Economy The collapse of downtown Los Angeles

[Sinister]

It's pretty healthy retail wise, with the usual turn over due to rental costs. To put it crudely that area has always struggled between ultra luxury businesses that come and go all the time and "small businesses" where it's someone's wife or kid or relative losing 20K a month on an unsustainable business with family money. It's more vulnerable to economic downturns than a normal city just because it's consumption based.

California, Chicago, Detroit, and New York are always targets for partisan doomsaying because of their size and Historic value...but there are entire YouTube channels dedicated to examining the crippling poverty a dilapidation going on in the South and Midwest. The current narrative is that Americans are fleeing to Texas and Florida because Abbott and DeSantis are doing such awesome jobs! Like those are the only two States in the South, and like those two guys arent selling their souls to moneyed interests AND doing everything they can to diminish the voting power of their largest and most successful metropolitan areas. But you won't see entire threads popping up about the sheer destitution going on in those areas, where multiple towns are near dead, have NO commerce at all, and have entire homes, half a neighborhood, or half a downtown area in total disrepair. Though I'm sure even if there was, there would be some mental gymnastics to blame a lone Democrat, or black people, despite there being Republican dominance in the area for nearly a century.

 

[Eric Silva 2.0]

California, Chicago, Detroit, and New York are always targets for partisan doomsaying because of their size and Historic value...but there are entire YouTube channels dedicated to examining the crippling poverty a dilapidation going on in the South and Midwest. The current narrative is that Americans are fleeing to Texas and Florida because Abbott and DeSantis are doing such awesome jobs! Like those are the only two States in the South, and like those two guys arent selling their souls to moneyed interests AND doing everything they can to diminish the voting power of their largest and most successful metropolitan areas. But you won't see entire threads popping up about the sheer destitution going on in those areas, where multiple towns are near dead, have NO commerce at all, and have entire homes, half a neighborhood, or half a downtown area in total disrepair. Though I'm sure even if there was, there would be some mental gymnastics to blame a lone Democrat, or black people, despite there being Republican dominance in the area for nearly a century.

I think the big cities are a good indication of a growing problem in the country. I don't think it's a democrat or republican issue. I think it's bigger than that. I think the Florida and Texas utopia idea is way overrated. They might be better run than California or New York but not by that much. I wouldn't want to live in either state.

 

[Sinister]

I think the big cities are a good indication of a growing problem in the country. I don't think it's a democrat or republican issue. I think it's bigger than that. I think the Florida and Texas utopia idea is way overrated. They might be better run than California or New York but not by that much. I wouldn't want to live in either state.

Texas and Florida are headed for collapse if they keep farming things out at this rate. Texas sold our largest refinery to the Saudis much like Arizona sold water to them, and only recently did the Governor block that sort of thing.

It is a bigger problem. The exploration channels that go through the South and Midwest are just as sad as your video are. Once bustling Midwestern and Southern towns are now essentially ghost towns whose only hope is remote workers relocating there because the housing market sucks so bad anywhere else.

 

[Jballer]

Texas and Florida are headed for collapse if they keep farming things out at this rate. Texas sold our largest refinery to the Saudis much like Arizona sold water to them, and only recently did the Governor block that sort of thing.

It is a bigger problem. The exploration channels that go through the South and Midwest are just as sad as your video are. Once bustling Midwestern and Southern towns are now essentially ghost towns whose only hope is remote workers relocating there because the housing market sucks so bad anywhere else.

I spent a ton of time in bumblefuck Iowa for work and yeah, it’s like walking onto the set of some post-apocalyptic movie. Their “downtown” area was a like 4 or 5 occupied storefronts out of about 20 available. The kids there would joke (I assumed they were joking) that the only thing to do in town was cow-tipping and meth.

 

[fedorthegoat777]

What does Gavin have to do with Skid Row or homelessness in LA?

Gavin destroyed California by making stealing legal and being anti business, especially during covid. Now stores and businesses are fleeing the area. This will result in more homelessness.

So Gavin contributed to the gradual downgrade of California, not skid row in particular or homelessness in LA.

 

[Morning Star]

Damn, that's a bummer, didn't realize it closed so recently.

Irvine only seems to be good at building housing and business parks. Getting rid of Wild Rivers and the Amphitheatre left the area with severe lack of entertainment options. Westminster Mall at least is getting replaced by a Top Golf.

 

[shunyata]

I think its impossible for most people to fathom how big and diverse the city of Los Angeles is, particularly people from middle America.

