Spanish Speaking Parts of LA (Los Angeles, Beverly Hills: lofts, crime rate, lawyers)

[burgler09]

I understand LA has a lot of Spanish speaking people, but are there certain areas where it is mostly all Spanish being spoken? Areas where it is mostly hispanic but not a dangerous/high crime area. Will most of LA be like this? (ps, i am saying this in a positive way because I like to be around it, I don't want to start anything racial here)

Also, are these areas typically cheaper in rent/cost of living?

[BRinSM]

there are multiple areas where the dominant language is spanish. these areas tend to be filled with (recent) immigrants/1st generation americans from mexico and central america. the areas directly east and west of downtown, the central san fernando valley, santa ana (in OC), and much of south LA are heavily populated by latinos where much of the local signage is in spanish. these areas also tend to be very poor and with poverty comes crime, so i wouldn't say they are exactly safe. i'm unaware of any upscale (or even middle class areas for that matter) where spanish is the dominant language. most people end up learning english before they start to earn decent amounts of money. you may look into areas of whittier and other cities in that area to find what you are looking for.

[uptown_urbanist]

I would agree that most of the upper or middle class neighborhoods are not exclusively or even mostly Spanish-speaking, but there are many nice neighborhoods where many of your neighbors, although not all, would be native Spanish speakers. The high crime areas will be more affordable; the difference is generally in the safety level, not in the language spoken. But generally speaking, you'll hear and see Spanish pretty much everywhere you go, although obviously it will be more predominant in some areas than in others.

[the one]

there are some safe predominantly latino cities/areas around LA. but spanish speaking might not be as prevalent as other more "new arrival" areas.

one are that is heavily latino and spanish speaking, but not completely dangerous is Maywood/HP (huntington park).

what exactly are you looking for?

lots of areas in LA are spanish speaking, with out being completely dominated by spanish. i.e. whittier, montebello, downey, etc.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by burgler09

I understand LA has a lot of Spanish speaking people, but are there certain areas where it is mostly all Spanish being spoken? Areas where it is mostly hispanic but not a dangerous/high crime area. Will most of LA be like this? (ps, i am saying this in a positive way because I like to be around it, I don't want to start anything racial here)

Also, are these areas typically cheaper in rent/cost of living?

Many of the predominently hispanic areas are also high crime areas, partly because of economics, not because hispanics are any worse than anyone else. Yes, in many of these areas the rents are lower but the rest of the costs are the same. As for spanish being spoken, this fits about all of Los Angeles. The areas surround downtown (east LA, So LA, Lincoln Hieghts) they do have a large Hispanic population (almost 100%) and do have high crime, but again, this is typical for all metro areas in our country. The closer you get to the inner city, the higher the crime rate.

Nita

[burgler09]

Yeah, I'll be coming from Miami. I'm used to the crime and everything involved with a big city, although in Miami, it is a bit different because there is anywhere from the lower class newly arrived immigrants to the rich that don't speak a word of English. I like this kind of environment and I was mainly looking for areas that might be like this with the different latin american restaurants. I just wouldn't want to go into an area that would be covered by gangs etc. I don't think there are really gangs in Miami like there are in Los Angeles although for all I know this could be overplayed.

[majoun]

Originally Posted by nmnita

The closer you get to the inner city, the higher the crime rate.

Nita

So, based on that, Greenwich Village (which has long had one of the lowest crime rates in Manhattan) should have a higher crime rate than Washington Heights (which is quite far from downtown Manhattan)...or North Beach in S.F. should have a higher crime rate than Hunter's Point due to it being closer to the Civic Center and Financial District...

Or, merely referring to L.A., Hancock Park and Los Feliz, based on that, should have higher crime rates than Pacoima or Van Nuys....

The term "inner city" was originally coined to describe Chicago, and is not completely applicable to L.A. Certain neighborhoods, yes, others, no. The infamous corner of Florence and Normandie is farther away from downtown than the corner of Wilshire and Rodeo Drive is (and much farther away than let's say the corners of Hillhurst and Franklin or Larchmont and Beverly).

[BRinSM]

Originally Posted by burgler09

Yeah, I'll be coming from Miami. I'm used to the crime and everything involved with a big city, although in Miami, it is a bit different because there is anywhere from the lower class newly arrived immigrants to the rich that don't speak a word of English. I like this kind of environment and I was mainly looking for areas that might be like this with the different latin american restaurants. I just wouldn't want to go into an area that would be covered by gangs etc. I don't think there are really gangs in Miami like there are in Los Angeles although for all I know this could be overplayed.

lucky you, we have great latin food all over this city, not just in the ghettos. i've eaten mexican, carribean, brazilian, argentinean, and peruvian in nice, normal neighborhoods. now, if you want authentic salvadorian papusas you might have to travel to a sketchy neighborhood, but safety won't be an issue when looking for good food.

[Island_OnThe_Land]

A few points:

1) In general, "cheaper" areas do tend to correlate to higher crime..regardless of the ethnicity of the residents (as I am sure the OP realizes).

2) Los Angeles and Miami's immigrant experience is HISTORICALLY different in important ways:

A) Miami's first & second wave of Hispanic immigrants (we tend to use the term Latinos in Calf.) were predominantly "White Hispanics" from Cuba's upper or upper-middle classes. Also, Miami is a smaller city than LA so the influence and power of those Cuban exiles (when combined with their highly skilled backgrounds) was quite significant.

B) By contrast, from the very early 1900's to the present the Latino migration to Los Angeles has been predominantly working class individuals from Mexicio or Central America. Again, mostly Mestizo, as oppossed to White.

I am not trying to spark a debate but I think what that means is:

1) As successive generations have worked their way up the ladder.... Latinos that "make it" in Los Angels have moved out of the "barrio" and into more suburban areas; and

2) Those first generation Latino immigrants in LA work the tough jobs but their social status means English is still the predominate language of Los Angeles (though Spanish is a close second). The children of those immigrants who are now lawyers or doctors or teachers (or even Mayor) learned English as kids.

Let me be clear, I am NOT denying LA's rich Latino heritage (hey this land was Mexican land before it was part of the USA) but I am saying the historical patterns (and sources) of immigration to LA are different than Miami's. The result is the more affluent areas in LA are less likely to be predominantly spanish speaking than in say a place like Coral Gables (the Beverly Hills of the Miami area).

[Island_OnThe_Land]

Don't overlook Downtown LA as a possibilty. The young professional crowd is a mix of white, asian, black, and Latino (of all races). That said, you also have the historic Brodway corridor which on any given Saturday or Sunday is like walking down a street in Mexico City (meaning: spanish is THE primary language). You would love the rush of energy, historic buildings, and ethnic foods and stores. At a minimum, go check it out on a Saturday afternoon.....a VERY, VERY unique street.


Broadway from 3rd Street to 9th.....not many places like it. The largest concentration of World War I era movie theatres in the USA, the Grand Central Market (in operation since 1917), the historic Bradbury Building (seen in movies like Bladerunner), and the historic heart of LA for generations of Latino immigrants in LA. Move one street over to Spring Street and you are on LA's Gallery Row...which has a bustling art scene and many lofts in renovated historic buildings.