the city every weekend anyways.

[jlrobe]

Originally Posted by Ms.Phitt

Seriously, I challenge you to name one non-lousy part of L.A. that does not require you to be financially elite in order to live there. Support your example(s) with an estimate of rent/housing there.

My uncle lived in santa monica and it was quite nice. His house cost 300k, back before the boom. My rent is 1600 and I have 1000+ sq. ft two bedroom apartment with hardwood floors, partial ocean view (and a veiw of the santa monica mountains in the distance) and everything is well maintained. I have a huge storage closet and two car parking. I am 3 houses down from the beach, and 3 minutes from shops and cafes. There is a bristol farms, trader joes, whole foods, ralphs, vons and alberstons within 1 mile (most within a 5 minute walk). I am 2 minutes from Palos Verdes which has scenic walks. I think my rent can be afforded by most working couples and my place is DEFINITELY not lousy by any stretch of the imagination! If you want more data and examples I would be happy to elaborate on several other neighborhoods.

Originally Posted by Ms.Phitt

I also challenge you to name one intersection in Los Angeles where you would be comfortable with your mother, sister, or wife waiting there after dark for an hour for you to come and pick her up.

Well, you have lived in LA for awhile, so surely you must know that brentwood, bel aire, holmby hills, larchmont, pacific palisades, studio city, sherman oaks, woodland hills, and other areas are actually LA proper!!! I live in beach cities. When my fiance first came here (from everyone's BELOVED SF), she was suprised that KIDS were ALWAYS out ALONE late at night. Be it manhattan, hersmoa, south torrance or redondo. I live near esplandade, and I see kids walking alone all the time. People are even dumb enough to leave their doors unlocked here, although that is a little too far I think. I would feel comfortable leaving my fiance or mother alone on almost any street corner in the beach cities. As for los angeles, brentwood and pacific palisades both seemed quite safe at night but I could be wrong.

[jlrobe]

Originally Posted by marilyn220

I'm not from L.A. (been living here 3 years), but I can honestly say YOU ARE SO WRONG IN YOUR ASSESSMENT. For the record, I'm black and moved here from NYC. I was under the impression that LA was a (cheaper) west coast version of NYC. It's not. It's nothing but sprawling suburbs and very expensive. Some places are city like -West L.A and Westwood for instance, but it's mostly clustered suburbs. I've also spoken to MANY OTHER PEOPLE FROM BACK EAST (black/white) who find L.A. to not be what they expected either. Everyone wants to leave.

L.A. is NOT a mega city. At least not in my eyes. I guess people from smaller cities and states think it is, but not me.

A guy from the east coast eh. I have been to the east many times...it is quite cold. I grew up in California. LA is mega city in terms of population and sheer economic might. LA county is the 10th largest state in the US and accounts for I dont know how many tens of billions of dollars in production for the US economy. There are thousands (yes I said thousands) of restaurants, and maybe 100 that are probably good. Hundreds of night life options, plenty of sports teams, etc. I dont see how other places are better. Yeah, LA doesnt have a downtown (YET?!), but how many cities boast suburbs as good as LA's. the "suburb" of Santa Monica has more stuff packed into than all of philly COMBINED in my opinion. West hollywood and surrounding area have more nightlife and shopping options than most cities in the US. Sure, LA is not centralized, and that sorta sucks, but take the ventura strip, central LA (like W. third, La brea, etc) some parts of re-energizing downtown, west hollywood, westwood, some parts of k-town, santa monica, pasadena, west LA, beverly hills, and sprinkle in cool parts of brentwood, manhattan beach, gentrified culver and venice, etc., and you have got one hell-of-an awesome city core. Also, you keep saying east coast! I have been up and down the east coast and in my opinion NY is the ONLY city worth mentioning. Boston is FAR smaller than I imagined. Once you leave the downtown area, it disappears. The entire LA area combined has more than Boston or philly combined in opinion, but downtown Boston kills downtown LA.

LA is not a cheaper versoin of NY! NY is a crowded city that is not car friendly and has horrible weather and very rude people. LA has excellent weather, bad traffic, and is more evenly distributed, with fake people.