By Rebecca Derrough
All of our stories of Los Angeles are flawed and partial. The best of them account for the ordinariness of life. They acknowledge that place-making in this city is collaborative work in which the functional, the most efficient or the most beautiful are not always the highest values. And these stories are possibly redemptive. (D.J. Waldie)
The city of Los Angeles exists as a series of sub-divisions – disparate parts coming together rather imperfectly to create a whole. Many of the countless ethnic groups that call Los Angeles home have established various “towns” and “villages” throughout the city, unwilling and unforced to assimilate into the mainstream culture. Although this begs the question – is there truly a mainstream culture in LA that amounts to more than simply the sum of its parts? To those with no first hand experience, the depictions coming out of Hollywood are often assumed to be interchangeable with those of actual Los Angeles. In this way, the entertainment industry is constantly manufacturing a skewed image of the city. Between accounts of the glamourous Hollywood elite and portrayals of the “mean streets” of LA, there is very little room for the average resident to find an identity in the cinematic landscape that supposedly represents their hometown. The reality is that there is no one Los Angeles, no definitive culture by which those who live within its boundaries can be classified. There is, instead, a versioned city – a variety of worlds to be found within the greater Los Angeles, with its residents left to perceive their home in whatever way they may choose.
It is within this framework that I decided to interview a diverse cross-section of Los Angeles residents and gather information pertaining to their perceptions of the city. The Farmer’s Market, located on 3rd and Fairfax, became my ideal place of inquiry. Built in the year 1934, the establishment has become something of a Los Angeles landmark and to this day attracts a diverse and interesting group of people from both Los Angeles and abroad. The market itself seems classic, with the antiquated charm of an old farmhouse, set against the unlikely backdrop of Hollywood. To the south of the market lies Little Ethiopia, one of Los Angeles’ many traditional, ethnic villages featuring the food and people of its homeland. Directly to the north of the market lies the CBS headquarters, one of the major production facilities of much of today’s popular television entertainment. And a person has only to step directly outside of the market’s charming gates to find him- or herself immersed in The Grove, an outdoor shopping mall an outdoor shopping mall which mixes consumerism and entertainment in ways that people have come to expect from Los Angeles.
Livin’ the L.A. Dream
Ralph Davis. Television Production Sound.
(He is leisurely enjoying a bowl of chili, sitting alone but surrounded by people. He’s wearing a maroon sweater under a leather jacket, with grey slack pants and a FDNY baseball hat. He has an easy smile and a scruffy, grey beard covering his dark skin. He moved to Los Angeles in 1962 from Houston Texas. He is 61. I get the feeling he has lived a long life.)
Why do you live in Los Angeles?
Well, uh
Why do I live in Los Angeles?
Uh,
(pause)
Initially because my family moved here,
and, uh
Is there any reason you stayed?
(pause)
Why not?
Can’t beat the weather. (he says this laughing)
What is your favorite place in Los Angeles?
Um,
beach.
It has a,
a calming nature.
When I have problems I go to the beach
and it,
it pretty much solves my problems.
What is your least favorite place in Los Angeles?
(pause)
The 10 Freeway.
I guess that leads to the biggest problem in LA?
Traffic.
What do you like most about Los Angeles?
Climate.
If you had a billion dollars to spend on improving the city, how would you choose to spend it?
Mass transit.
Is there anything that could happen that would cause you to leave Los Angeles?
Catastrophic earthquake.
Have you seen anything in Los Angeles that surprised you?
Well, when I first came here Disneyland surprised me.
I was awestruck with Disneyland.
But actually,
what surprised me more
was the availability of education.
Inexpensive education.
Well,
at the time that I came here
you could go to Los Angeles City College your first two years of college
for seven dollars and fifty cents a semester
and buy your books,
okay?
And that was
quite attractive to me.
I went to LA City College,
eventually I graduated.
It took me a long time. (laughs)
But I went to, uh, Loyola Marymount
after that.
But, uh,
I got hired in the entertainment industry
while I was still in school, so I dropped out.
Been doin’ that now for thirty years.
Wow, so you’re kind of living the L.A. Dream?
Kind of.
With Love, From Thailand
Nadia Tri. Self-employed.
(She sits in the middle of the Farmer’s Market alone. She is quietly enjoying a bowl of fruit. Moved here 10 years ago from Bangkok. Doesn’t seem to be assimilated into the buzz around her. 36. Soft-spoken, yet friendly. Not completely comfortable with the language, but conveys intelligence. Kind.)
Why do you live in Los Angeles?
I think it’s great city.
It’s um…
um…
like,
people from all around the world.
Have a good weather.
What is your favorite place in LA and why?
Hmm…
I mean…
I like to go see movies so my favorite place is theatre.
I love Arclight Theatre.
