The Real "Los Angeles 2013"

Side-by-side comparison of Syd Mead's 1988 illustration of 2013 Downtown Los Angeles, and the real-life photo of March 2013 DTLA, looking west along 1st Street at San Pedro Street in Little Tokyo. No super-tall towers to dwarf the stately City Hall, nor split-level streets (Whatup with that?!), but we do have the "Death Star" Caltrans building and zebra crosswalks.

The whole local Intwerwebz lit up last week when the Los Angeles Times decided to open their published time capsule from April 3, 1988 of the Los Angeles Times Magazine article on what the city would be like in 25 years -- That is, 2013.

The Militant, still a teenager, actually remembers reading that article with eager curiosity, and marveled at the supertall towers and rail transit tubes that may or may not be common sights in Downtown Los Angeles. But all this talk about robots was pretty awesome stuff. Man, the future. That was pretty rad.

Because back in '88, The Militant was listening to music like this:


PURE ENERGY!

It was a bold new future, a brave new world.

But 25 years later, we read the article with much amusement. Predicting the future will always turn out both correct and incorrect. Take, for example, the city of Detroit, which has been victim of urban decay and corruption in local government, but still lacks a cybernetic officer in its police force.

There are lots of variables. For no one in '88 could predict, say, the Rodney King incident and the subsequent 1992 Riots. Or the 1994 Northridge Earthquake. Or the NFL moving out. Or the Lakers and Kings moving Downtown. Or 9/11. Or climate change. Or the demise of the Los Angeles Times Magazine. Or blogs. Or social media. Or CicLAvia. Or the fact that the Dodgers only garnered one World Series championship since then. Or...(Okay, the Militant will stop).

The Militant went through the article and noted down some of the innovations listed in writer Nicole Yorkin's fictional account of a day in the life of the Morrow family of Granada Hills.

The Militant has each of those "innovations" listed under three ratings: "Yes," "No" and "Sorta" when it comes to how prescient it was.

Mandatory staggered work plan (Sorta) - Back when Los Angeles was a more white collar town, working 9-to-5, so to speak, this was talked about back in the day as a way to mitigate traffic. But in a more service-based workforce, there are people working around the clock.

Computer printer printing out news (No)  - The Militant knew years ago news would be computerized, but more like the home-printed version in the article than the wireless, mobile digital form we enjoy today.And man, what a waste of paper!

Domestic Robots (No) - Cylindrical vacuum cleaners aside, no, there are no domestic robots in 2013. We're still a far way from the Jetsons Era, and such robots will remain to be limited in the science fiction film realm. Though if you could tell the people back in 1988 that there will be a Star Wars VII sequel coming out in two years, their minds would be blown.

Home Gym (Sorta) - Many people own their own workout equipment, especially computerized treadmills, that give you accurate counts of calories burned and whatnot. They don't (yet) function like personal trainers, and people in 2013 still go to the gym (The Militant doesn't, he has his bike...)

"Los Angeles-based multinational Corporation" (No) - The world in 1988 had a feeling that Japan owned everything and Los Angeles, across the pond from Japan, would be the financial center of this side of the Pacific Rim...since then, the big overseas capitalist power went to China (ironically, a communist country) and the Fortune 500 companies based in Los Angeles either merged with other companies based elsewhere or just moved out.

India cigarettes (No) - Though India is the 2nd-largest tobacco producing country in the world (595,000 tons annually as of 2000), it's far surpassed by China, which produces 2.3 million tons per year. Unlike coffee or tea, the origins of tobacco products is largely unknown to most consumers.

Denturinse (No) - With modern tootbrushes boasting advanced forms of bristle arrangements, and even some disposable models being battery-powered, ain't no way a rinse product is gonna clean yo teefs.

Video intercom (Yes) - Skype. FaceTime. Need we say more? Although we use these over long distances. Within the household, people just send texts...

Robo-pets (No) - Y'all blew your chances 15 years ago with the Tamagochi.

Nutrition plan (No) - Our kitchens still don't automatically provide these to us. Actually, with so much GMO food, would we really want that?

