Why Did YOU Choose South Park???

Connecting with our neighbors, most would agree, is a great addition to living in the downtown area. With that inspiration, I took to the sidewalks of South Park for two days to talk with residents. The question I asked - "Why did you chose to live in South Park/downtown?"

The top reason for living downtown was “the city-feel” vibe. I confirmed that is synonymous with the convenience and ease of walking wherever you want to go. A handful of people who came from living downtown in other cities, including Philadelphia and Newark said downtown LA was the obvious choice to continue the dense urban living they had come to expect with walkability and convenience to daily necessities.

I most enjoyed talking to people about their love of living in the middle of a major city. Many agreed the diversity of people was better than anywhere in LA. One resident explained that diversity allows for the optimal community and network he wanted to have. One resident noted every type of person seems to come to downtown. Another resident explained he could be immersed in a world that wasn't his own which opened him up to a new mindset. Other responses I didn't expect were those who said they felt like downtown was the center to the rest of the LA metropolis.

But not everyone came to this neighborhood for the vibe or walkability. One woman chose the city center to be close to USC where she goes to school. Another interviewee admitted he came because it was close to all three of his jobs as a bartender. However, he admitted the convenience of being able to walk to work and to the store every day. A few downtowners mentioned the area having a strong networking opportunity. Others said they had friends nearby already when they moved here.

As much as my interviewees loved downtown, about half recognized that downtown still has room to reach its potential. I was surprised the other half felt the walkability and ease of getting around were good enough for them.

Issues of dense city life were mentioned, but the majority weren't deterred. One couple talked about moving, but the rest in my five hours of travel were optimistic. While seeing the issues in downtown as plentiful and full of slow progress, most felt much could be realized by supporting development and good services.

Why did you choose to live in South Park? Share in the comments section.

By Justin Orkin