Essay Los Angeles

“Where Worlds Collide” is an essay by Pico Iyer who talks about the expectations and reality of Los Angeles through the perspectives of travelers from different backgrounds. In “Where Worlds Collide,” Pico Iyer argues that even though Los Angeles is depicted as a vicinity to receive wealth, happiness, and many opportunities- it is actually the antithesis, and instead, many harsh prejudice and unending craziness will occur instead; Iyer argues this by using allusions, anaphoras, and juxtapositions to help convey what he is saying.

The city of Los Angeles is not a unified city. Los Angeles consists of too many large sub cities or communities to speak with one voice. There are many sub cities in LA such as the Westside, Hollywood, the Valley, Downtown, and of course, South Central. To make things more difficult, many of these sub cities themselves are not unified. Due to their size, all

People tend to overlook the geographical location of Figueroa Boulevard and plainly assume residents of the area were working-class Mexican American without realizing that there are three distinct neighborhoods on this very street. In his work, “Los Angeles Geopolitics and the Zoot Suit Riots, 1943,” Eduardo Obregon Pagan notes the three neighborhoods along Figueroa Boulevard “the farther south in traveled in downtown area, the affluence of the neighborhoods grew in proportion to the whiteness of the residents.”5 This appears to be true since the neighborhood appeared to become more modern as one move down from Figueroa Boulevard. The residents of Chavez Ravine were native to the United States with Mexican origin with some immigrants from Central Europe and Italy. The neighborhood is considered to be old-fashioned since it was

To people foreign to California, the state is boxed into a set of stereotypical characteristics. The Golden State has received labels such as ‘surf nation,’ and ‘liberal land.’ But to those who’ve gotten a chance to live within this great state appreciate the opportunities and ambitions that come with living in California. Furthermore, what truly differentiates California from any other place in the world is the consistent paradoxical environment. This notion is best epitomized by the city of Sacramento and the cultural, economic and social change that the city has undergone. Gary Snyder communicates this theme through building around John Muir’s ideologies in his work of “Covers The Ground.” Snyder’s work exemplifies the contradiction between nature and innovation. It presents the paradoxical state individuals around the world face on whether to accept the innovation and accept the benefits that come with it, or stay true to the roots of nature and the history that accompanies it. This dilemma boils down to whether we as a race embrace the progression of time and the paradoxes that follow, or we find solace in our current state.

The Santa Fe railroad gave way to the beginning of the now large and very prosperous city. During WWII they had the opportunity to research and develop high-tech aircraft that would make a difference in the war. The two things that Los Angeles has always been known for is Technology and tourism, those two things have been keeping the city of Los Angeles alive. The Native Americans were the first ones to live in the now Los Angeles area the natives of the area called it Poison Oak Place. The First Spanish settlers were a group that was called Los Pobladores named the town “The Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels of Porciúncula”. In April of 1992 the riots over the beating of Rodney king had 1.3 billion dollars resalting in 53 deaths and

While today Los Angeles is prided on being one of the most diverse cities in the United States, there was (and still is) a tremendous amount of resistance that had to be overcome. Society’s inclination to maintain homogeneity along with the testing of loyalties and allegiance through pressures of war have proven great obstacles in the evolution of what is now a majority-minority city. Nina Revoyr’s Southland gives a historic fictional recount of Los Angeles’ most tested times from perspectives looking in to the past, present, and future. The discovery of unpleasant truths through grave social injustices provide a painful reminder of Los Angeles’ history and consequently a warning for future setbacks. Southland is an emotional testament to the inescapability of discrimination within stratified cities and the unspoken necessity of assimilation that occurs as a result.

People always wonder why the City of Angels is different from other cities. This paper will answer this question and explain the uniqueness that makes L.A., “L.A.” Los Angeles, since its birth as an embryonic city, has become one of the most diverse metropolises, offering to the public what no other city can. This paper will emphasize the relationship between the federal government and the western United States. It will also illustrate how capitalism has flourished because of the prevalent 19th century Laissez Faire ideology. It will describe how the free market prevailed and expanded Los Angeles outward, while cultivating new public institutions and private enterprises.