Plastic key-card (Sorta) - The protagonist in the 2013 story opens and runs his car with a plastic key-card. Though such things are mainstream in hotel rooms, they're not used in automobiles, especially since the whole wireless thing blew that usefulness out of the water.

Electronic map system (Yes) - Yes. Or more like GP-yes.

Commutes 3x long (No) - You complain about the traffic, yet don't even know it's not as bad as we all thought it would be. The average freeway trip forecasted for 2013 in the article was 47 minutes. In the real 2013 its around 29 minutes, only twice the 15 minute commute from the 1980s. Of course, though the article predicted Metro Rail (which was two years into construction at the time of writing), it didn't predict things like Metrolink, rapid buses, bicycle commutes or the recession, all of which reduced the number of automobiles on our freeways.

Automobile Trains with Inductive Couplers (No) - Oh no, that's kinda wacky. We're just getting used to those ExpressLanes with those fancy transponders.

Computer pen pals (Yes) - It's called Facebook, anyone?

Future Rock (No) - The big music wave in the 2013 Grammy Awards was folk music. Rock has gone retro for quite a while. And no, dubstep doesn't count.

Christa McAuliffe Elementary School (No) - With the space shuttle Challenger disaster still fresh in the minds back then, this was an inevitable assumption. But though the perished space-bound teacher was immortalized in other school districts, the LAUSD has yet to honor her (Not surprised...)/

Pilot program schools with scale down size, community-based operation (Yes) - They call them charter schools.

Smart Cards, Fiber optics and artificial intelligence in schools (No) - Are you kidding? the LAUSD is far too concerned with dumbing-down education via their obsession with standardized testing to invest in any of that.

Large Screen Displays (Yes) - Though not necessarily in LAUSD schools, colleges do have video projection and large LCD monitors at their disposal.

Toy Ultra-Laser (Yes) - One of the kids in the article has his laser confiscated from him. You can, too, if you aim yours at an airplane or a helicopter.

Telecommuting (Yes) - Though not nearly as widespread, telecommuting is commonplace enough in the industries that are compatible with it.

Electronic Mail (Yes) - E-mail was around in the 1980s, so it was a technological inevitability. The Militant was even using it, as a member of local bulletin-board systems (BBSes) which people called via their 1200-baud modems. Of course, the article probably didn't predict e-mail spam...

"Condensing and synthesizing information form all over the globe" (Sorta) - One of the characters does this for a living. In the real 2013, we have computers doing this for a living. It's called Google.

 "Flashing his monthly metro rail pass at a uniformed guard" (No) - Guess they couldn't predict TAP cards. Though you still have to show (tap)  yours to uniformed guards every once in a while on trains or stations.

Elevated Track (No) - While some of the Metro Rail lines run on elevated structures, it's not nearly as used as the article predicted, possibly assuming that subway tunnels "wouldn't work in earthquake country." The 1989 Bay Area earthquake and every earthquake in Japan proved that was wrong, and that tunneling was the way to go. Not sure how those Beverly Hills folks think about that, though, if we built an elevated Metro Rail line through their town, they'd scream bloody hell 10 times louder.

Computer Banking  (Yes) - Online banking is totally mainstream in today's world, but video-conferencing with tellers isn't even necessary.

Downtown population (Yes) - Perhaps an inevitability, but yes, tons more people live in DTLA than back in 1988.

Speaking of the Downtown population, it's interesting how this article focused on a family in suburban Granada Hills. Today, it would either be people living closer to the city, say, in Silver Lake or Palms, or farther away in now-suburban communities like Santa Clarita, Rancho Cucamonga (yay Tongva) or Aliso Viejo.

Another interesting thing was that lower-income communities were totally overlooked. Whether they would be eventually gentrified or ceased to exist was galaxies away from the tone and scope of the article. But history has a funny way of working; had it not been for the '92 Riots, and their lasting impact, both positively and negatively, we wouldn't be talking about lower-income communities today. And aside from the (assumed) mixed white-Latino marriage of the Morrow family, we saw little of how  Los Angeles, already a very diverse multicultural metropolis back in '88, would turn out in terms of culture.