LA country has a population of 10 millions and covers about 8000 miles. There are more people in LA county than most US states and its by far the biggest economy.

It includes regions ranging from Santa Monica, Malibu, Pasadena, Beverly Hills, Los Feliz, Hollywood.

To suggest or think that a 5 mile radius of whats overwhelmingly been a derelict part of the county since streetcars were removed, is absurdly naive.

Yeah, so many people who've never lived in the area are missing massive amounts of context (and the fact that the area is literally massive).

LA county is about the size of the state of Rhode Island, but with ~ 9.8 million people living there.

If LA county was a state, it would come in just ahead of New Jersey as the 11th most populous state.

There are plenty of shithole parts of New Jersey, Texas, and elsewhere in the US.

I guess it's harder to go viral as a guy from Compton vblogging a visit to Gary Indiana and going "this place is so fucked up and unsafe compared to Compton!"

 

[NickNick]

No tax payer should have to pay for any loans an individual chose to agree on..thats true. But if anyone should benefit from American tax dollars I would much rather see it allocated to our own citizens before any illegals or especially Ukraine.

You could use that logic anywhere, my tax dollars shouldn't go to people who choose to have 50 kids, or choose to do drugs, or choose to be homeless, or choose to live in shit parts of the country, etc etc. These type of people will continue to move the goal posts when it comes to any social care. I agree that I would rather see these massive sums of money go back to the citizens but there is one side of the political spectrum that doesn't.

 

[Lucas1980]

You could use that logic anywhere, my tax dollars shouldn't go to people who choose to have 50 kids, or choose to do drugs, or choose to be homeless, or choose to live in shit parts of the country, etc etc. These type of people will continue to move the goal posts when it comes to any social care. I agree that I would rather see these massive sums of money go back to the citizens but there is one side of the political spectrum that doesn't.

Both sides of the political spectrum don't

 

[TribalDrumz]

It's got rougher parts but nothing of the scale you see in LA. Santa Ana has come a long way in the last 10 years or so.

Santa Ana will always be the mecca of meth and illegals but they have come along way for sure.

 

[Eric Silva 2.0]

Yeah, so many people who've never lived in the area are missing massive amounts of context (and the fact that the area is literally massive).

LA county is about the size of the state of Rhode Island, but with ~ 9.8 million people living there.

If LA county was a state, it would come in just ahead of New Jersey as the 11th most populous state.

There are plenty of shithole parts of New Jersey, Texas, and elsewhere in the US.

I guess it's harder to go viral as a guy from Compton vblogging a visit to Gary Indiana and going "this place is so fucked up and unsafe compared to Compton!"

"I guess it's harder to go viral as a guy from Compton vblogging a visit to Gary Indiana and going 'this place is so f%$%cked up and unsafe compared to Compton!"

LOL

I think the reason for my thread and some others like it because I notice a pattern bigger than red vs blue. I do concentrate on the big cities but states like Florida and Texas have their own problems. I guess my concern would be that in the future you have guys going to Mogadishu and making videos saying how safe and clean it is compared to cities like LA, NYC, Chicago, Detroit, Baltimore, Philadelphia etc......

 

[shunyata]

"I guess it's harder to go viral as a guy from Compton vblogging a visit to Gary Indiana and going 'this place is so f%$%cked up and unsafe compared to Compton!"

LOL

I think the reason for my thread and some others like it because I notice a pattern bigger than red vs blue. I do concentrate on the big cities but states like Florida and Texas have their own problems. I guess my concern would be that in the future you have guys going to Mogadishu and making videos saying how safe and clean it is compared to cities like LA, NYC, Chicago, Detroit, Baltimore, Philadelphia etc......

I think it's alot easier to get away with this stuff on skidrow during the daytime, compared to say Gary Indiana at night.

Much more likely to get robbed of your phones / video equipment in Gary.

There was that one idiot who wanted to head down to Haiti after gangs took over Port au Prince to shoot his youtube / tiktok videos and he ended up kidnapped and ransomed.

Like wtf did he think was gonna happen?

 

[chardog]

Santa Ana will always be the mecca of meth and illegals but they have come along way for sure.

this is interesting, must have went under the radar, try to stay away from santa ana as much as possible. Inglewood, used to be hood area, is pretty nice now with the billions pumped into that area. Even south LA has changed for the better over the past decades. During rodney king riots, the place was truly a dump, but a lot of corporate shops have popped up as well as mom and pop shops. There was a time, I wouldnt even consider going in the area, now it's ok to drive by.

