Revival of troubled area takes more than keeping a cake dry.ANA Morales, manager of MacArthur Park Towers, remembers the bad days. "The police would be coming here to go up on our roof and check for people selling drugs in the area," said Morales, whose 183-unit elder-care facility on Grandview Street is a few hundred feet north of the park that shares its name. "It was bad. It wasn't safe. But now they are cleaning up things a little bit." The evidence suggests that the cleaning up, which began earlier this year with stepped up police patrols and installation of surveillance cameras in MacArthur Park, is gradually elevating the surrounding area. A new business improvement district is being organized, antiquated commercial facilities have been earmarked for residential conversions, and retailers in the area are reporting an uptick in business. In a telling development, the historic Park Plaza Hotel The Plaza Hotel in New York City is a landmark 19-story luxury hotel with a height of 250 feet (76 m) and length of 400 feet that (122 m) occupies the west side of Grand Army Plaza, from which it derives its name, and extends along Central Park South in Manhattan. , which has overlooked the park for nearly 80 years, has decided it's time It's Time was a successful political campaign run by the Australian Labor Party (ALP) under Gough Whitlam at the 1972 election in Australia. Campaigning on the perceived need for change after 23 years of conservative (Liberal Party of Australia) government, Labor put forward a to begin checking in guests again. "For the last five years we have used our space just for private functions and filming," said Chavi Hertz, owner of the 70-room hotel on Park View Street, directly adjacent to the park. "It was a drug-infested area. But now that the area is being cleaned up, people are less concerned about their safety. We're ready to open again." No one would suggest that this densely populated pop·u·late tr.v. pop·u·lat·ed, pop·u·lat·ing, pop·u·lates 1. To supply with inhabitants, as by colonization; people. 2. area, located just west of downtown, has been resurrected from crime and blight. The consensus, however, is that the improvements are taking root. "We're making it a destination," said City Councilman Ed Reyes Ed P. Reyes has served on the Los Angeles City Council since April 2001. A native of Northeast Los Angeles, Councilmember Reyes represents many of the neighborhoods he grew up in including Lincoln Heights and Cypress Park. , whose district includes 40-acre MacArthur Park and the surrounding vicinity. "We're creating the economic and social infrastructure that will be the cornerstone for the area. We have to make people feel comfortable walking there." One element of the rehabilitation is an effort to create a MacArthur Park Business Improvement District that would employ a staff dedicated to security and trash removal in the area. Also, through the city's Adaptive Reuse Adaptive reuse is the process of adapting old structures for new purposes. When the original use of a structure changes or is no longer required, as with older buildings from the industrial revolution, architects have the opportunity to change the primary function of the Ordinance established four years ago to help revive downtown, zoning laws have been relaxed to enable the conversion of commercial establishments to residential use. The area's storied past is both an inspiration and a cautionary tale A cautionary tale is a traditional story told in folklore, to warn its hearer of a danger. There are three essential parts to a cautionary tale, though they can be introduced in a large variety of ways. . In the 1880s, when Westlake Park Westlake Park can mean:
As the city grew westward, the socio-economic climate shifted as more immigrants and working-class people settled into the area. A turning point carne in the mid-1960s when the park became a popular gathering place for drug users and sellers. By the early 1970s it had earned the dubious nickname of "Needle Park" and much of the surrounding area fell into decline. The appearance of crack cocaine in the 1980s only worsened the situation. Through it all, Westlake has remained one of the most densely populated communities in the western United States Noun 1. western United States - the region of the United States lying to the west of the Mississippi River West Santa Fe Trail - a trail that extends from Missouri to New Mexico; an important route for settlers moving west in the 19th century . Now, nearly 40,000 people live in roughly one square mile anchored by the park. Of those, U.S. census data shows that about 70 percent are foreign born, 37 percent are Spanish-speaking, 11 percent are African American African American Multiculture A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. See Race. , and 10 percent are Asian. While fewer than 10 percent of those living in the area own their own home or apartment, the median price of condominiums sold in the month of May was $222,000, a 41 percent increase from a year ago, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. DataQuick Information Systems. Business in the surrounding community long has been dominated by small to mid-size retailers, particularly on Alvarado Street. The busy stretch on the park's east side is home to an assortment of shops selling household items, clothing, fast food and check-cashing services. Salsa music Salsa music or "salsa" is a Latin music generic/umbrella term developed in New York City specifically during the 1970s that was used to describe mainly Afro-Cuban popular Latin dance music generally utilizing rhythms from Cuba, particularly son and guaracha. often fills the air. One venerable institution that has witnessed numerous changes is Langer's Delicatessen & Restaurant, situated on the corner of Alvarado and Seventh Street since 1947. While pleased to see the recent comeback attempt, owner Norm Langer said he is taking a wait-and-see-attitude. "As long as the LAPD 1. LAPD - Link Access Procedure on the D channel. 2. LAPD - Los Angeles Police Department. makes an effort to keep the park clean and sale the area will flourish," he said. "We'll get people from outside the area to come here instead of drug dealers. Drug dealers are not my customers." |
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