Quote:
Originally Posted by LAofAnaheim
20 years ago
downtown LA - was a 9 - 5 area, but really rundown at night with the homeless encampment far west as Spring street. South Park was full of parking lots. No Staples Center/LA Live!, Old Bank District, 7th street restaurant row
Old Town Pasadena was relatively young, if even in existence
Santa Monica 3rd street promenade opened in 1991
Venice was considered "South Central" still at this time; not a place you wanted to be after 6 pm
Hollywood was really sketchy
Culver City downtown was pitiful
Today
Downtown LA has established neighborhoods with nighttime entertainment. Visit 7th street or Spring street today, and they've become nightlife destinations. Skid Row has been pushed east to Los Angeles street, and the Artwalk attracts over 20,000 people a month. Staples Center/LA Live! have revamped downtown LA as the sports entertainment capital of LA
Old Town Pasadena/3rd Street Promenade Santa Moncia are two of the most liveliest family friendly districts in Los Angeles county. People feel safe here (not for the single 20s crowd) and restaurants are happening all night.
Hollywood has cleaned up significantly over last 20 years. The clubs are popping, but you also have the family friendly area of Hollywood/Highland, Disney's Cafe, tourists that stay well into the night (didn't happen 20 years ago)
Culver City downtown - fantastic little area in Culver City.
Venice beach has become the "new Amsterdam"/hippie area of Los Angeles; no longer considered "South Central".
Leimart Park - people celebrate the culture of black history in LA, not fear of racial riots
Koreatown - popping with all the Korean karaoke bars
Long Beach - boy, remember downtown Long Beach/Pine Avenue 20 years ago? It was scary as heck! Now, it's become a true nightlife destination and hosts many great events (Red Bull, drag racing); and a cycling paradise
So, to give a blanket statement that "relative decline of LA over the past 20 years"...I'd like for you to show me what you truly mean as a decline. I don't remember LA being this fun 20 years ago. There was no monthly artwalk in downtown LA, Venice Beach first friday, cicLAvia, Pillow Fight day, Santa bar crawl, etc...
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I'm sorry, I guess I wasn't clear. Of course "urban" LA didn't go through any absolute decline in the past 20 years. As you explained, there is a lot more (really semi) urban stuff now than 20 years ago. I'm talking about LA's place in the world in general. I'll state right now that I didn't write a thesis on this, and can just go on anecdotal stuff that I've read and heard. I'm in my early 30s, and started to read and follow the economic news in the late 80s and early 90s. Plus I've seen old films etc. And I have the impression that LA was a much bigger deal in the 70s and 80s than it is now. In the 70s, lots of people were sure it would overtake NY in the not-so-distant future. In the 80s, it was the emergent co-capital of the Pacific Rim, along with Tokyo. And remember, NY's (or for that matter, London's) place as an undisputed top-three world city was not nearly as established back then, as it is now.
Sure, urban LA made progress, but with world class urbanity, we're talking about something like going from 10 to 20, on a scale of 100. The numbers are just an example, but I hope you understand what I mean. Meanwhile NY really cleaned itself up, and has a lock on finance, and the explosion of money that have come with it over the past 30 years. London went from the capital of a declining old colonial power, frumpy, relatively homogeneous, likely to be overtaken by Frankfurt anytime, into the undisputed financial capital of Europe, as well as a huge center for global immigration, Russian and Indian billionaires, etc. Meanwhile, nobody talks about LA as the capital of the Pacific Rim anymore, as the most diverse city on earth, as the place to glimpse the future of America... Sure your urbanism went from non-existent to just weak, but a lot of other relative advantages were lost over the same period.
I really do wish LA the best, but unless the people in power understand the current (changed) situation, they can't really improve their city and state.
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