From LACity Nerd:

Wednesday, November 01, 2006
McArthur Park is Melting...

I heard today on KNX1070 that there is a potential movement to rename the Westlake District - the area surrounding McArthur Park - to the "Historic Central American District." Councilman Ed Reyes was interviewed and supports the idea. Should we further eliminate the past of our City with this renaming in order to celebrate the current conditions? There is a public hearing process - will there be contention? Is this just another example of politics and special interest swaying the Councilmember's decisions a la Historic Filipinotown or Little Armenia or Thaitown? Does every foreign region require a district in Los Angeles? I'm not advocating either way, but these are real questions that our community and City need to consider.

There is an official process for community name changes and adoption, and three communities are currently in the process to define their boundaries: Brookside, Arroyo View Estates, and Lake Balboa.

The current effort to rename a small portion of Highland Park/Garvanza as "Arroyo View Estates" is quite interesting. The application states that the area has been historically known as such and calls attention to the fact that the don't want to be associated with the community south of Highland Park - they feel they are more closely aligned with adjacent Pasadena. The Planning Department says there is no historical planning record of such a community, but the documents from the Planning Department, found here, don't seem to have a firm grasp on neighborhoods. They refer to Valley Village as part of Van Nuys, whereas it was originally part of North Hollywood. I think the Department of Transportation says it best in their letter:
The Department anticipates a conflict in naming the Arroyo View Estates community if modifications are not made to the Highland Park and Garvanza community boundaries.

So, what's next for all these name changes? Will these changes be significant to the community or only to the community's property owners?
Will McArthur Park literally be melting in the dark? Will anyone notice or care?

im sorry but this is fucking stupid. just leave the names as they are. are we gona rename New York City to Freedom City to help us to foget 911?

i am really annoyed by this conversation/article

Funny, I was just singing that song.......

I like the name Westlake District much, much better*

No way!! you guys are crazy!! I totally support changing the names...times change, why can't we? (on a side note) - When I get back to L.A., I am totally gonna get a petition going to change my neighborhoods' name to TennisGuysTown! :banana:

hahaha^^

No!!!! MacArthur Park is famous! It was turned into one of the biggest "disco" hits of the seventies, formerly a song by a folk artist talking about being strung out (even then) in the now famous and legendary park. Not to mention, movies have been made about (really I believe) one of the finest places in LA.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mac_Arthur_Park

i don't see why the city would even find a name change an issue... leave the name and stop all the nerf gun tournaments in the office and get back to work and bring us a subway or something

Just to note, 'Mac Arthur's is melting in the sun and that deep green icing is flowing down' has a subway. 'Someone left my cake out in the rain and I don't think that I can take it cause it took so long to bake it and I'll never have that recipe again........'

Oh hell here ya go. One of the best lyrically written songs I've ever heard and it would be a complete travesty to rename this park. In fact, these lyrics should be in the center of the park on some big stone or something......

MAC ARTHUR PARK


Spring was never waiting for us, girl
it ran one step ahead
as we followed in the dance.

Between the parted pages
we were pressed,
in love's hot, fevered iron
like a striped pair of pants.

Mac Arthur's Park is melting in the dark
all the sweet green icing flowing down
someone left the cake out in the rain
I don't think that I can take it
'cause it took so long to bake it
and I'll never have that recipe again
Oh, nooo!

I recall the yellow cotton dress
foaming like a wave
on the ground beneath your knees
birds like tender babies in your hands
and the old men playing
Chinese checkers
by the trees

Mac Arthur's Park is melting in the dark
all the sweet green icing flowing down
someone left the cake out in the rain
I don't think that I can take it
'cause it took so long to bake it
and I'll never have that recipe again
Oh, nooo!

There'll be another song for me
and I will sing it
there'll be another dream for me
someone will bring it
I will drink the wine while it is warn
and never let you catch me
looking at the sun, oh yeah
and after all the loves of my life
after all loves in my life
you'll be the one

I will take my life into my hands
and I will use it
I will win the worship in their eyes
and I will lose it
I will have the things that I desire
and my passion flow
like rivers through the sky
oh and after all the loves in my life
after all the loves in my life
you'll still be the one
and I'll ask myself why.

