...from reading past topics in some of the forums here, and coming from Northern Cali, I have heard left and right the great amount of bad portrayal regarding the city of Los Angeles. Here is an article from the Miami Herald...
Atleast it is portraying LA in a better light...though, i do not think it was nice or ok how they present the homeless in this article. Nobody, wether with a home or not is less than another human. Where is the love? I hate how people love to judge and negatively convey problems out of "issues" that ideally should never exist. We should focus on solutions that help out EVERYONE rather than just some, and destroy any negative judgement toward any individual.
But then again...reality sucks!
Miami Herald
Could Los Angeles be the next great downtown?
BY MICHAEL MARTINEZ
San Jose Mercury News
LOS ANGELES --
Strip away the traffic and the smog, the endless stretches of freeway, the concrete sprawl and the tiresome Hollywood glitterati, and maybe ... just maybe ... Los Angeles isn't such a bad place to visit.
If you can get past all the things people love to hate about it, L.A. -- 4 million people, 467 square miles -- has undiscovered appeal for those who venture downtown: old movie houses, art deco buildings, thriving fashion and jewelry districts, open-air markets, and performing arts centers.
OK, so it might not be as popular as Malibu or the Magic Kingdom. But big cities across the United States are becoming popular destinations as their downtowns are reimagined, cleaned up and redeveloped. Now Los Angeles' downtown is on the verge of a renaissance.
''Waterfront revitalization in Boston, Baltimore and even New York have attracted significant visitor arrivals to those downtowns,'' said travel expert Don George, formerly with Lonely Planet Publications, now editing a Web site called Don's Place. ``Philadelphia has spiffed up its downtown in the past five years and become a tourist magnet again.
``In terms of L.A., I've been amazed at how its downtown has evolved. The whole area is like night and day.''
What's there to do?
You can take a walking tour of architectural wonders. Or attend a symphony at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Eat at Grand Central Market, a bazaar of ethnic foods from Asian seafood to Salvadoran pupusas. Or prowl the busy jewelry and fashion districts.
And stay into the evening. Although downtown has always had two faces -- alive and busy during the day, quiet and empty by sunset as workers head for the suburbs -- it's slowly becoming a round-the-clock destination. Hundreds of vintage buildings, shuttered and ignored for decades, are being brought back to life as office and living space, enough to make developers and historians thankful they weren't razed. Many commercial buildings are now condos and loft-style apartments; more than 7,000 new units have opened since 1999, with at least that many under construction.
An increase in population has helped spawn more restaurants and clubs, allowing visitors to enjoy a nightlife that didn't exist in the past. And the city's homeless population, which once would have discouraged a nighttime visit, has decreased as a result of police intervention.
All of which is making the downtown area more inviting for out-of-towners.
''Residential development is creating an area that's open 24 hours a day,'' said Hal Bastian, who heads the city's downtown economic development.
A key component is likely to be LA Live, a 27-acre, $2.5 billion complex across the street from Staples Center (home of the basketball Lakers and Clippers) that tourism officials are touting as a 24-hour experience.
When finished, the complex will be the centerpiece of a rejuvenated downtown. The Nokia Theatre, a 7,100-seat concert venue, is scheduled to open this fall, to be followed by a 54-story hotel tower that will house both the Marriott and Ritz-Carlton, a Grammy Awards museum, a 14-screen movie complex, restaurants and clubs. The rollout should be complete by 2010.
What to do until then? If you visit, you'll have plenty of choices.
Shoppers can stroll the jewelry district, where dealers sell watches, necklaces, stones and precious gems at wholesale prices. St. Vincent Jewelry Center, at one time a Bullock's department store on Hill Street, has more than 450 merchants under one roof. While there, have lunch at Clifton's Cafeteria on Broadway, an old-school eatery that has been at that location since 1935.
Then make your way south to Santee Alley -- where the bargain shopping goes on for two blocks. Located in an alley (really) between Santee Street and Maple Avenue, it's an open-air free-for-all: More than 200 stalls sell jeans, sneakers, dresses and jackets at bargain-basement prices. You'll even see designer knockoffs like Dooney & Bourke bags and Prada sunglasses. The police occasionally swoop down on merchants peddling illegal stuff in the open, but few seem deterred.
Surrounding streets are filled with small shops selling fabric (some as cheap as 10 cents a yard), apparel and costume jewelry. Nearby, the flower district is housed in two buildings where visitors can buy anything from carnations to orchids to potted plants -- after retailers have made their purchases for the day. But arrive early or you're likely to miss the best buds.
L.A. Fashion District is a must-see for fashionistas. Although primarily wholesale shops, many are open to the public at discounts up to 70 percent. For women who wear sizes 0 to 4, the high-end contemporary designer showrooms offer sample sales, usually on the last Friday of each month, where end-of-season clothing can be had at bargain prices.
For architecture enthusiasts, the Los Angeles Conservancy has several walking tours that highlight some of the city's varied styles, including classical revival, art deco, renaissance revival and moderne.
Broadway's historic theater district runs from Olympic to Third Street and includes 12 former movie palaces that have been preserved for future improvements. Only the Orpheum, built in 1926 and host to performers such as Judy Garland, Jack Benny and Duke Ellington, has been fully renovated. The others are clearly in need of some tender loving care.
''Our intent is to preserve them so we can find somebody to do something with them,'' said Linda Dishman, executive director of L.A. Conservancy. ``We want to make sure that these treasures are preserved and brought back to life.''
One splendid sight is the Bradbury Building, 304 S. Broadway, the oldest commercial building in central city and still in use as an office building. Walk into the lobby and behold a Victorian court with a broad skylight roof almost 50 feet high, cage elevators, marble stairs and ornate iron railings.
El Pueblo Historical Monument -- more popularly known as Olvera Street -- remains a favorite tourist attraction, as much for its souvenir and crafts stands as its authentic Mexican food. It's considered the birthplace of Los Angeles, and visitors can tour Avila Adobe, the oldest house in L.A.
No matter where you walk, you'll feel a strong Latino influence throughout much of downtown -- Mexican music emanates from stores that sell Spanish-language movies and music, plus electronics, toys, and dresses and accessories for weddings and quinceaneras. It's part of what gives L.A. its character -- lots of diversity, lots of things to see and do.
And while homelessness is visible in some parts, it has been reduced significantly in others. According to police figures, the homeless population downtown has fallen from almost 1,400 in November 2006 to 735 in April; crime also was trimmed by 35 percent in a recent six-month period. The reduction came as a result of a crackdown on crime in skid row and attempts to move the homeless out of the city center as the residential population has increased.
''There's an enormous increase in residential and community development, and it's pressing against those areas which at one time were part of skid row,'' said Michael Collins, executive vice president of the city's convention and visitors bureau. ``Five years ago, Fourth and Main was almost like a homeless encampment. Now, there's a very trendy restaurant on the corner and across the street.''
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