The beautiful city of Baltimore, Maryland, nicknamed “Charm City” is full of historical cites and landmarks. It was founded July 30, 1729, and it was named after Lord Baltimore, the first proprietary governor of the Province of Maryland1. It was founded to serve the economic needs of 18th century farmers2. The waterways in Baltimore have been a passage for ships carrying commercial cargo and new citizens since the 1600s. Baltimore became the second leading port of entry for immigrants to the United States during the 1800s. Shipbuilding was one of the earliest industries in Baltimore, and it increased during the Revolution and the War of 1812. When the British controlled Philadelphia in 1777, Baltimore became the meeting place of the

Source D examines gentrification from a satirical perspective. Most gentrification supporters believe property owners of a neighborhood to be, as Source D describes, “clueless.” While it may seem that gentrification revitalizes a neighborhood, it actually damages the unique culture of a neighborhood. It is important to respect the traditions of an area rather than cite “renovation” and “business endeavors” as a just motive for destroying the culture of a neighborhood. The political cartoon in Source F depicts the culture change Brooklyn experienced after gentrification. Spike Lee, the man speaking in the comic, grew up in Brooklyn and has supported the culture there for many years. Meanwhile, Brooklyn, like many other neighborhoods including Harlem and other urban areas, has lost its original culture as a result of gentrification. When renovating a city, retaining the culture and traditions must be a

The neighborhood I have chosen is Watts, California. Before it was known as Watts it was a part of Rancho La Tajuata specializing in livestock grazing and beef production. In the 1870's there was a population boom of White Americans in Southern California. La Tajuata was divided and sold into smaller farms and homes. By the 1900's the development of the railroads brought good things. The town became a city and built it's first station known as Watts Station. In 1926 the city annexed itself to Los Angeles. The railroads brought Mexican and Mexican American workers known as "traqueros" into the community.

When cities begin their journey of being gentrified, many locals become displaced. Displacement is when locals are uprooted from their homes, due to outside factors, and forced to move elsewhere. According to the Urban Displacement Project conducted by U.C. Berkeley, “Gentrification results from both flows of capital and people. The extent to which gentrification is linked to racial transition differs across neighborhood contexts... Displacement takes many different forms—direct and indirect, physical or economic, and exclusionary—and may result from either investment or disinvestment” (U.C. Berkeley). Many people are coming into San Francisco’s Bay Area because of how diverse each element is. However, according to Census numbers, between 1990 and 2010, 35.7% of San Francisco’s black population dwindled (Bliss). 35.7% of the black community within San Francisco suffered from displacement. An additional 53% of low-income households in the Bay Area are at risk for displacement and gentrification (U.C. Berkeley). This has definitely left a dent within the diversity reputation held up by the Bay Area. When such a strong large part of people leave, The City will experience a shift in culture and community. Whether, it is the real estate, the food, the different cultures, the Bay Area has always been known for being different. Perhaps, this is why so many outsiders are coming in and buying up every piece of land they can. Whether their intentions were to purchase land and

Snuggled between the San Joaquin Hills and Loma Ridge, Irvine, CA is a master-planned urban community, consisting of 66 square miles. Irvine was affirmed fifth best city to live in the U.S. by Bloomberg Businessweek, in 2011. Plus, the city is classified “Safest Big City” by the FBI.

A community is a place where people around supposed to be able to live and thrive together. When one thinks of a community, the image that most likely is visualized is one of a place where each person lives harmoniously with all the other members of that community. While this may be the typical image of a community, it is not the realistic view. In reality communities can share both good and bad aspects. In Place Matters: Metropolitics for the Twenty-First Century Peter Dreier, John Mollenkopf, and Todd Swanstrom make the argument that the place a person lives ultimately matters over all else; the place which a person lives effects the choices that that he/she makes and determines his/her ability to obtain a

Have you ever wondered what it is like to live in Las Vegas, the entertainment capital of the world, a gambling mecca for millions every year? What could it possibly be like for a person to live in a city known as "Sin City," where the only thing hotter than the bright lights is the sun. According to lasvegasnevada.gov over 600,000 people live in Las Vegas now, which is triple what it was just twenty years ago. It is a city built as a railroad town that has turned into one of the most well known cities in the world. Las Vegas is not just a tourist destination, but a great place to live. With countless job opportunities, strong economy, beautiful weather and state of the art education, Las Vegas is

Where I live is one of the greatest neighborhoods in the city to live in; however it does have its draw backs. Importantly it has nearly everything a resident might want, beautiful picturesque scenery, proximity to shopping, and many of the cultural centers. Nevertheless the roads can be some of the most congested in town, and the streets are not safe to walk late at night.