(Imagine) If Los Angeles County Only Had One Downtown Like Area

[LosAng]

How dense would Los Angeles look if we only had one downtown ?.....

Downtown L.A. , Westwood ,Beverly Hills ,Pasadena, Century City , Glendale Burbank , Hollywood , Warner Center , Wilshire Corridor , Santa Monica , Long Beach ...etc etc ???????

[LAuniverse]

I know what would happen. Despite leaving every other part of the city exactly as it is, LA would be as desired as Chicago, NY, SF, or Boston on this forum - just because of a stupid skyline.

[squeemu]

I kind of like LA being the way it is. Each area has it's own downtown areas. Each one is different, but far enough apart to make them seem like different experiences.

[Rene Nunez]

I know what would happen. Despite leaving every other part of the city exactly as it is, LA would be as desired as Chicago, NY, SF, or Boston on this forum - just because of a stupid skyline.
Actually no, New York has several reasons besdies a skyline to be desired.

[Imperial Teen]

I know what would happen. Despite leaving every other part of the city exactly as it is, LA would be as desired as Chicago, NY, SF, or Boston on this forum - just because of a stupid skyline.

the skyline is not the issue. even gathering together the 12+ story buildings in westwood, santa monica etc... LA has only 20-25 buildings over 500ft. NY has 180, Chicago has 90 and those two cities are building skyscraper after skyscraper after skyscraper. A 50 story proposal is a huge deal in LA, but in those two cities it is hardly a blip.

The thing that separates LA from those other two cities is the decentralized nature of its large cultural facilities. The getty is near Bel Air/Brentwood, LACMA is in Mid Wilshire, MOCA is downtown, The bowl is in Hollywood, the zoo is in Griffith Park, Natural History Museum is in Expo park, the high scale ritzy stores are in Beverly Hills. No matter where you live, it is likely a hassle to get to most of those places. This is especially significant for tourists. If you had all those concentrated in one area, whether downtown or elsewhere, it would be a district that would easily be comprable to Manhattan or downtown Chicago with or without loads of skyscrapers. Plus you would still have the great smaller scale shopping/entertainment strips in the LA area like Main St in Santa Monica, Abbot Kinney in Venice, Melrose, Sunset, Sawtelle, etc.... Those would be the funky little local places that tourists would be so enamored with.

This is what really separates downtown LA from SF, NY, Chicago.

[612bv3]

How dense would Los Angeles look if we only had one downtown ?.....

You guys once did...I don't know what happened to it.

Los Angeles 1921
http://www.hellolosangeles.com/losangeles/images/la-1921.jpg

Taken from Old Pictures West Coast (http://skyscrapercity.com/forumdisplay.php?f=390) Thread

[Imperfect Ending]

Most people don't even work in "downtowns"

[Phoenix Ashes]

LA is multinodal as befits America's first truly automobilized city. Real question: will LA grow enough within its existing template to transcend cars, freeways, and parking lots?

[SChristopher]

If Los Angeles only had one big downtown, I would imagine it would be something like Detroit.

You guys once did...I don't know what happened to it.

It got overshadowed by "New Downtown" and moved 3 streets up and turned into a low rent skid row of SRO hotels :D

[Latoso]

the skyline is not the issue. even gathering together the 12+ story buildings in westwood, santa monica etc... LA has only 20-25 buildings over 500ft. NY has 180, Chicago has 90 and those two cities are building skyscraper after skyscraper after skyscraper. A 50 story proposal is a huge deal in LA, but in those two cities it is hardly a blip.

The thing that separates LA from those other two cities is the decentralized nature of its large cultural facilities. The getty is near Bel Air/Brentwood, LACMA is in Mid Wilshire, MOCA is downtown, The bowl is in Hollywood, the zoo is in Griffith Park, Natural History Museum is in Expo park, the high scale ritzy stores are in Beverly Hills. No matter where you live, it is likely a hassle to get to most of those places. This is especially significant for tourists. If you had all those concentrated in one area, whether downtown or elsewhere, it would be a district that would easily be comprable to Manhattan or downtown Chicago with or without loads of skyscrapers. Plus you would still have the great smaller scale shopping/entertainment strips in the LA area like Main St in Santa Monica, Abbot Kinney in Venice, Melrose, Sunset, Sawtelle, etc.... Those would be the funky little local places that tourists would be so enamored with.

This is what really separates downtown LA from SF, NY, Chicago.

I agree. But why would you want it to be like other cities? L.A. is L.A., and that's what makes it special. Chicago already does Chicago better than anyone else ever could, and N.Y. does N.Y. better. L.A. did it's thing (multinodal) before anyone else, and they still do it best. Differences are the spice of life. I love L.A. for what it is, a great American (make that world) city.

[Facial]

I know what would happen. Despite leaving every other part of the city exactly as it is, LA would be as desired as Chicago, NY, SF, or Boston on this forum - just because of a stupid skyline.

Lol maybe.

[Naga_Solidus]

I like the city the way it is.

[samsonyuen]

The city would be more vertical than horizontal. But I like that LA's different.

[vicecityguy]

I agree. But why would you want it to be like other cities? L.A. is L.A., and that's what makes it special. Chicago already does Chicago better than anyone else ever could, and N.Y. does N.Y. better. L.A. did it's thing (multinodal) before anyone else, and they still do it best. Differences are the spice of life. I love L.A. for what it is, a great American (make that world) city.

My sentiments exactly, probably one of the best posts I've read in a while!

[14k]

But why would you want it to be like other cities? L.A. is L.A., and that's what makes it special.
Thank you.