What’s your least favorite place in LA and why?
Maybe downtown.
Skid Row.
What do you like about LA?
I think what I said before…
I like the diversity
of the city.
What do you think is the biggest problem facing LA?
Maybe traffic.
If you had a billion dollars to spend on improving the city, how would you choose to spend it?
(very long pause)
I don’t know how
but …
I think …
to
do anything
to make it..
uh..
to make people
I mean
more safety,
more built,
like a
nicer environment,
and everything for like children.
Is there anything that could happen that would cause you to leave Los Angeles?
Earthquake. (almost instinctively, with definite undertones of fear)
Kind of Cliché
Jeremy Hodge. Soon-to-be freshman at UCSB. Employee at Crate and Barrel.
(He sits at a table in the Farmer’s market, eating a sandwich on his lunch break. Chooses to eat there rather than in the mall. Lived in LA his whole life. Very casual. Shorts and a stripped polo t-shirt paired with Converse sneakers. He is the typical Californian. 18. Speech reveals youthfulness, yet he’s articulate and opinionated.)
Why do you live in Los Angeles?
Uh,
because my parents
lived here
and I haven’t had the means to leave
yet.
Would you have left?
Honestly, no. I like L.A.
I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.
What is your favorite place in Los Angeles?
Venice Beach.
It’s just a really, like,
I like the,
it’s a really laid back environment,
and I like how,
I can’t really explain it,
it’s just
it has like a really
like, kinda
Hippie-ish feel to it.
And I like that.
(he speaks in typical “Valley” vernacular, punctuating thoughts with “likes” and stumbling over words due to speed)
What is your least favorite place in Los Angeles?
Least favorite place?
DMV probably. (laughs)
But, uh
least favorite
like,
neighborhood of L.A.?
Uh…
Downtown.
Just because it’s really dirty there.
Smells bad.
What do you like most about Los Angeles?
I like how…
(pause)
what do I like about L.A.?
I like how, like
this might sound kind of cliché,
but,
L.A. is really, like, one of the most diverse places I’ve ever been to. Like, there’s actually
like, there’s a little neighborhood
for almost every ethnicity you can go to,
like, every ethnicity you can think of.
And,
I just,
I just honestly,
I like
the diversity.
I like how there’s, also,
I like how there’s a lot of stuff to do.
Uh, I think L.A. is like, a really cultural city.
Like,
you can experience
like,
whatever culture you want here.
There’s just so many people of different backgrounds
Like,
I know it sounds cliché,
but I honestly think that.
What is the biggest problem facing Los Angeles?
Traffic.
Traffic sucks.
But, uh
honestly, I think gang violence.
I know there’s gang violence everywhere, but I think it’s a lot different in L.A.
Uh,
‘cause, like, I know a lot
I know a lot
there’s actually
there were
at my old school, there used to be a lot of gangs.
But, uh, (he slows down for a breath)
I think the
biggest problem with gangs in L.A.
is that,
especially now-a-days,
people get involved in gang violence when they’re not even really
gang members per say.
Like, I know a lot of people who have gotten shot
because
of
stupid mistakes.
Like, ‘cause here it’s a lot more about
like,
what colors you wear
and, like
you can get mistaken for a gang member
for doing the stupidest thing
and, I just think that’s
really stupid.
If you had a billion dollars to spend on improving the city, how would you choose to spend it?
Uh,
A billion dollars?
Wow.
First thing, I guess would
I guess I’d establish a,
a more efficient
trash pick-up service,
‘cause, uh, I know L.A. is really dirty.
I’d,
somehow, I don’t know how I would do this
but I would think of a way to
fix traffic.
‘Cause that’s probably the most annoying part of L.A.
Maybe build like,
a second layer to every street.
Oh, and get us a football team.
Why did you choose not to go to college in Los Angeles?
Um, well
because I didn’t get in to UCLA.
And I couldn’t afford to go to USC.
But, uh,
Uh, I’m leaving
L.A. just because, uh,
I got into UCSB. But also,
even though I do like L.A., I did kinda want to get away from the big city thing.
I wanted to go to a smaller place, so I could just get to know people more,
as opposed to just being in the middle of a lot of
chaos and stuff.
Have you seen anything in Los Angeles that surprised you?
People aren’t this,
people aren’t as
P.C. and liberal as you think they are.
Like, probably more so than in other parts of the country,
but
people in L.A. aren’t nearly
like, everybody has this perception of Los Angeles and like,
San Francisco as just being these really, like,
as these really, like,
radical, liberal,
like,
gay pride parades type things.
And a lot of people I know are just really not like that at all.
Personal Therapy
Laura Schultz. Therapist.
