Barkleydoom on April 14, 2007, at 03:13PM – #1

I don't know why, but my first thought after reading this is that part of the massive influx of white people Downtown is going to mean a lot of black people will be pushed out or put on to the fringes.

Benjamin Pezzillo on April 14, 2007, at 05:16PM – #2

My first thought was why should I be afraid of a person because of their skin color?

Mike on April 14, 2007, at 05:17PM – #3

Actually I have a comment that's off-topic but slightly related.

Although all the "white" (including other races from more affluent areas), people seem to be moving downtown in spite of the large population of blacks and latinos, I think they are scared to a certain extent.

On countless occassions I've seen owners who were walking their dogs and as soon as they walk by a black homeless guy, the dog goes nuts and starts barking at the black guy. I know the dogs aren't racist its because somehow they pick up on their owners feelings even if those feelings are completely hidden.

I think there's two reasons why it seems like the people aren't scared: 1) It's racist to act scared of other races and no one wants to be labeled a racist. 2) With housing gotten as expensive as it has, there's really few places left where middle-class people can buy so if they want to buy something they have to get used to the idea that they're going to be living amongst the lower classes.

3) Oh yeah and because its 2007 so people are more educated...

Whitman Lam on April 14, 2007, at 11:49PM – #4

It is not about racial boundaries. There are poor people, homeless, drug addicted and mentally ill of all races.

True, the most poor usually happen to be black. But this is a social issue between the haves and the have nots. Between the landlords/developers and the social service providers.

Poor people are being forced out in greater numbers due to the popularity of upscale urban living. It was easier to sleep in front of abandoned warehouses and offices.

But now it's become condo lofts, and they won't tolerate that crap.

You can look at this as a good thing. Less crime, vandalism, and cleaner streets.

But at the same time we are chasing out the artists, musicians, and creative talents that make our city unique. If you look at cities like Manhattan or San Francisco, the affordability in those cities is almost gone. It's a Gentrification-fest.

We still have a chance to keep housing affordable for our workforce, the not so wealthy, the ones living paycheck to paycheck... If that's what we want to do.

Jackie Goldberg on April 15, 2007, at 11:08AM – #5

whitman makes a great point about the "gentrifaction-fest" in SF and NYC. in that regard, one thing we have going for us is space, plenty of it. if people are being 'chased out', hopefully it doesn't have to be too far away.

Tommy on April 15, 2007, at 07:28PM – #6

Well let me ask you this then: Who were the downtown dwellers 100 years ago?

hsosa on April 15, 2007, at 10:32PM – #7

Im not scareed of black people. or any other. I grew up in NY. I think "they" are realizing that its not the 70s anymore. What Im really scared of is LAPD !

Joel C on April 16, 2007, at 09:08AM – #8

Tommy wrote:

"Well let me ask you this then: Who were the downtown dwellers 100 years ago?"

At the time, Downtown L.A. was a major rail terminus. So, there were lots of railroad workers in Downtown, as well as workers supporting the surrounding agricultural economy (packing and shipping produce). Also, lots of new residents just arriving from points east.

Thus, downtown (esp. Central City East) had lots of low-cost hotels. And a very transient, overwhelmingly-male working population.

Further west, Bunker Hill and Crown Hill were wealthy residential neighborhoods of the time.

sto on April 16, 2007, at 09:10AM – #9

I'm so glad this subject was brought up.

Hey Erik. When you can, sometime in the aftertoon walk around 5th and Spring. Look for this guy and be sure to ask him what he thinks of white people:

http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/8333/40225217om4.jpg

He's not hard to find.

And then maybe on a Saturday night you can look for the Black Supremacist muslims who publicly preach that the white race is inferior and we will soon be their slaves. Sometimes theyre on Broadway near the Rite Aid. This is what they look like:

http://img124.imageshack.us/img124/4469/77266142rl2.jpg

I'd love to hear how your encounters with these people turn out. Just be sure to leave your camera behind, they dont like being photographed very much ;)

fridayinla on April 16, 2007, at 09:25AM – #10

Scared of black people? Does he think the white people moving into downtown are all from Sweden?

I think it's great that the people who have inhabited downtown for the last few decades are embracing new-comers. Downtown should be a melting pot of diversity... it's what makes urban living (at least for me) interesting. Anyway, the black gentlemen sounds like a sweet guy.

Dennis on April 16, 2007, at 10:01AM – #11

I have to laugh outloud at this one. My heritage is Anglo and Latino, but those of you that have met me at the DLANC Filming Ad Hoc Committee can testify to the fact that I look like a slice of Wonder Bread.

I grew up in an African American and Latino neighborhood in East San Diego, so I stuck out - but was accepted by friends in the neighborhood because I grew up there. It was a rough neighborhood, and as cocaine came onto the scene in the 70's, drug dealing and violent crime skyrocketed.

I finished college and moved to L.A. After 12 years, my neighborhood in Venice Beach changed to become a very white and gentrified neighborhood and I started to feel out of place. The Latino neighborhood I originally moved into in Venice Beach was gone - replaced by unfriendly, superficial people that had no intention of being part of a neighborhood. I bought my loft downtown, and I felt like I had come home again.

One night in January when we were having that cold weather snap, I had on a black wool trench coat to keep warm while I was walking back from Lost Souls and Pete's.

An African American woman hanging out on the sidewalk with her girlfriends in front of the Alexandria at 1:00 AM stopped me and said, "hey white boy - where'd you get that coat?!?!"

I stopped and showed it to her, even showed her the red lining of the coat, and she and her friend chimed in chorus, "OH, HONEY! THAT IS FIERCE!"

We got to talking about why I moved into the neighborhood and they asked me if I felt safe. So I told them what it felt like the neighborhood where I grew up, but that neighborhood was very unsafe. I had a few friends growing up that were cholos with the local gang in my neighborhood that watched out for me - and that probably saved my life. I told these women that I didn't feel unsafe in our neighborhood downtown at all, and that I loved living here. It was more a matter of just paying attention to what was going on around you.

That was a year ago, and every time I see them we stop and talk.

Home is where you make it. I hope we can keep the neighborhood welcome for all of us that come into it. The nightmare of gentrification in Venice Beach does not have to happen in our Historic Core.