Should there be any doubt that LA belongs among the big 6 urban US cities?

[eschaton]

I'm not sure why people are comparing Miami Beach to Central LA. The obvious Los Angeles area comparison is Santa Monica.

Actually, it's interesting how in both metros (despite very different scales) the choice walkable areas are not in the immediate core (Brickell excepted, though I don't think it's that walkable) instead being found in either independent municipalities or a pretty large distance from the city center, which is mostly lower income.