(Sits at a corner table, leaned up against a wall. Big black sunglasses framed by graying hair. Smoking a cigarette and reading a book. Intimidating presence. As I approach, she looks up and her face instantly softens. Removes sunglasses and smile begins to form. She is 54. Her voice is warm and compassionate. She leans forward to engage.)
Why do you live in Los Angeles?
My.. my
mother is here,
and most of my friends.
What is your favorite place in Los Angeles, and why?
I think it’s here,
actually.
Um,
my grandmother used to take me
here when I was a kid.
It has a lot of
memories.
What is your least favorite part of Los Angeles, and why?
(pause)
Downtown
L.A.
What do you like about Los Angeles?
I like the diversity.
Um, different kinds of people.
And, um,
you can find anything you want
here.
What do you feel is the biggest problem with Los Angeles?
Traffic and noise. (laughs, seems almost for effect)
If you had a billion dollars to spend on improving the city, how would you choose to spend it?
(She asks to turn off the tape recorder. Says she needs time to think about her answer. A couple of minutes go by.)
I’m not sure if this would even cost money, but I would like to see more of a balance between rich and poor. (She says almost in the same breath, as if she were reciting something she had prepared for the occasion.)
(She pauses again. When prompted she slowly elaborates.)
So,
probably,
um,
more social programs,
better education system,
and, um…
more opportunities, more job opportunities.
Is there anything that could happen that would cause you to leave L.A.?
(long pause)
I’ve thought about it
a lot.
Um,
Just because of the expense of living
here, (coughs)
and what you can get
in another place for less money.
Um…
yea, that would probably be it.
That’s just the kind of city L.A. is
Kris Nagy. Student at Univeristy of Southern California.
(First generation American, his parents are from Hungary and Italy. Lived in San Gabriel his whole life. He sits cross-legged and casual on a bench outside of VKC. Dressed in shorts and sandals. Backpack at his side. Sits in the shade to escape the heat. Very much a USC Student. 20 years old. He seems comfortable and happy.)
Why do you live in Los Angeles?
Well, uh, I kinda had no choice.
My parents
like, lived here.
But,
I guess I did chose to go to school here because, like
I really
like, like the city a lot, like
everything I’m,
I’m used to is around here.
And, I guess, like
I, I wouldn’t want to be far from my
parents or my
family.
And my friends, all my friends go to like,
UC’s and
I felt like ‘SC was a good choice.
Plus, I came here for the music program.
That’s my major.
What is your favorite place in Los Angeles?
Um,
It’s, it’s gonna be, it’s,
I’d have to say,
It’s gonna be, like,
Downtown, where the music
district is, like
Disney Hall.
Just because, like, uh, that’s my,
I’m majoring in music,
and I
grew up with music
and I love going to, like,
concerts and stuff over there.
What is your least favorite place in Los Angeles?
Least favorite place… (chuckles)
anywhere where I feel threatened, I guess.
(laughs)
Well, not in the general, like
block around USC,
but if you go farther than
that
then, you know,
I start
fearing my life, and, I guess I don’t like that area.
What do you like most about Los Angeles?
I guess just it’s
like, diversity, and where, like,
you know,
you feel like Japanese food, you can go to
J Town;
you wanna, like,
eat Korean food, you go
to Korea Town. Like,
no matter where you are there’s always something to do, you know,
it’s like,
it’s just how,
you know, L.A. is,
there’s always something to do at night.
There’s,
I don’t know, it’s just kind of fun.
Uh, and another thing I like about it too is like, I love cars
too, so like,
it’s kinda nice because L.A. is like, built around, like,
car transportation.
I love cars,
it’s like,
my hobby.
What is the biggest problem facing Los Angeles?
Um,
I’d say
it’s, in general, like,
you see a lot of
like, poverty
and like, like,
homelessness.
And, like, I think that’s, like, really sad because, like,
on one hand, you have, like,
super rich people, I’d say, like,
L.A. has probably more rich people than, like
most of the United States has, like in a concentrated place, besides like,
New York and stuff, like, there’s a lot of like,
like, wealthy people in like, Beverly Hills and stuff, and like,
it’s funny,
because you drive, like, 20 minutes
like, east
of Beverly Hills
and you have, like,
a ghetto,
and it’s like
well, you know, what’s going on? Like, I think
that’s probably the one of the
biggest problems with L.A.
is that, there’s such a big gap between rich and poor, and like,
a lot of L.A. is,
it has a lot of homelessness and stuff.
If you had a billion dollars to spend on improving the city, how would you choose to spend it?
Maybe some kind of
like,
work program for like, homeless people.
Set it up for them, so that maybe they could, like
start working, get back into society,
I guess.
Just helping out homeless people,
because that,
you know,
you see them a lot, especially around USC, and like
make some kind of program to help them, like,
you know, work,
make some money, or something.
Is there anything that could happen that would cause you to leave Los Angeles?
