Tell me what L.A. was like back in the 1950's/1960's (Los Angeles: store, gangs)

[Steve Bagu]

Smog or smoke..? LA basin was called ' valley of smoke,' back when. The mountains held back any smoke from any ocean breeze
Indians were correct then. We had to get rid of our backyard incinerator....then they extended the San Berdo Fwy....rest is history. I lived in Arcadia and Covina from ,,1948 to 1975...lived it all.

[LuvSouthOC]

Originally Posted by nmnita

I think I have answered this before, but will put my 2 cents worth in again. I graduated from Eagle Rock High school in 1955. We used to walk everywhere, a lot of girls didn't even drive til they were out of school. Families rarely had 2 cars. We had dances at our high school almost monthly and spent a lot of our time, during he summer at the pool or the beach. Life was good, but not much different than any big city I am guessing. The house we lived in until I was in high school had 3 apricot trees, we would climb them and ea apricots until we almost got sick; we also had a tangerine tree, plum, grapefruit, an avocado trees. Lots of people had orange and grapefruit trees.

I remember the first freeway, which was called the speedway. It connected Pasadena to downtown L.A. First it was called the Arroyo Seco, then later the Pasadena freeway.

My first love was a guy who went to So Pasa. High school. We we together for about a year. On the last day of our Jr Year he wanted to celebrate our becoming seniors and took me out on a very special date: we started by having dinner in china Town at The Golden Pagota restaurant. we each got the all inclusive dinner. It was $1.25 plus we later went to the movie in Hollywood and finished the night at Bob's big boy. As the time was getting really late and he didn't want me to get in trouble he called my parents to assure them I was alright. I am sure they were in bed by then. Today a guy would never think to do that I don't imagine. Most guys had some type of job and most of the gals made our spending money baby sitting for about .50 an hour. There were very few who used alcohol in high school, maybe the guys drank a little; never remember any of us smoking until at least our senior year and many not then. Drugs were something no one even talked about. That came in the 60s and pre marital sex, yep, not everyone was holier than thou,but it wasn't nearly as common as today.

Not everything was peaches and creme, the gangs were beginning to be part of the scene if you lived near the downtown area. yes, there was more prejudice than today, the Korean war was a concern in the early 50s and of course Nam in the middle 60s. Polio was a huge concern until the vacine in the early 60s. Those of us going on to college worried about getting into the college of our choice and those who were going into the working world spent the last part of high school trying to find a decent job. I can't remember the min wage but I think it was around .75 cents an hour. The summer between my freshman and sophomore years in college I was a car hop, making .72 an hour plus tips. I was excited it I made $8.00 of more in tips in a night.

I guess I could go on and on, but others have said many of the things that come to my mind.

This was pretty moving.

[Exitus Acta Probat]

Originally Posted by harrishawke

Cheaper cost of living. More family friendly, less crime, less pollution. Probably everything was better.

Mom could take a little Eric Garcetti in her wood paneled station wagon to get soft serve ice cream at Carvel without having to sit in an hour of traffic just to travel a few miles.

[Exitus Acta Probat]

Originally Posted by nmnita

I really don't share the lower cost of living part or the less crime. When you consider salaries compared with costs, Los Angeles has always been on the high end. As for crime, we had plenty of it in the 50s and 60s. WE even had gangs, but they were pretty well contained in the east and north east part of the city. As for pollution, did you really live in the area in the 50s and 60s? Smog was so bad, in the spring and summer you couldn't see the mountains after about 10am. I loved growing up in the area, I have so may wonderful memories, but I also know there were problems then as well as now. Life was just easier in the 50s period. It makes no difference where we grew up.

Um...although I wasn't alive back then, I'd hardly say gangs such as The Pharoahs from the film American Graffitti are hardly comparable to gangs such as MS-13. The gangs back in the 50's and 60's, as I understand, were more about leather jackets and switchblades rather than face tats and AK-47's.

[imaterry78259]

Los Angeles and New Orleans had a baby and its name is Houston

[imaterry78259]

I watch a lot of film noir and it shows a lot of old LA. Downtown streets were always crowded and many people used the elevated trolley.

I can fathom why the cost of living in Glendale and Pasadena is so high when it is nowhere close to the beach.

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by Exitus Acta Probat

Um...although I wasn't alive back then, I'd hardly say gangs such as The Pharoahs from the film American Graffitti are hardly comparable to gangs such as MS-13. The gangs back in the 50's and 60's, as I understand, were more about leather jackets and switchblades rather than face tats and AK-47's.

Not true.

"From 1955 to 1965, the African American gangs increased with larger memberships and operated primarily in south central Los Angeles and Compton. This was partly due to more African American youths bonding together for protection from rival gangs.

It was not until the late 1960s when the Crips and Bloods-the two most violent and criminally active African American gangs-originated..."
Where All the Madness Began: A Look at Gang History: https://web.stanford.edu/class/e297c...or/madness.htm

L.A. gang history runs deep: Terror in our streets: L.A. Daily News Special Report

In the 1940s, The guys from White Fence were the first Chicano gang in East Los Angeles to use chains and, on occasion, guns...
Deeply Rooted in L.A. : Chicano Gangs: A History of Violence - Page 6 - latimes

[Astral_Weeks]

Originally Posted by imaterry78259

I watch a lot of film noir and it shows a lot of old LA. Downtown streets were always crowded and many people used the elevated trolley.

I can fathom why the cost of living in Glendale and Pasadena is so high when it is nowhere close to the beach.

Have you ever been to Pasadena? A very nice city with great culture, architecture and a great housing stock.

Both cities are well located within the metro area and enjoy proximity to downtown LA which is still a major employment center.

The beach isn't everything....I happen to think our beaches are a bit overrated. I'd live in Pasadena before I'd live at the beach where it is too damn cold and foggy most of the year (for my tastes).

[Western Urbanite]

Originally Posted by Astral_Weeks

How old are you? What part of LA did live in the 50's/60's?

The old red cars were still running in the 1950's..granted they were in steep decline but they were in operation.

Also, LA's population was growing by leaps and bounds in the 1950's and 1960's. So there was development...lots of housing development and much more than there is today. Granted this growth was more suburban in character, not the urban infill we see today.

Atwater Village, from 1963 to 1969

[Bane Harper]

Great thread fellas ...bringing nostalgia for me