Downtown L.A.: A Nightmare on Every Street (op-ed in L.A Times)

L.A. Times (really) ^ | July 17, 2911

[doug from upland]

Downtown Los Angeles boasts some big-city perks like spacious lofts and trendy restaurants, but living there is a different kind of beast.

By Mike Armstrong

July 17, 2011 "Look, Daddy, that man's going to the bathroom!"

No, not the words any daddy wants to hear from his 10-year-old daughter, especially during a stroll through their brand-new neighborhood.

Moving my wife and kids into a downtown Los Angeles loft may not win me "Dumbest Dad of the Year" honors, but it should at least get me into the quarterfinals. The loft itself was great. More like a movie set than an apartment. High ceilings, new appliances, breathtaking views and a deck with a Jacuzzi that was used at least once every six months during our year there. It wasn't what was inside the building that broke the deal; it was what was out there on the mean and strange streets of downtown Los Angeles.

Why we moved there is academic. More space for less money, a new environment, cool restaurants and various other meaningless enticements. I got sucked in; I was wrong, and I admit it. I've apologized to everybody involved, and I will continue to do so until I am either dead or forgiven. In the meantime, let me tell you about my downtown L.A.

[GOP Poet]

Appreciate the translation. :-)

[dragnet2]

I know the downtown area quite well. You have to be really naive to move there thinking it’s a safe location

Fact is, no where is safe, including *all* big cities.

If you think downtown LA is dangerous ya ought to see big city statistic in other states...

Try Texas major cities for instance...In fact, most of major cities in the Midwest are by far more dangerous and have more violent crime per capita than CA major cities.

Dallas and Los Angeles Comparative Crime Ratios per 100,000 People

Latest 2006 Crimes per 100,000 People:

	Dallas, TX	Los Angeles, CA	National
Murder:	15	12.4	7
Forcible Rape:	53.28	27.3	32.2
Robbery:	553.9	370	205.8
Aggravated Assault:	584.2	377.2	336.5
Burglary:	1734.7	524.8	813.2
Larceny Theft:	4006.4	1539.2	2601.7
Vehicle Theft:	1116	654.4	501.5	Based on the final 2006 FBI Crime Statistics.

[RitchieAprile]

Oh yeah - Court and Spark, perhaps the best album of the 70s.

[dragnet2]

Houston and San Francisco Comparative Crime Ratios per 100,000 People

Houston and San Francisco Comparative Crime Ratios per 100,000 People

Latest 2006 Crimes per 100,000 People:

	Houston, TX	San Francisco, CA	National
Murder:	18.2	11.5	7
Forcible Rape:	41.18	20.64	32.2
Robbery:	548.3	517.1	205.8
Aggravated Assault:	561.7	326.4	336.5
Burglary:	1295.7	866.5	813.2
Larceny Theft:	3524.6	3202.2	2601.7
Vehicle Theft:	1017.2	889.4	501.5

[dragnet2]

Get a load of the crime in the major Midwestern cities..

This is nuts and makes even Dallas look safe.

St. Louis Missouri and Los Angeles Comparative Crime Ratios per 100,000 People

Latest 2006 Crimes per 100,000 People:

	St. Louis, MO	Los Angeles, CA	National
Murder:	37.2	12.4	7
Forcible Rape:	97.15	27.3	32.2
Robbery:	907.2	370	205.8
Aggravated Assault:	1439.1	377.2	336.5
Burglary:	2453.3	524.8	813.2
Larceny Theft:	6802.4	1539.2	2601.7
Vehicle Theft:	2492.2	654.4	501.5

[Rational Thought]

Thanks for that.

This would be a great reality TV show....”America’s Most Dangerous Neighborhoods”.

Of interest;

http://www.walletpop.com/photos/most-dangerous-neighborhoods/

[Kickass Conservative]

Tommy's has multiple locations in Southern California now, but the Burgers at the Original always taste a little bit better.

Used to get off work at 8:30 AM and head to Tommy's for “breakfast”. That was long before the invention of the Breakfast Burrito BTW.

It's a wonder my arteries aren't as plugged up as the 405 in West L.A. at rush hour.

[oldfart]

My last trip to L.A. WAS my last trip there.

I was job-hunting and had a pretty good position locked up. Still, I wasn’t happy about leaving Oregon and called home several times during the trip to see if any jobs had opened up locally. At one stop, I had to wait for the one public phone top become available as a very pretty young woman was using it. I remember her tight yellow pants and red shoes (OK, I remember other things too but those were important later.)

She finished her call, jumped into her car and headed south into L.A. I made my call and a few minutes later, followed her. About Newhall I ran into a traffic jam that all but stopped traffic. Along with a few thousand other people, I jockeyed my car along until I could see a mass of red and blue lights ahead. Creeping past two wrecked cars I glanced over to see a familiar pair of yellow pants sticking out from under a blanket. One foot still wore a red shoe.

I turned around at the next opportunity and went home. To paraphrase Douglas MacArthur, ‘I shall NOT return!’

[Justa]

Grand Funk Railroad
Doobie Brothers
Mountain
Iron Butterfly

I consider the ‘71 - ‘73 period to be the apex of American R-n-R.

[OregonRancher]

Why I consider myself lucky and blessed.

Tommy’s was a magnet, especially at 2 am. I left Manhattan Beach in my Vette and hit the Santa Monica freeway. Taking the sweeping 130 degree turn on to the Hollywood freeway, I spun out and went sliding up the soaked ivy covered slope about 100 feet. Somehow I managed to get back on to the on ramp, despite the driving rain, and went on to get my two burgers and 1000 cups of very strong black coffee.

Looking back it’s a miracle that I made it past 30...laughing
Of course, having my wife is a miracle itself.

[radiohead]

Love it! I listen to Dragnet almost everyday via http://www.archive.org/details/Dragnet_OTR. I love the idea of Joe down in Texas.

I enjoy the show, but considering Joe was in his 30’s at the time (around the same age as my son), his mother sounds like she’s 90, not a spry young 50+ yr old like myself. : )

[dragnet2]

Here's another Midwestern city

Cincinnati and Los Angeles Comparative Crime Ratios per 100,000 People

2006 Crimes per 100,000 People:

	Cincinnati, OH	Los Angeles, CA	National
Murder:	28.8	12.4	7
Forcible Rape:	94.14	27.3	32.2
Robbery:	756.7	370	205.8
Aggravated Assault:	338.7	377.2	336.5
Burglary:	1944	524.8	813.2
Larceny Theft:	4374.9	1539.2	2601.7
Vehicle Theft:	833.1	654.4	501.5

[Smogger]

Sitting in my car tailgating, and handing out cigarettes and beer to the homeless, before each Laker game, I used to discuss with my buddy who was going to fork out big money (from the low 400K’s the banners bragged) to live in the condos going up all around what the city is calling “South Park.” Urban hipsters? People who hate grass and trees? Folks who dislike convenience and like to pay too much for gas?

I guess now I have my answer.

At least now I can take a leak at the Cork Bar before I head into the game ;-)