So then, what would a day in the life of Los Angeles look like, 25 years from now, in 2038? Of course, knowing what we know now, it all depends where in Los Angeles and who we're focused on.

The Militant's Fi(r)st Annivasary - "Life Is Still Pretty Good in Hollywood"

One of the Militant's first blog adventures happened exactly a year ago today when he blogged about attending a meeting on the proposed Hollywood Freeway Central Park, visiting a popular Huell-approved juice joint on the Boulevard and simply taking in the day (and not long afterward, some curious blog readers posted these things called "Comments" on the Militant Angeleno's then-nascent blog, thus making the Militant realize, "Hey, people actually read this thing...Awe-some").

Well you don't know how far you've gone unless you look back on how far you've been, or something like that, so the Militant will revisit his little Hollywood adventure. Or, mind you, the Blockbuster Hollywood Sequel (Hey, The Militant can have fun with cheeky showbiz media cliches, too).

Earlier this month there were a pair of meetings on the proposed freeway cap park to wrap up community feedback on the project, which the Militant is glad to report is progressing nicely. The duplicate meetings, done on a Saturday morning and a Wednesday night, respectively, were held to accommodate people's schedules. Large-sized concept illustrations (pictured above) and descriptions of the park's design (all recommended and subject to change, of course) were shown to the community -- of which a neighbor of one of the Militant's operatives - mind you, this neighbor is a white male homeowner in his late 50s - said, "Judging by the faces in the room, this doesn't look like it's representative of the community." Hey, his words, not the Militant's!

Anyhu, the design included elements like art features (sculptures and murals), an amphitheater, multipurpose sports fields, a water feature, a viewing place for the Hollywood sign, a restaurant in the park, a dog space and an emphasis on greening the residential streets directly adjacent to the park.

Transportation was important, and some community members voiced their support and the need for an uninterrupted bike path, a DASH-type line and overall pedestrian-friendliness, including access to the Hollywood/Western (M) station - the closest to the park.

Even some Hollywood Hills-billies wanted a piece of dat park action, requesting that some of the park be extended north of its intended Bronson Ave. limit. Not so fast there podner -- the freeway no longer runs below ground level at this point!

The 34-acre park is expected to cost more or less around $1 billion, which is still cheaper than acquiring the equivalent amount of existing land at today's property values, and is expected to be 80% funded by federal moolah, and the remaining 20% by state funds, which includes a possible public-private partnership. And speaking of which, with the Speaker of the House being a Californian and the Speaker of the California State Assembly an Angelena, now's the time to work it (gurl)!

With a projected (optimistic) timeline of around 10 years , two down, eight or so to go...

All The Hollywood Juice

Wow, a sub-headline. The Militant hadn't used one of those in a long-ass time. Anyway, a year ago, the Militant paid a visit to the Juice(s) Fountain (pictured right, and BTW, WTF is up with that "C" in the window?), which he had stumbled upon for the first time since they moved from their old location on Vine Street. Unfortunately, on this recent return visit, as he was ready to come in, a fellow pedestrian said to her walking partners, "Sorry, were closed?"

The Militant went into worried shock mode, up until he read the sign on the door showing the closing time as 5 p.m., which was about an hour and a half ago at this point. Fear not, for he shall soon return to that blended fruit juicy goodness.

Though speaking of fruits...or at least wannabe fruits, or more specifically, fruit-topped chemically-composited fro-yo with a name making a reference to a type of treegrown fruit, which has subsequently spawned thousands of imitators referencing that very same fruit, is coming to the Boulevard. Yes folks...

...Pinkberry is coming to the Boulevard (Full disclosure, though the Militant was admittedly a fan last year, he has since Seen The Light in the form of Red Mango. It's all about the creamy, certified active yogurt-cultured Red Mango, baby). Too little, too late. Insert disappointed, jaded sigh here. Of course, they knew full well that they were trumped by another competitor looong ago as staking a claim to the World's Most Famous Street.

