Mapping LA Update
Ξ February 20th, 2009 | → | ∇ 90041, 90042, 90065, Beyond Northeast, Glassell Park, Highland Park, Press |
Thanks to the posters on our Mapping LA article for illuminating a few things. First, either the map is already being updated or I misread it (more likely) as the Eagle Rock post office is not within the Times’ boundaries of Highland Park. Drawing boundaries is inherently divisive, but the extent to which some pigeonhole themselves borders on comical. To wit, two residents of Mount Angelus take umbrage at living in Highland Park on the Times’ comments page:
“Mount Angelus should not be considered part of Highland Park on the map. Mount Angelus has a different crime rate, neighborhood feel, property values, etc., than the rest of Highland Park.”
and
“I do not think that Mount Angelus should be considered part of Highland Park. Mount Angelus has its own neighborhood feel, which is inconsistent with the surrounding areas of Highland Park, and is really viewed as a separate neighborhood by those that live there.”
A self-proclaimed resident of Eagle Rock, who was foolish enough to list her home address, also objects to living near Highland Park:
“I live at [REDACTED] East of Figueroa in the hills of “Eagle Rock”. Our neighborhood, culturally, socio-economically and emotionally is Eagle Rock NOT Highland Park. My daughter will even attend Eagle Rock High School. Some people say that Eagle Rock residents must have 90041 zip codes- this is not true! I am about 2 blocks from THE EAGLE ROCK itself- how dare people try to consider it Highland Park! I applaud the way LA Times has drawn the boundaries… it certainly matches-up with what we were told be our Realtor!”
This balkanization of our neighborhood hurts and feels latently sinister. The Mount Angelus posters proclaim something called “neighborhood feel” while the poster in the east hills of Eagle Rock invokes “emotional” and “socio-economic” differences from Highland Park. Why not just come out with it? “I want to call my block something else because I don’t want to be associated with poor and working class hispanics.” Aren’t these the same neighborhoods that voted overwhelmingly for Obama? So we’re for helping the working class as long as we don’t have to live with them or risk losing property value? This attitude frustrates me because it’s a cause of so much of the urban sprawl that characterizes this city. Instead of working to improve the neighborhood, so many of us are too ready to simply secede, put up high walls, and pretend that the world disappears when we close our eyes. A “Mt. Angelus” sign doesn’t disassociate one from Highland Park any more than living near Figueroa makes someone a resident of the Paseo Figueroa Corridor. Sorry to preach, but try taking some ownership of your city and neighborhood. The first step? Admit you live in Highland Park.
On a lighter note, Mt. Washington resident Pat Morrison makes a pretty strong case against the Silverlake “Eastside”. While Mt. Washington (and the rest of Northeast for that matter) is east of the river, I’m not sure that Morrison’s neighborhood has quite the gritty chic she imagines Echo Park is trying to brand itself with. If it did, all of our elected representatives would probably move to Mount Angelus.
7 Responses to ' Mapping LA Update '
on February 20th, 2009 at 10:36 am
Good post, but with all due respect to all parties involved, I think it would be a mistake to classify this type of behavior as falling strictly along racial lines.
From what I’ve seen, a lot of hispanic folks also get caught up in this type of thinking…. its just the general “haves” versus “have nots” division that is so exaggerated here in LA by the media and whatnot, which lots of people buy into at some level, and then feel the need to make clear to others and themselves that they are (or wannabe) one of the “haves”.
Speaking of the media, if you want to get REALLY pissed off… check out the History Channel’s new episode of the show “Gangland” about the Avenues Gang. Not only does it glorify the gang, it also paints Highland Park as being slightly less safe than Baghdad, with a backdrop of lots of cheesy video montages of local landmarks. If Highland Park were a person, I think she would have grounds to sue the History Channel for libel for this one, its truly terrible.
on February 20th, 2009 at 11:10 am
Thanks (to one of our original readers), you’re right that I paint with a pretty broad brush, but while the Haves may span the ethnic spectrum in HP, the Have Nots are more narrowly focused. Still you are correct to point out what the posters themselves emphasize as “socio-economic” differences.
I’ve seen that History Channel episode, and I just have to laugh. Nuanced reporting on a nieghborhood never sucks weekend Gangland Marathon viewers in as well as phrases like “reign of terror”, ominous music, and still photographs of gang members from a decade ago. If I can find an online version of it, I’ll take some blood pressure medication and write a post on it.
on February 20th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
the fact that the most incendiary comment came from someone named Adrienne Martinez-Hollingsworth speaks volumes. talk about self-loathing.
i don’t understand why people try to create hierarchies among the neighborhoods in the northeast when the neighborhoods are far more similar than different. we have enough gangs already. no need for more divisions.
on February 20th, 2009 at 11:26 pm
Please folks!, Ive been here 49 years, My friends that went to Eagle Rock high school lived in “eagle Rock” and my friends that went to Franklin High School lived in “Highland Park” and we all got along…However when you started to define the neighborhoods 43′ 57′ HLP ect…then there was trouble. As you can see even the folks that feel that they are beyond all of that are creating there own “turf” defenitions that are similar to the local “gang” turf that has occured for years. If your neighborhood is stable with a low crime rate and has a sense of “Neighborhood” who cares what your zip code is!
on February 24th, 2009 at 6:48 pm
I live on Mt. Angelus and I live in Highland Park! Those Mt. Angelus comments were a little strange. When people ask where I live I say
” Highland Park near Ave 61/Monte Vista, you know, near the Catholic church” never Mt. Angelus. We are all part of this same great neighborhood.
on February 25th, 2009 at 11:24 am
good post. i like the “how dare they” comment.
on March 2nd, 2009 at 5:51 am
Oh, Yorkie. Don’t even give a half a thought to these people who’re trying to wall themselves off from some supposed lesser aspect of their zipcode or locality… I part-time grew up on Mt. Angelus and believe you me, the fool on the hill was and probably is alive and well. My grandmother, the homeowner there on Outlook Ave, was a big vodka fan (no, not even Ketel One but good ole Popov in the break-free bottle) and was celebrated for clocking her older gentleman neighbor one night for undetermined offenses. Add to that our neighbor on the other side who they claimed was a gypsy (her late-night singing was a freakish thing to take in while trying to fall asleep)and a lady from Mt Angelus Drive who wouldn’t even walk her spaniel in hard sunlight without a golf club and pepper spray, and you have merely a hint of the cast of characters that paved the way for such lofty naysaying about being *gasp* one of the 90042. And wasn’t the madness the greater part of the charm? A pox of homogeniety on the lot of them, I say.