Uh…
not,
not that I can think of, I mean, like,
it just depends on what happens,
what the magnitude of the even would be.
I mean, like,
maybe if a ginormous earthquake destroyed everything, then I guess I would leave L.A.
because there would be nothing here.
But, generally,
I like the city a lot.
I mean, everything here has
you know, got some…
well, got some culture.
Although,
I dunno, I guess
like in music, you know? Like,
like,
there’s everything here, you know?
You can’t really go wrong.
Have you seen anything in Los Angeles that surprised you?
I think L.A. lives up to what it’s
really
been said to be.
You know, you got
crazy traffic. That doesn’t surprise me.
You’ve got, you know,
all the diversity
in all the different areas of L.A.
That doesn’t surprise me.
I can’t really think of anything that would surprise me in L.A.
I think everything’s to be expected, you know?
(laughs)
L.A. is…
That’s just the kind of city L.A. is.
When I first started these interviews, I found that I was looking for certain responses; that I had chosen the questions almost based on the answers I would surely receive. I found myself trying to coax these answers out of the people I was interviewing. But when I really started to listen to what they were saying, I realized it was even more interesting than what I had anticipated because it was real. Not everyone is going to have a life-defining moment fit perfectly in to the set of questions I had prepared. But these were real people, with real lives and problems, who were experiencing L.A. differently every single day, and that was pretty exciting.
The response I got about L.A. was overwhelmingly positive, with most people in accordance about the city’s virtues overriding her negatives. People agreed unanimously about its diversity, and as Jeremy said, while this is probably a cliché about L.A., to deny a truth simply because someone has decided it’s been said too often is not helpful in advancing a discussion. The diversity in Los Angeles is distinct and unusually pervasive as it literally reaches every facet of the city. The people, cultures, activities, and economies are of every kind imaginable, and it is all to be found within a relatively small perimeter. During the interviews, every single person responded differently to the question regarding their favorite place in L.A. To me, this reinforced both the diversity of opinions as well as the abundance of things offered by the city.
While the diversity of the city and the respondents was reflected in many of the answers, some were fairly consistent, such as people living here for the weather or disliking the traffic of the city. I enjoyed the predictability of these responses because it offered an answer to the question I had initially posed. Although issues such as weather and traffic may seem relatively trivial, they are aspects fundamental to the daily life of Los Angeles, and the fact that so many people agreed on them illustrated that a common thread can run through even the most diverse people. Many people also agreed that Downtown L.A. was the place they felt least comfortable or happy. I find it interesting that L.A. can remain one of the country’s most influential and industrious urban centers when a wide variety of its population choose not to spend any significant time downtown.
The person I was most taken by throughout my interviews was Ralph Davis. When I approached Ralph with my project, the first thing he said with a big smile was “So, I’m your token black guy, huh?” In the political and social environment we live in, difference, and especially racial difference, is often overcompensated for or avoided entirely in an effort to remain politically correct. However, Ralph was able to see the potential lightness in the issue and implicitly appreciate the progress that has been made. He had so much humor and insight, but I was initially frustrated because I didn’t feel that it was coming across through our interview. His answers were perceptive, but they didn’t show the humanity I could see he possessed. I came up with the last question, about whether anything that had surprised him about L.A., in an attempt to get him to open up a little more. His answer showed a unique perspective on the educational system in L.A. and gave some insight into his own views on what makes L.A. so different.
I felt like Laura and Kris identified the overriding problem with Los Angeles when they talked about bridging the gap between rich and poor in the city. So many of the problems with Los Angeles can be traced back to this one issue, and they both agreed that this is where the city needs to begin if it has any hope of improving its current situation. What I found most interesting about this was that both Laura and Kris were two of the wealthiest people I interviewed, Laura a Therapist and Kris a student at USC. I find great hope in the fact that this was their main concern, though neither one is on the presumed losing end of the scale. It not only contradicts the perception of Los Angeles as a self-absorbed, pitiless place, but it also shows that people are beginning to grasp that a change really does need to be made.
“We have something to learn from each other and a lot to forgive – the way Los Angeles looks, how it’s policed and why it is so willingly forgetful of so many who live here.” (D.J. Waldie, 2004) The reason that people see Los Angeles in so many different ways is simply that there are so many different things to see. It is a city that truly embodies the potential successes and failures of the American Dream, constantly contradicting itself and never apologizing for anything. As a resident of Los Angeles – where so much is often promised and so little often delivered – it’s comforting to find some hope in the middle ground; to hold a mirror up to the city and look not at the rich or poor, but the gap between. In doing so, we realize that it is within this forgotten space, the space not so often depicted on the silver screen, that the ordinary people of Los Angeles are living their lives. It is within this space that these ordinary people might even achieve greatness.
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