Posted on 01/14/2016 2:37:17 PM PST by jeannineinsd
Not long ago, Inglewood's prospect's looked bleak. The city was verging on bankruptcy, its schools were destitute, and it had been a long time since people called it the "City of Champions" - once a nod to the world champion Lakers - without irony.
But in recent years, the nine-square-mile city with a population of just 110,000 has shown signs of a stunning turnaround. The Forum, which the Lakers left in 1999, was reopened as a lavish concert venue. Developers announced that the Hollywood Park racetrack, closed in 2013, would be the site of a massive retail and residential complex.
And this week came the most dramatic news yet: the Rams were returning to Southern California - possibly to be joined by a second team - to play in a planned stadium in Inglewood touted as the most glorious in the country.
- snip -
Inglewood is helped by its location. The wave of gentrification that has swept through downtown Los Angeles and Westside neighborhoods like Venice Beach and Playa del Rey could move toward Inglewood, driving up housing prices and spurring new development.
"Inglewood is very close to all these places, and it wouldn't take much to tip it," said Tilly, the UCLA expert.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
I agree Inglewood is in a good location, along the San Diego Freeway, near the airport. That is also a bit of a disadvantage, traffic wise, as that freeway sometimes resembles a parking lot.
In the summer of 2014 I drove up to attend a concert at the remodeled Forum. The venue was Fabulous. It had great acoustics, and the audience was very close to the performers. We had a great view and great sound.
The Inglewood neighborhood did seem like it would benefit from gentrification.
Though I did drive up to Inglewood to see a concert, I wouldn't drive up to see the Chargers. I don't even drive to Mission Valley to see the Chargers.
The article hints that Inglewood's economic downturn was caused by the Laker's departure to the new Staples Center. My memory is that is was the other way around, Inglewood's downturn lead to the Laker's departure. Could any LA area freepers weigh in on that sequence of events?
I doubt it has improved in the slightest. Driving to get my girlfriend at the old Pepperdine was edgy. Always had my .357 mag Derringer close by driving through there. Every corner had a group of Amish staring at you.
Picked up my little brother from a Forum concert years later and it was just as bad, he was harassed all the way to where I got him.
Is this Ferguson effect? The “black lives matter” initiatives have made such a mess of the St Louis area that pro teams would be unwise to stay.
Went to 4 or 5 Laker games...back in the ShowTime days.
Chick Hearn...was the BEST!!
Inglewood...was what it was.
Never called the 405....the San Diego FWY though..Ha!!
The Rams pissed me off...when they left Anaheim. And I think they are screwing the St. Louis fans, now.
Frankly I rarely watch the NFL....and pretty much don't care.
FWIW-
This move has been in the works for a decade. It’s what happens when a city signs a lease that requires them to invest in stadium improvements and doesn’t.
Does it really matter?
The Rams (and the Raiders) have already failed in LA in the past. What exactly makes the NFL think it ill be any different this time? They simply cannot stop looking at the population number as a guaranteed predictor of success. It isn’t, as has been proven in that very city several times so far.
Primer mi carcucha (Chevy ‘39)
Going to El Inglewood Football Stadium.
NFL football will be out of LA again within 10 years.
They didn’t fail. They didn’t get the stadium deals they wanted. Financially they were doing fine, but they wanted new more awesome stadiums and LA wouldn’t give it to them so they left. And now St Louis and Oak won’t give them new awesome stadiums. With only 32 teams and at least 100 cities that arguably could support a team there’s ALWAYS a city more willing to bend further over. Don’t mistake that for failing, it’s just chasing a good deal. Same reason GE moved to Boston, they weren’t failing in Connecticut, but they’re going to have more of the success they want (tax breaks) in Boston.
How will the NFL use the threat of moving to LA now, to strong arm.other cities to build new stadiums???
I wonder if they will sell paint for graffiti in the stadium?
Maybe off topic,but why do they tend to build stadiums and arenas in bad neighborhoods??? In so many cities the sports venues are in declining or marginal or outright bad areas.
I have a feeling in the end the Raiders will stay in Oakland and the Chargers in San Diego.
I don’t see how LA can support more than one team, and the Rams are the ones with the most history in LA, and would most likely be, by a wide margin the most popular team in LA.
You obviously know nothing of the history of those teams when they were in LA. Both moves came about by ineptitude of either owners, the Coliseum Commision, or both. Throw in at least one city (St.Louis) willing to screw its taxpayers and there you have it.
...No. It will be like Balitmore.
People will flock to get there in safety then scramble to get the heck out. No one is going to stop anywhere in that area and spend money outside of a guarded arena.
I hope they go back to yellow and blue.
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