Comments on: Pleased To Meet You

By: devinelizabeth

devinelizabeth — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 05:51:45 +0000

MPM will definitely see what we can do to make a Meet Your Neighbors section possible. When I covered the polls here last year and saw who actually lives in the neighborhood, I was quite surprised — a lot of older middle-class couples, white twenty-somethings, and Koreans of all ages (this, in addition to, of course, many, many Latinos, some of them first-time voters; I interviewed this one amazing man in his finest cowboy hat and belt buckle, who had been in the US for almost 40 years and was participating in his inaugural election). It is not very often that I see any of these people on the streets or in the stores, or in any kind of public space in the neighborhood. Even you and I talked about how infrequently we make it to MacArthur Park. I will say that I had my 26th birthday party there, a mad hatter tea party in the theme of Alice in Wonderland/Westlake, and we played croquet and I wore a white dress and the police circled and stared, and about halfway into the soiree I realized that I could not have planned a whiter event even if I had I really tried. ps I AM trying again, not the whiteness, but the event-planning: a MacArthur Park night-out for neighbors and other young reporters. Will let you know.

By: justine

justine — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 00:51:29 +0000

Great site!!! I love neighborhood sites and publications.
I like the ABOUT MACARTHUR PARK MEDIA statement alot!
“MacArthur Park Media tells stories set in and around the immigrant portal that is the MacArthur Park neighborhood in Los Angeles. This is the first America many immigrants see, the place where they begin to assimilate, or not. The way that they shape America is in many ways determined by how neighborhoods like this one first shape them.”
The whole site is well crafted and written and has beautiful photography.
I especially loved the gorgeous photo collection with the “Pleased to Meet You” title.
I’d love to see an article on Mama’s Tamales (if there hasn’t been one already.)
It’s on 7th, just West of Alvarado so southern edge of the park.
That place is so yummy, has great community and social consciousness events
and has fantastic ORGANIC coffee!!
Is there a “Food” section on the site? If not yet, I’d love to see one.
Maybe I could do some food writing for the site (hey, yay self promotion
of my foodie passion.)
I’d also love to see a “Meet Your Neighbors” section that profiles folk who live
here with us in our beloved yet relatively unknown by outsiders
enclave, Westlake/M.P
Mama’s and the park itself are so far my faves in the M.P. hood.
Thanks for bringing this great site into being!!!
I live just North/West right above La Fayette Park, which is also officially
in Westlake, according to the Supershuttle people.
lived for 2 and a 1/2 years.

By: Philip Harrison

Philip Harrison — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 21:36:02 +0000

This site is great. As one of the gentrifying masses, I moved to Silverlake in 2001. I was always curious about MacArthur Park- the lake from Chinatown, the amazing surrounding architecture, the feeling of history. But the sense of density you described has always kept me away- the claustrophobia, the fear that anything can happen. But hearing and seeing the beautiful details of life and people in your photos and writing make me want to visit here soon. I’ll comment again once I have.

By: kellybrownejam

kellybrownejam — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 13:26:06 +0000

Great piece and love the photography. I am interested in learning why MacArthur Park is the first stop on the bus, train, van, for immigrants arriving in America. What about this neighborhood makes it a hub for point of entry? It is just the popularity of the cross streets at Alvarado and Wilshire or is it now known as the starting point for Latin immigrants?
I also love your comment that we see what we want to see because it’s true – in every city. Cities often downplay crime and violence as a PR tactic which only encourages the media and politicians to react. Other times, if social and economic chaos is brought up as action items to face, fingers are pointed and blame is assigned for letting the neighborhood crumble. Either way, changes to communities in instability talk a village.

Looking forward to reading more.

By: Star

Star — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 17:35:15 +0000

Thank you for the history and current situation in the MacArthur Park area. I have read about the area in novels and in the newspaper. Unfortunately, when it is newsworthy it is because of some act of violence. The whole area changes on the weekends when the sidewalks are lined with vendors and there is hardly any space to walk. Thank you for shining the light on those people who live there and try to make a living. I was a bit surprised that they were not only willing to talk to you, but have their pictures taken. Great insights into the community. Am looking forward to reading more.

By: CJ

CJ — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 20:25:37 +0000

Great essay. Awesome site. For me, MacArthur Park stands as an example of a new urbanism; a weird neo-Americanized dystopian vision of the “vibrant” neighborhood. By virtue of its amazing density, stores, churches, schools, and residences are all literally smashed together along the same streets and boulevards allowing for the random interactions between people that typifies the vibrancy idealized by Jane Jacobs in her theories on New Urbanism. I never see as much foot traffic around LA outside of the tourist sections as I see here. But its vibrancy is on a different scale than that of Greenwich Village, say. The stores are chains and discount outlets, the schools are understaffed and underfunded, the churches, as you say, are often rented out storefronts, and the people are strangers to this strange land, financially strapped and culturally cut off from their homelands. Here, by virtue of economic constraint, vibrancy breeds pollution, drugs, crime, and dislocation. But how unique a neighborhood to immigrate into, where the experience of America so dramatically toes the line between Dream and Nightmare. I am happy to call this place home and look forward to more stories on your site. Thanks!

By: Deanna

Deanna — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:51:25 +0000

This is quite a refreshing look/take at MacArthur park and the surrounding area. I reside, literally, a half block away and absolutely love the area. I don’t know the history all that well, as I did not grow up here; however, I am looking forward to reading more.

The pictures are pretty amazing as well. I myself take photos often of the park and surrounding areas, so it is a real delight to know that there are others out there that do it too!

Thanks for your site.

By: admin

admin — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 07:04:12 +0000

Thank you for your comment and interest in the area & the website. I am working on a detailed history of the neighborhood for the “About MacArthur Park” page for the site, to be completed soon.

By: Jake

Jake — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 21:39:33 +0000

Very happy to see this site – thank you! However, you’re not quite correct on the history of MacArthur Park – it actually was surrounded by mansions with beautiful lawns. Take a walk on the north side of Sixth St between Lake and Corondalet and you will see the steps still standing that once lead to these mansions. Colonel Otis of course had a huge home – where the Charles White Elementary school now stands. And of course Charlie Chaplin’s old big house is now a Mexican restaurant on Wilshire.

The area did not become dense until the 1930’s when the wealthy started moving westward. This was the original Beverly Hills, where seals and swans were kept in the lake, and couples could rent a boat for an evening of listening to an orchestra playing live at what is now the boathouse.

By the 1940’s, although still upscale, it was becoming the home of European immigrants and working class citizens. As they propspered and moved to the Valley, they kept their property to rent out.

The dramatic change didn’t occur until President Nixon allowed Guatemalans to come to America because of the civil strife in Guatemala in the early 1970’s. President Reagan did the same for El Salvadorians in the 1980’s. A woman I worked with told me that up until the mid 1960’s people would still wear their Sunday best for a picnic at the park and a movie at the Westlake Theater – which incidentally is where Jim Jones was arrested for lewd conduct around 1971.

Anyway, very happy to see your site.