 

[shunyata]

Santa Ana will always be the mecca of meth and illegals but they have come along way for sure.

If Santa Ana is the Mecca of meth what's Temecula?

The Jerusalem of meth?

I always thought of Santa Ana as the place to go for topless Vietnamese coffee shops.

They still have those or did the locals crack down on em?

 

[avenue94]

Gavin destroyed California by making stealing legal and being anti business, especially during covid.

How did he make stealing legal?

Now stores and businesses are fleeing the area. This will result in more homelessness.

You clearly have never been to downtown LA if you think businesses weren't the Fashion District already. Gavin has also done more about homelessness than nearly every other governor in recent memory. The fault here lies mostly with the city and county.

Irvine only seems to be good at building housing and business parks. Getting rid of Wild Rivers and the Amphitheatre left the area with severe lack of entertainment options. Westminster Mall at least is getting replaced by a Top Golf.

Yeah, food is pretty decent too. Irvine is about as close to Truman's World as you can get in many ways unfortunately. I once was dating a chick and it was a red flag that she wanted to move to Irvine before having school age kids.

If Santa Ana is the Mecca of meth what's Temecula?

Socal's Napa Valley, duh.

I always thought of Santa Ana as the place to go for topless Vietnamese coffee shops.

Might be before my time but never seen anything like that in Santa Ana. Industry is still strip club central. Shit, even Stanton has a fancy food hall now.

 

[ermac88]

I'd much rather live in anyone of those "Irrelevant" States thenCalifornia and of course Cali has one of the largest economies its got some of the best farm land and strategic West Coast location for industry and robust Tourism...Location..Location..Location....it has nothing to do with its awful policies and its horrible limp politicians.

I'd much rather live in anyone of those "Irrelevant" States then California

Absolutely. CA is not for everyone.

For people like yourself, its just a place to think a lot of and talk about.

 

[ermac88]

The same group of people that say shit like this are also in the group that bitches when Biden forgives student loans. "WHY SHOULD A PLUMBER PAY FOR YOUR LOANS?!?!?!?!?!" Lets not act like this group of people would be all for using tax money to help homless/poor people.

Its just a means to hate. These people that weekly post about the woes of California will find anything to rag on it.
There are threads complaining about CA supporting fighters pay and increasing minimum wage with people complaining

Knowing damn well theyre opposed to any social programs to helping ANYONE, yet alone the poor and homeless.


Its basically analogous to that hot chick in school that the dork couldn't fathom even talking to, "Shes not that hot anyway. Look she has red shoes. I'd never date her."

 

[fedorthegoat777]

How did he make stealing legal?

You clearly have never been to downtown LA if you think businesses weren't the Fashion District already. Gavin has also done more about homelessness than nearly every other governor in recent memory. The fault here lies mostly with the city and county.

Yeah, food is pretty decent too. Irvine is about as close to Truman's World as you can get in many ways unfortunately. I once was dating a chick and it was a red flag that she wanted to move to Irvine before having school age kids.

Socal's Napa Valley, duh.

Might be before my time but never seen anything like that in Santa Ana. Industry is still strip club central. Shit, even Stanton has a fancy food hall now.

Gavin made stealing legal by reclassifying theft as long as it is under a certain dollar amount. So people brazenly steal in California causing stores to close down. It also enables others to steal on a more discreet smaller scale.


He minimized the penalty for theft and theft shot up.

 

[ermac88]

If Santa Ana is the Mecca of meth what's Temecula?

The Jerusalem of meth?

I always thought of Santa Ana as the place to go for topless Vietnamese coffee shops.

They still have those or did the locals crack down on em?

I always loved and embraced the Santa Ana winds, they gave me a euphoric high in the fall.

Perhaps they were rich with meth?

 

[Scheme]

Its just a means to hate. These people that weekly post about the woes of California will find anything to rag on it.
There are threads complaining about CA supporting fighters pay and increasing minimum wage with people complaining

Knowing damn well theyre opposed to any social programs to helping ANYONE, yet alone the poor and homeless.


Its basically analogous to that hot chick in school that the dork couldn't fathom even talking to, "Shes not that hot anyway. Look she has red shoes. I'd never date her."

Or maybe people see how policies actually affect businesses and people around them and are using these places as evidence that those insane policies don't work. Maybe they don't want the same policies proliferating to their areas.

Who would have thought that effectively legalizing stealing would cause businesses to shut down? Not some of our resident experts.