When I was growing up in Los Angeles, there were certain parts of the city you just didn't go to -- the bad sides of town: Watts, East LA, parts of Venice and Culver City, Pacoima, Gardena. The stigma never really bothered me: I hung out with bikers in Culver City, surf bums in Venice, partied in South Central, went to topless bars in Hawthorne, wandered Skid Road. I even lived in Echo Park way before it was fashionable, when the hills were ruled by the Frogtown gang. But times have changed -- as we finish up the first quarter of the 21st century, all of Los Angeles has become "the bad side of town."
Letter From LA: Summer 2022 - The Crime Issue
Letter From LA: Summer 2022 - The Crime Issue
Letter From LA: Summer 2022 - The Crime Issue
When I was growing up in Los Angeles, there were certain parts of the city you just didn't go to -- the bad sides of town: Watts, East LA, parts of Venice and Culver City, Pacoima, Gardena. The stigma never really bothered me: I hung out with bikers in Culver City, surf bums in Venice, partied in South Central, went to topless bars in Hawthorne, wandered Skid Road. I even lived in Echo Park way before it was fashionable, when the hills were ruled by the Frogtown gang. But times have changed -- as we finish up the first quarter of the 21st century, all of Los Angeles has become "the bad side of town."