The Change in LA (Oxnard, Irvine: middle-class, real estate, house prices)

[ebuch]

For you people that have lived in LA for some time now say 20-30 years, what are some of the major changes you have seen throughout the city and county? Both pros and cons?

Also how do you see the city changing again in the next 20-30 years?

[joebaldknobber]

LA will be like the great city of Sao Paolo, Brazil in 15 years. (Portuguese will not be primary language although) Obrigado!

[BRinSM]

The spawl that the whole region has faced in the last 20 years or so is now finally slowing, if not stopping to all together. LA, the city, has become quite a bit safer and the stigma that was once attached to it seems to be fading. Many neighborhoods that were once dilapidated and rotting are being taken back by the middle class. Due to the high cost of oil and concern for the environment, many people are beginning to question the need for automobiles. This same fact has also helped start a movement to increase the amount of public transportation offered in the region.

The downside to all of this is that there is so much bureaucracy in the city that it takes forever to get anything accomplished. For such a liberal, open minded city, the people who live here seem afraid to do anything against the status quo. I think the younger populations are beginning to change this mindset, but it is happening slowly. I think the city understands that as long as they keep the city "good enough", then people will still flock here for the jobs, the entertainment, and the famous socal lifestyle. I think the city should be aiming for excellence and not mediocrity, but there is just so much BS that our politicians have to get through, this goal seems nearly impossible.

With that said, I'd imagine that the next 20-30 years will be pretty much the same as the past 20-30 years: Increased population, limited progress. But, we may finally have that subway to the sea, maybe.

[Mike121]

I agree with BRinSM. The big change of the last 10 years is that there are no longer any new suburbs being created within commuting distance of central LA. It used to be that the rich and poor lived in the center of the city and the middle-class lived on the suburbs. Now, that pattern is beginning to change, but, I can't predict what the outcome of that will be.

But, there are definitely some neighborhoods that were left to rot 20 years ago that are now getting some attention from the city and from the city and from developers: Hollywood, Downtown, and maybe Exposition Park.

[hsw]

LA's decentralized model of urban growth, where an alleged central "Downtown" is fairly irrelevant to region's economy and daily life of most residents, is arguably the most efficient urban growth model in any dynamic capitalist economy like that of US, where overall COL is much lower and daily QOL much higher than comparable EU/Asian cities....new houses, cars and fuel are much cheaper in US than anywhere else in world....and risk of criminal street violence of US' cities and poorer, older suburbs (which periodically spikes when economy is in deep recession) makes LA's car-based culture the safest, most civilized culture vs the mass transit culture of lesser, more primitive regions, like NYC or ex-US urban regions....

Decentralized growth model is also seen in comparable powerful economies like SiliconValley (where City of SF is merely an upscale residential suburb for young SiliconValley workers w/o kids)....or NYC region, where prob 30-40% of the region's billionaires live and work in suburban Greenwich and rarely visit Manhattan, except for occasional business dinners

Most cos. prefer to be located in lower-tax, lower-cost areas of an urban region, close to the safer, more spacious suburbs (w/often newer houses and closer to decent private schools) where most executives w/families prefer to live....ironically, most affluent in regions like LA often have <20min drives to their office...and many middle-income people live and work in Irvine area...or live and work in 1000 Oaks area, etc...and enjoy similarly effortless daily commutes

Well-run cos. will continue to move low-skill jobs to lower-tax, lower-cost regions like suburban Dallas/Houston....it makes little sense to have many low-wage workers in high-cost regions like LA or SiliconValley

Not sure regions like LA or NYC will expand much more than their current some 18MM populations (of each region)....taxes, costs, hassles will likely keep population stagnant or declining, as cos. and jobs are moved to lower-cost regions....many underestimate how efficient cos. need to be, esp in a more difficult, more globalized, more virtual economy, when profit margins come under pressure and more work is easily done from cheaper locales around US and RoW

Anecdotally, find that vs early '90s, LA traffic flows notably quicker on the major freeways; air is notably cleaner....and just like early '90s, house prices are in free-fall, making LA more affordable....but suspect taxes will increase until affluent taxpayers and business owners begin to threaten to relocate out of CA...

[greggd]

Traffic is much worse than it was 20 years ago
Major Development of the West Side/Santa Monica Business Districts
Sprawl and increased commutes due to real estate pricing increases.
Increased immigration has progressively become more apparent in LA lifestyle
Roadways & quality of repairs/repaving have progressively deteriorated.

[Charles]

Thirty years ago evening traffic went from the San Fernando Valley into the Conejo Valley. Today it is the opposite. Traffic is much worse eastbound in the afternoons. Why? I think 30 years ago the Conejo Valley was a bedroom community for the Valley and maybe LA. Today there are more jobs (101 Tech Corridor, Amgen, Teradyne, Farmers, Dole) in the Conejo Valley and the Oxnard Plain to which people in the SFV commute.

[Jay100]

Traffic is much worse.

Lots of new immigrants.

Definitely safer.

Native whites are mostly gone.

City seems divided and without a common identity.

[Mr. Mysterious]

The only change that I haven't see is that it hasn't stopped changing. I wish I can keep up with the changes around here, it seems my adaptability is declining.

But its all good... it keeps me in my toes with all the dodo around here. Then again, you'll get used to it.

[SD Observer]

LA will become an official suburb of .............. Mexico City!