What do you earnestly think about downtown Los Angeles?

[ErnCas]

This thread will convey no new and exiting information about Downtown Los Angeles, rather its purpose is to expose your critique on what lies between four freeways and a whole lot of Angelinos, our (insert deserving adjective) downtown.

It is very interesting how over the years, due largely to involuntary reasons, the skyline has "matured". Those involuntary reasons all arise from the "root of all evil", money. Construction prices, economic skepticism, and low demand (due slow economic expansion) have created a downtown skyline which has not seen significant additions other than the Ritz since the mid 90's. Miami, San Francisco, and a few dozen Chinese cities witnessed more skyscraper construction activity in the last fifteen years than Los Angeles.

For us, skyscraper enthusiasts, the sluggish construction activity can be a downer. However, us locals also realize and value the incredible "internal" redesign downtown underwent and will continue to engage on. The cleaning of sidewalks, the opening of galleries/eateries, and the revitalizing of buildings account to a first-of-a-kind, civilly responsible boom to be appraised much higher than the nineties' office boom.

The aged-in-design po-mo and boxy towers of Downtown Los Angeles give the skyline a sense of maturity, character, and poise never felt at the high rise level in this city. More importantly, several hundred feet below those buildings' rooftops, a new community grows stronger everyday, and to me, that is what really matters.

Nonetheless, that Wilshire Grand Hotel will be gone for good ...

[soup or man]

I like it.

[Kenny]

In the past without a strong resident community Downtown managed to survive the toughest years of neglect and abandonment, even then, we saw the rise of many more buildings than today.

Now, with a strong local community which you mentioned, and once we get out of the f*cking resession, with no doubt will we see even greater things.

I love Downtown!

[State of the Union]

I love going to downtown, and I will like it even more once all the new development and the regional connector is built. However, Broadway could use a make over. A good clean up and being transit-bus-only during Rush Hours. I think by 2020 Downtown will be world-class. A stadium, new development, with every part of LA County connected to downtown by a fully realized Wilshire subway, LRT lines coming from Long Beach, Santa Monica, East LA, and the Foothill cites, a safer Metrolink, and quite possibly the rest of California by HSR will turn downtown into a more vibrant part of the city. I can't wait.

[klamedia]

The adaptive reuse revolution was the beginning of the beginning for the modern era Downtown LA. LA accidentally did the right thing.

[LANative]

I loved downtown through its worst times in the 80's and 90's and I really love it now. It was and will always be my favorite part of L.A. and it's only going to get better.

[Mojeda101]

It's a great city. I just got lost in downtown a few days ago and it was fantastic finding my way back! It will be even greater with the construction of Farmers Field, Wilshire Project, and the Grand project, along with Civic Park.

[Agent9752]

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[ErnCas]

"LA accidentally did the right thing..." lol. I don't know if the reason was the 110 freeway or purely accidental, but L.A. did certainly do the right thing when in the 50's-70's the skyline shifted west practically leaving the old bank district intact.

[pesto]

Originally Posted by ErnCas

"LA accidentally did the right thing..." lol. I don't know if the reason was the 110 freeway or purely accidental, but L.A. did certainly do the right thing when in the 50's-70's the skyline shifted west practically leaving the old bank district intact.

Agreed. The main point is that Bway is an ASSET not a liability. Some other parts of DT are better for doing wholesale renovation.

[klamedia]

Re: Adaptive Reuse.