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I think the street views posted so far show the West Coast just really isn't that gritty. There are some areas in each of these towns, but on the whole, they aren't too bad. When I think gritty, I think burned out and abandoned buildings, and with the housing shortage on the West Coast, there aren't too many of those. Also, the lower density, yards, and sunshine all make the areas look nicer, even in areas of the West Coast with higher crime.
I think the street views posted so far show the West Coast just really isn't that gritty. There are some areas in each of these towns, but on the whole, they aren't too bad. When I think gritty, I think burned out and abandoned buildings, and with the housing shortage on the West Coast, there aren't too many of those. Also, the lower density, yards, and sunshine all make the areas look nicer, even in areas of the West Coast with higher crime.
You can be gritty without being abandoned or burnt out. It’s the yards sunshine, and general newness and lack of density.
I think the thread compares west coast regions specifically because the west coast isn’t al that gritty.
But some parts of the west with their lack of foliage, tight lots, iron fences, cracked pavement, long dry strips, gravel pit yards and graffiti can be pretty gritty.
DTLA is the definition of good gritty. It isn't like North Philly or West Baltimore, but it's a good level of not being too bougie yet still having some street life to it. Gritty does not mean totally rundown and dangerous and disgusting. I can't explain it in words, and if you don't know what it is, please don't vote. I.e. The late 2000s and early 2010s in the Bay were still gritty. Places like SoMa, Polk St, southern parts of the Mission, Civic Center were gritty back then. Now you have Twitter in a formerly no-go zone of SF and SoMa is a luxury apartment zone. Oakland was still gritty back then too. However, the spillover of money from SF has changed Oakland as well. The Bay Area has become far too gentrified to hold onto anything gritty besides a few pockets.
In LA, you still have places like DTLA, MacArthur Park, Koreatown, Hollywood, East Hollywood, Echo Park, Lincoln Heights, maybe Boyle Heights, and the entire area of LBC between Downtown LBC and Belmont Shore. There are probably some others I'm forgetting too.
When I lived in the Bay Area, it's grittiness seemed to be focused to several dense nodes, over small land areas. I'm not proud to say this, but I've been homeless several times in my life, and when I was in San Fran/Oakland, it was just easier to live, because everything was so close together.
LA/Long Beach on the other hand was extremely overwhelming, because it's grittiness was so vast, by a long shot. It was very hard to survive there and made it feel extremely gritty compared to the Bay Area.
I won't comment on Seattle, since I've never lived there.
Also, I find it funny that grittiness is being treated as an admirable trait(for a city) so far in this thread. Go live on the streets for a couple years and you'll most likely be pining for the burbs.
When I lived in the Bay Area, it's grittiness seemed to be focused to several dense nodes, over small land areas. I'm not proud to say this, but I've been homeless several times in my life, and when I was in San Fran/Oakland, it was just easier to live, because everything was so close together.
LA/Long Beach on the other hand was extremely overwhelming, because it's grittiness was so vast, by a long shot. It was very hard to survive there and made it feel extremely gritty compared to the Bay Area.
I won't comment on Seattle, since I've never lived there.
Also, I find it funny that grittiness is being treated as an admirable trait(for a city) so far in this thread. Go live on the streets for a couple years and you'll most likely be pining for the burbs.
There is a difference, I think to most, between grittiness and downright slums. I.e. I prefer DTLA over West LA because it has some dirt to it. It feels more authentic. It doesn't feel as fake. It's not full of suburban white kids who think they're cool now because they moved to LA. It's not full of bougie people obsessed with luxury brand names. However, it's not Watts either.
Similarly, SF back in the day was different. SoMa in parts was downright bad. Some parts were gritty. Civic Center and the TL were horrible places to be. But now they're nice(?). Now everything is an Apple Store and a coffee shop with $8 pour overs. There is an in between vibe. I'm not sure what it is today in SF. But in LA, it's places like DTLA, parts of LBC east of Downtown LBC, Koreatown, etc.
There is a difference, I think to most, between grittiness and downright slums. I.e. I prefer DTLA over West LA because it has some dirt to it. It feels more authentic. It doesn't feel as fake. It's not full of suburban white kids who think they're cool now because they moved to LA. It's not full of bougie people obsessed with luxury brand names. However, it's not Watts either.
Similarly, SF back in the day was different. SoMa in parts was downright bad. Some parts were gritty. Civic Center and the TL were horrible places to be. But now they're nice(?). Now everything is an Apple Store and a coffee shop with $8 pour overs. There is an in between vibe. I'm not sure what it is today in SF. But in LA, it's places like DTLA, parts of LBC east of Downtown LBC, Koreatown, etc.
Judging off street view..Watts just looks gritty to me. Not a place I’d want to live but it doesn’t look worse than gritty really.
But it’s probably too much new and subdivision heavy. Much of it is immaculate and brand spanking new. It’s definitely has uglier ugly parts than LA or the Bay..let alone Seattle.
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