Los Angeles
Los Angeles's Skid Row in an area of Downtown Los Angeles, formally known as Central City East, has one of the largest stable populations of transient persons (homeless) in the United States. Local homeless count estimates have ranged from 3,668 to 5,131. The 2011 point in time homeless population estimate for Los Angeles' Skid Row was 4,316. L.A.'s Skid Row is sometimes called "the Nickel", referring to a section of Fifth Street.
Several of the city's homeless and social-service providers (such as Weingart Center Association, Volunteers of America, Frontline Foundation, Midnight Mission, Union Rescue Mission and Downtown Women's Center) are based in Skid Row. While downtown Los Angeles has experienced a recent revitalization, developers have mostly neglected Skid Row. Between 2005 and 2007, several local hospitals and suburban law-enforcement agencies were accused by Los Angeles Police Department and other officials of transporting those homeless people in their care to Skid Row.
The name Skid Row is sufficiently official that the fire apparatus at LAFD Fire Station # 9, the fire station that serves the neighborhood, have historically had "Skid Row" emblazoned on their sides. On 1 June 2006, the Los Angeles Times reported that fire officials plan to change the legend on the vehicles to read "Central City East". Many residents support the change, but it is opposed by firefighters and some residents who take pride in the sense that they live in a tough place.
In recent years, the Safer City Initiative set to clean up Skid Row was enacted by the city and police department and has resulted in dramatic changes in the area.
Read more about this topic: Skid Row
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“There are two modes of transport in Los Angeles: car and ambulance. Visitors who wish to remain inconspicuous are advised to choose the latter”
—Fran Lebowitz (b. 1951)
“In the great department store of life, baseball is the toy department.”
—Los Angeles Sportscaster. quoted in Independent Magazine (London, Sept. 28, 1991)
“If Los Angeles has been called ‘the capital of crackpots’ and ‘the metropolis of isms,’ the native Angeleno can not fairly attribute all of the city’s idiosyncrasies to the newcomer—at least not so long as he consults the crystal ball for guidance in his business dealings and his wife goes shopping downtown in beach pajamas.”
—For the State of California, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)
“Los Angeles is a Yukon for crime-story writers.”
—Christina Stead (1902–1983)
“... when I finish reading People, I always feel that I have just spent four days in Los Angeles. Women’s Wear Daily at least makes me feel dirty; People makes me feel that I haven’t read or learned or seen anything at all.”
—Nora Ephron (b. 1941)