why is Westlake/Macarthur Park so dirty? (Los Angeles, Beverly Hills: transplants, condo)

[Mashi]

Originally Posted by lurker011

the question is why doesn't our government spend the money and energy into fixing the place up? like I said before,MacArthur Park has the potential to be a huge tourist destination but the area needs to be cleaned first.

I don't see it. What is there that would bring tourists to MacArthur Park? There are plenty of beautiful parks in the city -- Doesn't make them tourist destinations. Also, fixing up the park won't change the fact that it's surrounded by some pretty shady residents. I doubt tourists will be swarming there unless they're looking to get mugged.

[nickdahammer]

'Hispanic race'...?!?

When my little brother and me participated in Ciclavia a few weeks ago, we spent some time lounging around MacArthur Park on our way back down Wilshire. The people sleeping up the slope from the 'lake' were white, black and Hispanic. When my wife and I visited some 30 years ago it was the same distribution.

Originally Posted by CALGUY

Racist or not, the statement is true.
You can find slobs in any race of people, but it seems more prevalent in the Hispanic race.
That is just a fact of life.
Bob.

[Chicano3000X]

Hispanic race.. lol, funny assumptions.

We are all a mix of everything. People think I'm filipino, think my brother is half black, and my youngest brother was called 2 different racial insults, one for asians, and for blacks..

My parents are from Mexico, my mom, Mexico City, my dad, Jalisco..

[CALGUY]

Originally Posted by jm1982

CALGUY , have you spoken to the building owners ? If they don't live nearby maybe they don't even know what's going on.

Approach them as equals , property owners like yourself. Or is there a property manager that you know manages that property ?

I understand your frustration , I also have stuff that gets illegally dumped too. Most likely by people that dont even live right by the property . But blaming it on a group isn't a solution .

If its items being dumped illegally on city property then city is supposed to pick that stuff up . Of course they wont come instantly , but it's worth calling if you haven't done that .

I have only spoken to them once, when I first met them.
They don't live in the area.
I spoke with the building manager, but I think I get more positive response from my German Shepherd than him.
He wouldn't last five minutes working for me.
He is as much a part of the problem as his tenants.
As for others who don't actually live there, throwing their trash on the sidewalk, I don't think so, because the sidewalk was never like this until the new owners took over and rented to this bunch of lowlifes.
Bob.

[Harrier]

Originally Posted by munchitup

So save your breath and closeminded BS, I know plenty of Hispanics that are not slobs (in fact, most of the Hispanics I know). This has way more to do with low income people and not Hispanics. Glad you have an anecdote so you can make excuses for yourself and your prejudices.

Interestingly enough, as more and more Hispanics move into Los Angeles neighborhoods, notice how the crime rate has plummeted? Messy but nonviolent, I suppose.

Hmmm - so you correlate low income with lazy- throwing trash on the ground rather than placing it in a proper rubbish receptacle.

Maybe you are on to something - that could be why those people are low income - they won't go out and get a job.

On the other hand, they could be illegal immigrants who simply don't care about the community in which they live.

Harrier finds it interesting that you seem to contradict yourself in your last paragraph.

[Harrier]

Originally Posted by lurker011

the question is why doesn't our government spend the money and energy into fixing the place up? like I said before,MacArthur Park has the potential to be a huge tourist destination but the area needs to be cleaned first.

Believe it or not, it used to be much worse.

Now there aren't as many drug dealers in the park.

[astroia 34567]

OH, you guys may get a kick out of this article - Westlake is considered under the radar and is a good time to rent!

I will say St Andrews in mid-Wilshire is quite nice and cleaner from what you guys say - just off Beverly near Oakwood.

5 Los Angeles Rental Neighborhoods Under The Radar - Los Angeles - News - The Informer

LA Weekly published this in May.

[munchitup]

Originally Posted by Harrier

Hmmm - so you correlate low income with lazy- throwing trash on the ground rather than placing it in a proper rubbish receptacle.

I don't correlate low income with lazy. Most low income people are working multiple jobs and are systemically kept in their income bracket. I guess you could glean that from my statement though, but it is not what I intended. I've worked since I was 16 and 2/3 of those jobs have been in fast food, retail, manual labor, construction, etc. Most of my low-income co-workers had more than one job - I don't call that lazy.

Originally Posted by Harrier

Maybe you are on to something - that could be why those people are low income - they won't go out and get a job.

See above. Many have multiple jobs. It's laughable when people say "get a job" - guess what? That is not the reality of today's economy. You don't just go out and get a job like you used to be able to. I wish baby boomers would get that through their thick skulls that it isn't like when they were young and there were jobs just waiting to be taken.

Yes there are lazy low income people that don't have jobs and take advantage of our welfare state. I don't know why people insist on seeing them as representative of low income people. Probably because they have met or interacted with very few in their lifetime, other than to tell them which bushes to trim or if you want fries with it.

Originally Posted by Harrier

On the other hand, they could be illegal immigrants who simply don't care about the community in which they live.

This is literally what I said in a previous post. Westlake is a transitional neighborhood, many residents may not see it as "home". Doesn't excuse it or justify it, just explains it.

Originally Posted by Harrier

Harrier finds it interesting that you seem to contradict yourself in your last paragraph.

I'm not sure Munchitup knows what you mean, your majesty Harrier.

[munchitup]

Originally Posted by Mashi

I don't see it. What is there that would bring tourists to MacArthur Park? There are plenty of beautiful parks in the city -- Doesn't make them tourist destinations. Also, fixing up the park won't change the fact that it's surrounded by some pretty shady residents. I doubt tourists will be swarming there unless they're looking to get mugged.

Or you know, the country's best pastrami sandwich.

[Marv101]

As someone who's lived in LA for 60+ years, i can think of numerous areas which aren't nearly as tidy and pristine as they were back in the sixties, whether you're talking about Hollywood, the Westlake/Macarthur Park area, Pacoima, Van Nuys or numerous other areas.

The fact that the Westlake area is overflowing with Hispanics and tons of Hispanic-oriented retailers and restaurants shouldn't constitute grounds for denigrating the area and the folks who live there.