Compton is the next "Brooklyn" says new Compton Mayor (Los Angeles: middle-class, real estate market)

[jm1982]

Aja Brown: Compton is The New Brooklyn - CityThink - Los Angeles magazine

This is interesting. I remember reading about Compton's new mayor , she sounds like she has a real passion for changing the area. Could be interesting to see what she does.

Brown’s bold prediction: Compton is the new Brooklyn. “We’re 15 minutes from downtown, the port, and LAX. We’re surrounded by freeways and have light and heavy rail and great institutions. My neighborhood is very mixed and hip—we’re ready to have a renaissance.”

Not sure about the idea of being "15 minutes to downtown though"..

[Cheektowaga_Chester]

This actually makes sense - but it also makes sense for a lot of other historically depressed, troubled, or denigrated communities. It's true about the location and Compton (from my limited visits in the past five years) has changed from the NWA 1990s Compton. Not far away is CSUDH, the soccer stadium, and a lot of industry including the (soon closing though) Northrop Grumman. I think both the Green Line and the Blue Line run through or near there.

[Fontucky]

She needs to add 10 minutes to that. For a 2am trip with no accidents or roadwork.

[yby1]

I would say about 20 minutes without heavy traffic to all these areas, which is still pretty great. I hope she does good things for Compton.

[jm1982]

I don't know Compton well at all honestly, but it seems to be mostly residential or industrial with little retail .

It seems that it would need some redevelopment of industrial or residential areas in order to become more appealing?

I don't think of it as an area like Echo Park or Brooklyn that had a lot of existing retail relatively speaking and didn't need big redevelopment projects in order to gentrify.

Being their own city they could be a lot more 'lean and mean' and make deals with companies. I also imagine they could give more generous tax breaks.

[munchitup]

Originally Posted by jm1982

I don't know Compton well at all honestly, but it seems to be mostly residential or industrial with little retail .

It seems that it would need some redevelopment of industrial or residential areas in order to become more appealing?

I don't think of it as an area like Echo Park or Brooklyn that had a lot of existing retail relatively speaking and didn't need big redevelopment projects in order to gentrify.

Being their own city they could be a lot more 'lean and mean' and make deals with companies. I also imagine they could give more generous tax breaks.

It's good that the mayor is thinking big, but there is no way that Compton is the next Brooklyn. They really are not similar other than those vague things she described. I think Compton can improve and be a decent place for the middle class - but I have a hard time believing it will ever be a "hot" or trendy real estate market.

[K 22]

So does that mean a big, rusty arena is going to be built in Compton soon?

[genjy]

Echo Park wasn't really hot or trendy either, and that was only like 15-20 years ago (basically for as long I can remember/understand that neighborhood). Only my poorest and most under-privileged friends lived in Echo Park... the middle-class ones lived in Los Feliz and Silver Lake.

I am still fascinated how Echo Park went from a gangster barrio to hipsterville--because no one back then really saw that coming.

I am sure Compton will see some kind of renaissance soon. Probably won't be all hipsterly, but it will see some gentrification in some way.

[jm1982]

Good point, but Echo Park had a location closer to hipness versus Compton..being near Silverlake which has been hip quite a while.

Echo park already had existing venues and famous restaurants like Taix and music venues before it became hip right?

Do these places exist in Compton?

[munchitup]

Originally Posted by jm1982

Good point, but Echo Park had a location closer to hipness versus Compton..being near Silverlake which has been hip quite a while.

Echo park already had existing venues and famous restaurants like Taix and music venues before it became hip right?

Do these places exist in Compton?

Yeah, exactly. Echo Park has an incredible location, just a few minutes from DTLA and Hollywood in either direction. Plus a unique geography, older housing stock, etc. which made it more prime for trendy gentrification.

But I do think Genjy is right that Compton will become a better place to live, and so may gentrify one way or another. But as I said before I think it will be more for family-oriented middle class people and not younger "hip" people - but really in the long run this is a good thing because the former tend to have more stake in the neighborhood.