Mac Arthur's Park is melting in the dark
all the sweet green icing flowing down
someone left the cake out in the rain
I don't think that I can take it
'cause it took so long to bake it
and I'll never have that recipe again
Oh, nooo!

That name is complete crap. Maybe Councilman Ed Reyes is also in support of renaming the entire Los Angeles area into segregationist districts. Ridiculous.... Historic Central American District???:ohno:

OMG, where's Jack Jones (was he the original?) or Donna Summer when you need them?

Anyway, since most of us do not favor any name changes, let's email Council Member Ed Reyes and tell him so....downside: I believe only City of LA residents are allowed to comment.

councilmember.reyes@council.lacity.org

Sometimes name changes are good, sometimes ridiculous (North University Park West for example, WTF?) My own ethnic community has its own "town" though it was supposed to happen nearly 20 years before it did and was complicated by childish in-fighting in my community (certain perople wanted to take credit for it, etc). I'm not opposed to the Central American community or any community having a district, those encourage things like restaurants, markets and other business opportunities to flourish to serve their own and other markets. I mean without a Thai Town, where you gonna go for good Thai food?

Not many people use the "Westlake" name. Most people think of that area as "Pico Union." The Ventura County city of "Westlake Village" is more known today. Also, the park itself is not getting renamed.

But my opposition to naming it the "Historic Central American District" is only because isn't very historic. It's only been central American for the past 30 or so years. I also think many Central Americans will be opposed to it because they identify themselves according to their specific nationalities (El Saladoran, Guatemalan, Honduran, etc) and in some cases don't like to be lumped together with the other groups.

If you're not of a particular ethnic group, not having any sort of concept of true cultural tradition, I could perfectly understand why you would be opposed to these things. Though on a related note, the influx of white Midwesterners to Southern California in the early 1900s bore similar characteristics of foreign immigrants today: They tended to keep to their own group, not assimilate readily and call certain parts of town their own. Long Beach was often nicknamed "Iowa By he Sea" and "Michilinda Avenue" in the San Gabriel Valley was not named after a Spanish word but by the settlers of the area who migrated from Michigan, Illinios and Indiana.

were is my crochity uptight white people town?

^^ Haha...isn't it in san gabriel valley somewhere?

no those are crochity chinese people

how about beverly hills?

actually i wonder if there will ever be a district in los angeles called "Little USA" :)

were is my crochity uptight white people town?

Lessee...West L.A., Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, Hollywood Hills...

OK, Check this out: Just type in a ZIP Code and see where the whites, blacks, yellows and browns live, neighborhood crime rates, median income, political affiliations, etc:

http://www.neighboroo.com/

ha ha^^ holy shit its like simcity!

but the map is terribly small

like i said befor i like this one better:
http://maps.webfoot.com/RaceOverlays.html?lat=34.01851844336969&long=-118.33786010742188&zoom=10&mapIndex=3

^^^ That site's cool too if you only want to know about density and race......

yah yours has ALOT more inforemation.

Wow! Wherever the "Latinos" are, the "whites" are not.

^^ or vice versa :)

were is my crochity uptight white people town?


^ Tucked away in the OC somewhere. Except in Lil' Saigon or Lil' India, everywhere else you will find them.

Oh my god! Please tell me where Lil' India is!! and in honour of "Lil" where is Lil' Kim, Lil' Mo and Lil' John?

^ Tucked away in the OC somewhere. Except in Lil' Saigon or Lil' India, everywhere else you will find them.

Little India is in Artesia, which is Los Angeles County.
Unless "Lil'" India is somewhere else.

eh its on the border of the oc....close enough....and its not really lil' india they are only like 4.5% of the city......they just run a disproportionate # of businesses in the city.

eh its on the border of the oc....close enough....and its not really lil' india they are only like 4.5% of the city......they just run a disproportionate # of businesses in the city.

Like Koreatown?

Wow! Wherever the "Latinos" are, the "whites" are not.

*sorry for double post*
thats not true.......i live in Downey and its like 60% latino & 40% white. thats a pretty good mix i would say.


*edit* in response to elsongs.......yes