Downtown Los Angeles Revitalized

When we 20-somethings were kids growing up in and around Los Angeles at about the age of 12, we often had a certain type of image for Downtown Los Angeles: Big. Dirty. Ugly. Homeless. Theft. Fake CDs. Cheap Swap Meet Clothing. Street Vendors. Hot Dogs. Scary People. Business People. Exclusivity. High Rise Buildings. Forlornness.

As we reach the end of 2006, Downtown Los Angeles is increasingly becoming more aware of its potential as a fun urban center, a cultural communicator, and a space which rivals other world class cities with regards to its humanistic elements, art, and architecture. Now, more than a decade later, here is how I see Downtown Los Angeles and its future: Life. Human. Sports. Art. Architecture. Fine Dining. Luxury. Color. Vibrancy. Versatility. Culture. Wit. Human.

"Live. Work. Play."

This has become the new slogan for a multi-million dollar revitalization project stemming several years ago and still well underway in Downtown Los Angeles. There is even a web site dedicated to this slogan - attempting to show all that's happening within these 21-blocks of revitalized and soon-to-be revitalized spaces in Los Angeles.

Even the weekends in downtown Los Angeles spaces used to be characterized by emptiness and a sense of paltry. No longer may this be true. For the first time, Downtown Los Angeles is consistently holding public events, many of them free, for the sake of its well-being and the diverse culture which envelopes it.

On a recent Saturday morning in October, KCRW, a local public radio station, hosted a multi-block outdoor event dedicated to the promotion of all things music, art, and culture. Outdoors and on stage were several musicians rocking the crowd, including Beck, whose popular post-modern musical arrangements may be an analogy to what is happening to Downtown Los Angeles today. One friend told me she could not remember a time that Downtown Los Angeles was so vibrant and colorful on a Saturday morning.