This week I reached quite a milestone. 25 years since I first set foot in Los Angeles.
At the time I had no idea that a quarter of a century later I would still be here, and a bona fide American to boot!
My first impression of LA was how damp it smelt; since then whenever I land at LAX that same smell hits me and transports me back to January 16th, 1997.
My visions of warm sunshine and walks on palm tree-lined beaches didn’t quite match up to the LA I was greeted with. I was informed it was because it was rainy season; so nothing much has changed there then, has it?
To be honest not a lot else has changed since I made California my home. Being here for so long has actually highlighted the cyclical nature of the city, which is kind of comforting, as when times are tough you know that if you stick around to ride it out it will get better again.
It does feel like crime has definitely increased since I first arrived; although I do recall that the neighborhood I currently reside in was a definite ‘avoid after dark’ back in 1997. Which made me wonder if we are just more aware of it now? Not only do we have constant access to the world wide web via our smartphones but we also have Apps like Citizen and Nextdoor that alert us to everything and anything that might ‘possibly, maybe’ be a crime and they even manage to make Pasadena sound like a war zone.
So, of course, my curiosity got the better of me and after a bit more searching on the internet I managed to find a very informative no-nonsense website that just shows stats – it’slaalmanac.com. It doesn’t sensationalize statistics or appear to have any bias – just plain old-fashioned numbers. It turns out that violent crimes have reduced dramatically (according to the LA Almanac) – during my first year here there were 106,673 in total and 1,176 homicides. Compare that to 2020, there were 54,600 in total and ‘only’ 677 homicides.
Neither are great numbers but it just goes to show that things are actually improving… as after being bombarded with headlines like these it is no wonder most of the country is terrified – ‘Progressive prosecutors blasted as homicide numbers climb in Los Angeles, other left-wing cities.’ (credit to scaremongers – Fox News)
The only other big difference that I can think of is the ever-changing skyline. One of the things that I enjoy most about Los Angeles are the quirky mismatched buildings. Growing up on a London council estate, I was surrounded by blocks of flats, each one exactly alike except for the numbers on the doors. Beyond that were streets full of rows of identical Victorian terraced houses, and whilst they are very lovely, each was indistinguishable from the next. Like many of us, I quickly became enamored with the idiosyncratic architecture that Los Angeles is renowned for – one of my favorites has to be the very peculiar witches’ house in Beverly Hills. Whilst I would never want to live there, I love knowing it exists as a private family home. If you wander through the flats of Beverly Hills or take a walk around Hancock Park you are bound to come across a fake Tudor house sitting right next to a Spanish style villa which is adjacent to a huge plantation style house which is often bookended by Craftsman homes ( possibly my favorite ), which will sadly be demolished to make way for something much taller, sexier and sleeker. I find it quite upsetting to see all these perfectly lovely buildings having to make way for the new trends but I also appreciate that a city like Los Angeles has reinvention in its DNA. And that is really what makes it so appealing to us all.
Obviously, any anniversary gives you pause for thought; questions involving many ‘what ifs?’. The great thing about living here is that you are surrounded by people having the same doubts and also reassuring you that there is no wrong or right answer. The laid-back attitude is one of the things I probably love most about LA – it turns out that the official song for LA County is called ‘Seventy-Six Cities’ composed by brothers Steve and Paul Cowell as they were on their way to Southern California by train. If I were in charge I would choose ‘Que Será, Será‘ sung by Doris Day, as I really do like to believe whatever will be, will be. What would you choose? Answers on an e-postcard to info@britsin.LA
Use the same email address if you have any questions or comments, as we always love hearing from you.
Cheers!
Eileen