The Militant headed to the general area of his compound, not on two wheels this time, but on 48. But first he had to reach his subway train through a rather busy, scaffolding-inundated environment in the form of the gargantuan Hollywood Dubya Hotel, now very much under construction.

Ah, Hollywood. Pardon our dust. The Militant will retrace his Walk Of Fame steps yet again, for his second anniversary.

"Life is Good in Hollywood"

I was going to inaugurate this blog with some grandiose, and equally verbose prologue explaining this blog and how it's written not just from a Los Angeles native's viewpoint, but from the perspective of someone who participates in the community, etc. etc. Of course I thought of that months ago when I decided to create this blog, and thus time spent thinking equated into no time actually doing.

So I'm gonna jump into this feet first, cold turkey and countless other euphemisms.

Sitting In The Park

But yeah, life was good in Hollywood today. Being just 2 miles from home and within my 5-mile bicycling radius in my personal gas/traffic-saving program, I biked to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce building on The Boulevard next to the Roosevelt to attend a stakeholder workshop for the proposed Hollywood Freeway Central Park, the plan to cap the 101 with a 34-acre greenway and recreation area, filling just part of the dearth of park space in the Hollywood area, which currently has less than 3% of the City standard for park space (Even with the park,only 1/3 of our park space deficit would be fulfilled).

The meeting was put together by Don Scott, chair of the Hollywood Central Park coalition, and coordinated in conjunction with Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) and the Portland, OR (hey, I dig em already)-based Fregonese Associates, the planning consultant for the project.

Fregonese's presentation was a slick PowerPoint, showing before-and-after CGI renderings of what could be and seemed highly inspirational, save for some of the towering developments and depictions of rather Aryan-looking folk in the pictures (the consultant recognized this, and attributed it to the Swedish-based firm that made the software).

The presentation also brought up some interesting facts that piqued my militant interest:

- There are 80,639 people who live in the above-mapped area.
- 80% of those people live within one mile of the park (That's Euro-type density right there).
- There are 30,323 households in the mapped area.
- 26% of the residents are children.
- 56% of the area is renter-occupied.

The rest of the meeting had us split into three groups and analyze the map to come up with some suggestions to shape the community's vision. Ideas ranged from parking facilities, a bike/pedestrian path between the park and the Hollywood/Western (M) station, an overlay zone (pioneered in NYC) to mitigate the effects of gentrification and allow longtime residents the ability to buy property in the area, banning commercial structures along the park, a sloping topography to allow for pedestrian/bike path bridges to cross over major thoroughfares, an Armenian Genocide Memorial (especially if portions of the project are ready by 2015) and more. Just when the ball was rolling, they called time. The next meeting would be sometime in July with a larger community meeting in September.

Of course this Militant Angeleno who lives in the park-deficient confines of the Hollywood area supports the park, and if done right can really transform the community, especially re-claiming the neighborhood fabric that was destroyed when the freeway cut through over 50 years ago.

Got My Juices Flowin'

While biking home I passed by some happy tourists on the perfect Los Angeles sunshiny day, snapping their cameras on the Walk of Fame, the El Cap and Ho-Hi. Then just before Vine, I came across a familiar sight:


To my delight, the wonderful Hollywood institution, The Juice Fountain, had survived its relocation (to make way for the gargantuan W Hotel Hollywood project) and is now located on The Boulevard (6332 Hollywood Blvd to be exact). It's not the shack anymore but the place is filled with the aroma of fresh fruit, and most notably, the blended fruit shakes are still there. Surely in this age of Jamba/Robeks I could have biked a few more blocks to get a smoothie fix, but this is a true Hollywood institution, anointed by Sir Huell of Howser (a photo of the filming day adorns the walls) and is still serving the community, so I felt they were more than worthy of earning my money today. I got the #1 shake with strawberries, and a bag of veggie chips.I told them I was glad they were still in business.

As I pedaled my bike ride home along The Boulevard, I felt hope in a greener future and the present smiling on me like the sun on this clear day, I had an Ice Cube-esque epiphany: "Life is good in Hollywood."

Some other pics along the way:

OMG, I ARE A T00RIST!

Channel 2/9's "Miss Saigon" Billboard.