Hollywood - why did it go downhill

[munchitup]

Originally Posted by kttam186290

They've let the transient population get out of control again there...hopefully this tragic incident involving the murder of a 23 year old girl will motivate the city to do more.

I haven't noticed it get that much worse. I definitely recognize these guys from around the neighborhood, no doubt this trio are scum, but not very representative of the larger Central Hollywood homeless population. It's nothing like DTLA out here.

That being said, LAPD needs to take enforcing Hollywood / Highland more seriously. The worst-of-the-worst seem to gather in that area, probably because it is the most cheaply tourist-y area on the boulevard.

[Urbcentric]

Originally Posted by robertpasa

I was reading articles about the recent murder and they said Hollywood started to have more crime and homelessness around 1990. Why did that happen?

The economic decline of Hollywood began as early as the 1940's and 1950's as the major movie production houses moved and expanded elsewhere (San Fernando Valley, Culver City, West LA, etc). The first star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was established in the late 1950's and was an effort to "revitalize" and "glamourize" the fading fortunes of the once glamorous boulevard.

That said, I agree with most of the posters that the Hollywood neighborhood hit bottom sometime between 1980 and the early 1990's. Decades of decline plus 1980's era crime levels made for a toxic combination. But the initial economic decline began many decades prior to 1980.

No question the revitalization of the last 10 to 15 years has been huge but you can't reverse decades of decline that short of a time frame.

[pwright1]

When I first set foot in Hollywood in 1983 it was horrible...just an absolute dissappoining mess. Shabby motels, dingy movie houses showing x-rated movies, run down apts., prostitutes and drunken, drugged out crazy people. I remember Fredricks of Hollywood use to be across the street I thought. Max Factor was around the corner. The Sunset Strip was the place to be back then. My brother use to play at the Central which is now the Viper Room. The SS was much cooler back then, especially for live music.

[nickdahammer]

'Down in Hollywood' (Ry Cooder); 'Heartattack and Vine' (Tom Waits). My wife and I used to hit Raji's back in '82. It was gritty then, and you never knew whether or not your car would be in one piece when you left the club. I rarely drive down there now, preferring the subway. I think the foot traffic from elsewhere has made it alot safer since the 80s. It's not quite as insular with (largely) weirdos, desperate types, etc. Perhaps.