Los Angeles Needs to be Manhattanized (San Francisco: purchasing, movies, place to live)

[taydigga]

Originally Posted by Tex?Il?

Y

Manhattan and downtown Chicago blow downtown LA out of the water sure, but in the same distance as those aforementioned areas of LA County, you have mostly boring and homogenous suburbs, whether good OR bad. Sure you have some progressive communities with a college, or some unique suburb that is integrated, eclectic and diverse, but it is often overhelmingly either:

bombed out, depopulated, post industrial, boarded up, 99% African American areas.

The African American areas part stuck out to me...explain the problem.

[munchitup]

Originally Posted by taydigga

The African American areas part stuck out to me...explain the problem.

I think anywhere with a extremely high percentage of any one race is undesirable.

It is true that a lot of the super bombed-out parts of Midwestern and East Coast cities are highly African American, though. I wouldn't put the blame on them for it being bombed out though, I'd blame the city for neglecting the poorest areas of the city.

[Carlite]

I don't know if Surfside was a troll, but he certainly knew the way to get Californians mad, unfavorable compare our cities to Manhattan. The cry of "Manhatttanization" is a call to arms around here, except unfortunately it's usually against a 4 story building, not a 40 story one.

The real story is that LA is finding its way, not without hiccoughs, to what Jerry Brown called (in another context) elegant density. Manhattan is a distraction. What's needed are Downtown LA, Koreatown, Hollywood, West Hollywood, Century city, Santa Monica, Pasadena, Glendale, and probably a few other places being safe, walkable attractive, fun, well (densely) populated, with high quality transit connecting them to each other parts of the region

[Chicano3000X]

Originally Posted by Carlite

I don't know if Surfside was a troll, but he certainly knew the way to get Californians mad, unfavorable compare our cities to Manhattan. The cry of "Manhatttanization" is a call to arms around here, except unfortunately it's usually against a 4 story building, not a 40 story one.

The real story is that LA is finding its way, not without hiccoughs, to what Jerry Brown called (in another context) elegant density. Manhattan is a distraction. What's needed are Downtown LA, Koreatown, Hollywood, West Hollywood, Century city, Santa Monica, Pasadena, Glendale, and probably a few other places being safe, walkable attractive, fun, well (densely) populated, with high quality transit connecting them to each other parts of the region

All of the downtown areas should have been linked by metro a long time ago. Imagine a metro going down brand from downtown Glendale to downtown L.A. Underground of course.

[RCLL]

Originally Posted by Surfside__

L.A offers a great amount of things, however it is lacking in one VERY important aspect that makes a city a TRUE city and that is being urban and dense in the downtown area. Think Chicago, Miami, Manhattan. Imagine having walkability and a dense urban lifestyle without having to rely on your car so much in LA? Everything you need at your finger tips, everything brought to life. LA does OFFER a lot, I am NOT talking it's surrounding areas, I am talking PURELY about the city itself the downtown area has a lot of potential and can be GREAT if only it was manhattanized

check out these articles

NYC Thinks L.A. Wants to Be 'Manhattanized' - Los Angeles News - The Informer

TIME Asks 'Can Downtown Los Angeles Be Manhattanized?': LAist

what do you think?

LA has its own characteristics that make it what it is. The fact that its spread out, downtown is not as focal as Manhattan etc . With nice weather and more room, why would you want to live in downtown or hang there, when you have choices like Malibu etc, all these beach communities. And it doesnt end there, theres like west hollywood, pasadena etc. Again its the spread out nature of LA that makes downtown not the focal point like a Manhattan.

[munchitup]

Originally Posted by Chicano3000X

All of the downtown areas should have been linked by metro a long time ago. Imagine a metro going down brand from downtown Glendale to downtown L.A. Underground of course.

That would be awesome no doubt - but prohibitively expensive to make it a subway the whole way. Glendale's link will eventually be in the form of a LRT line that runs along the industrial tracks next to the LA River and then when it gets to Atwater Village maybe go underground ala the Gold Line Eastside Extension as an LRT subway to DT Glendale. Maybe then it could wrap around and connect with the Red Line (by this time maybe it goes all the way to the Burbank Airport). This is going to be seriously in the future, wasn't even a Measure J project.

[Daniex]

I love LA, it is very diversified which I love, every 10 minutes of driving is a total different world. I do however think it could wake up though. It lacks some energy which you get in Manhattan. Downtown would be the perfect place for it (clean it up a little more).

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by taydigga

The African American areas part stuck out to me...explain the problem.

Sure, no problem. It was nothing more than a comment as to the segregation in midwest and east coast cities. Had nothing to do with suggesting that an African American presence is a problem. In fact - the total opposite. West coast and the newer southern cities are a little less residentially segregated. Although you still do have integrated areas in the midwest and northeast - just not as much.

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by munchitup

I think anywhere with a extremely high percentage of any one race is undesirable.

It is true that a lot of the super bombed-out parts of Midwestern and East Coast cities are highly African American, though. I wouldn't put the blame on them for it being bombed out though, I'd blame the city for neglecting the poorest areas of the city.

Exactly those areas are emptied out leaving just the poorest behind. Plus, many inner cities in the east coast and midwest have not had the huge hispanic influx that LA, Miami, Houston, have had, so those neighborhoods just become abandoned (even post apocalyptic looking) since the population is only have of the 1950s population.

Just look at the other recent thread titled: "Does LA have slums?"

[Chicano3000X]

Originally Posted by munchitup

That would be awesome no doubt - but prohibitively expensive to make it a subway the whole way. Glendale's link will eventually be in the form of a LRT line that runs along the industrial tracks next to the LA River and then when it gets to Atwater Village maybe go underground ala the Gold Line Eastside Extension as an LRT subway to DT Glendale. Maybe then it could wrap around and connect with the Red Line (by this time maybe it goes all the way to the Burbank Airport). This is going to be seriously in the future, wasn't even a Measure J project.

Would be great to have it a line in atwater. Walking from chevy chase park all the way to the corner of san fernando and Los Feliz(near glendale memorial) isn't too much of a mission if I'm heading to school. But going to the farmer's market on the 780, trying to stand in a constantly stopping and turning bus is a mission.