Catching Up
After several busy weeks, I'd like to return to P.U. and share some recent events with my loyal readers.
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First and foremost, Chizi and I have completed our move to a spacious two bedroom apartment in Studio City. Despite my reservations about living in the suburban San Fernando Valley, I am quite pleased with my new living arrangements. I am still within walking distance of the Red Line (allowing an easy commute to the Civic Center) as well as numerous shops and services, including an enormous Ralphs. While it would be a stretch to call our new neighborhood "transit-oriented," it's certainly more urban than a cul-de-sac in Porter Ranch.
It was tough leaving East Hollywood after three and a half years, and that neighborhood will always have a special place in my heart. I lived in my former apartment longer than anywhere else I've lived in Los Angeles, and it was host to many good (and bad) memories; suffice it to say I am optimistic about this next phase in my life, ready to pursue new opportunities and meet new challenges.
I documented the move with photographs -- please check out my Transition photoset on Flickr.
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Over the last 15 months, I've learned that blogging can fetch positive feedback, even in the "real world." My post on the University Gateway project from earlier this year caught the attention of Michael Woo, a former Councilperson and Mayoral candidate who is currently teaching urban planning classes at USC. Mr. Woo invited me to be the first guest speaker at his introductory course on "Urban Planning and Development" (PPD 227) and I gladly accepted.
While I am a proud Trojan, I decided to focus my talk on the poor relationship that USC has had with the surrounding community, both in the physical sense (its insular campus) and in the philosophical sense (its land use policy). My main thesis was that USC had become a "University over the City" after a redevelopment plan was approved in 1966, leading to the displacement of hundreds of homes and businesses for university expansion. Mr. Woo compared my narrative to Mike Davis's "City of Quartz," which I took as a complement.
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Since I lack anonymity, there's not much I can write about my job except that it continues to be challenging. I recently had my first experience hosting a community meeting with an emotional and skeptical audience. If you want to find out how it went, read this and this.
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A few weeks ago, Chizi and I enjoyed a weekend trip to beautiful San Diego without ever getting in an automobile. Not only did we take Amtrak down from Los Angeles Union Station (via the Red Line), but we traveled through San Diego exclusively on light-rail. We both enjoyed the trip.
While in San Diego, we conducted a tour of five of its major shopping malls: Parkway Plaza, Grossmont Center, Mission Valley Center, Fashion Valley, and Horton Plaza. Of course, I had my camera to document our journey. Please enjoy these Flickr photosets:
posted by Mitch Glaser @ 10:52 PM
9 comments
9 Comments:
Ok. I'll say it:
Welcome to the Valley (which, as people often forget, is part of the City).
So, let me know if I can offer an reccomendations or clarifications about your new neighborhood.
So, first, to answer a common question:
Yes, the MTA actually allows those vendors to set up at the Universal City Redline Station (and no, the Station has no bathrooms).
While I am a proud Trojan, I decided to focus my talk on the poor relationship that USC has had with the surrounding community, both in the physical sense (its insular campus) and in the philosophical sense (its land use policy). My main thesis was that USC had become a "University over the City" after a redevelopment plan was approved in 1966, leading to the displacement of hundreds of homes and businesses for university expansion
I moved down to the USC area a month ago, and it's certainly not lost on me how homogenously white (and Asian, esp. Indian) the NUP student ghetto is -- it's a little eerie. The good thing is that this represents only a pretty small part of the West Adams neighborhood; the bad thing is that much of the "West Adams neighborhood" is kinda industrial and lonely, and not too residential. Still, I think USC has been pretty good about not making too big a footprint. There could very easily be a Whole Foods here (there are enough body-conscious rich kids to support it), but the Superior grocery store in the University Village is one of the nicest "low-income" supermarkets I've ever seen, with lots of fresh produce and a mind-blowing assortment of Mexican spices, peppers, cheeses, tortillas, chorizo, etc (as well as the typical selection of Mexican junk food I often see in such stores). It's a great example of how a university's influence can help a community's quality of life rather than hurt it or try to make it something it's not.
I do cry foul over the Starbucks in the UV -- not that it's there or anything, just that there's so much literature on the walls about how Starbucks and Magic Johnson are committed to improving life in the ghet-toe, with creation of new jobs and third places and fostering community and so on. Meanwhile, who's working at this Starbucks? White people. Who's buying the $4 coffee drinks? White people.
Figueroa's a bit better w/r/t serving local needs and/or desires (omg La Taquiza), but maybe USC's a little too sensitive to the prevailing community spirit here -- the endless sprawl of check-cashing places and fattening fast food is a depressing symbol of fatalistic failure.
Regarding the buyouts of local properties -- I assume these were all private deals and not "takings"? (I wasn't here when any of this went down and I'm not familiar with the backstory.) Were the homeowners well-compensated (at or above market value)? Did they have a choice, or did USC say "here's some money, now LEAVE"?
I heard that the university-owned building I'm living in now is being torn down next year (thank fucking GOD; it's a dump) in favor of newer, better student housing. Since the same lot's just being recycled, no new land grabs will have to happen. USC should just tear down more of its substandard, crappy roach motels and build stuff that can actuallly accommodate the ever-growing number of students who'd like to live close to campus.
Okay, did you pick a new nickname for your neighborhood?
"I live on the V-side"
The buyouts were done in the late '60s with the assistance of CRA. USC's western boundary used to be McClintock; the late-'60s buyouts allowed it to expand all the way west to Vermont. The university has taken its time developing that land, though: the northwest corner of campus is still surface parking. It would be nice to see that developed as a dormitory or an academic building.
Jody, the buyouts weren't all private deals. The CRA established the Hoover Redevelopment Project in 1966, which gave the City the power to acquire land by eminent domain.
The CRA took all the land between McClintock and Vermont and between 34th Street and Jefferson and gave it to USC for campus expansion. The Radisson, University Village, Century, Cardinal Gardens, and all the buildings on the west side of Vermont were also built on land that CRA took, as was the Figueroa strip of mini-malls and fast food joints. In sum, the CRA partnered with USC to completely redevelop the neighborhood.
Even today, USC makes land use decisions with the political backing of the CRA but without much public input. It built the Galen Center on a site earmarked for offices and retail, purchased UV and filled it with dental offices, and pushed for the massive University Gateway, which won't offer anything to the larger community.
I'll try to elaborate on my "University over the City" thesis in a future post.
I went to USC for the first time, attending a symposium. The campus is gorgeous, but the atmosphere was startling.
What is it about USC students that they seem to be so isolated and make no eye contact?
Welcome back to blogland, Mitch :-)
What...No props to Thurman and me?! Here is a link to the photos we took while visiting The Valley
Momz
I enjoy reading this blog. I will be taking PPD 227 next semester, and I look forward to your presentation!
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