Beverly Hills!

This week I decided to comment on a blog by a classmate, Monika H, also blogging about Cities and Social Differences, her blog was about Beverly Hills.

Here's the link...

http://mhwelcomingwanderlust.blogspot.com/2012/10/according-to-emile-durkheim-division-of.html#comment-form

Here is my response...



I also agree that Beverly Hills is a very stratified area in Los Angeles. They create and enforce so many rules that it makes it almost impossible for someone who is not living in Beverly Hills or has the amount of wealth that residents do, to be in the city without a purpose.

We were discussing in lecture about how in the 4th urban revolution, every major city has their own center. With that being said, I think the center of Beverly Hills in definitely its high end fashion district, also known for the street Rodeo Drive. A person who is not looking to spend money on overpriced food and clothing, such as Monika was describing, would feel completely out of place.

I have personally been to this area of Beverly Hills, and as a college student, I agree with Monika that I could not casually visit Beverly Hills due to the prices being so high. I went to get Sprinkles cupcakes, which are about $4 each, paid for like 5 minutes of parking and left. And all I can remember doing was starring out my window because I was mesmerized by the luxurious life these residents of Beverly Hills were living.

The restrictions and social rules they have in Beverly Hills make it so only those who can afford this life can live there. Even all apartment buildings have valet parking, most homes are covered by trees and are gated, and streets all have parking signs with "Permit Only" so public parking is no where to be found. All these social rules and city regulations definitely separates residents of Beverly Hills from others who are simply not living the luxurious life that they do. It simply amazes me how stratified cities have become, but I now understand what happened during the 4th Urban Revolution.

Silver fire hydrants are ridiculous! That was probably the first thing I noticed when I passed by Beverly Hills.

Week 3: Koreatown!

Hello Everyone! So this week I decided to explore Koreatown, and although I have lived in Los Angeles all   of my life, I have never been to Koreatown. This was an interesting experience for me because I have never been to a part of Los Angeles that focuses on another ethnic group's interests and culture.

I can start this adventure by commenting on the car ride to Koreatown. It consisted of the horrible LA traffic that there was! The freeway was jam packed however was very convenient to use to get around the city. For the most part, I was able to see how many of the buildings in Los Angeles are old and in terrible conditions, yet are still preserved because of the history behind them. Public Transportation on the streets was something that was regularly seen, with the many people waiting for buses. The streets were diversely populated with people always looking rushed, which is part of the city life.

As I arrived to Koreatown, I parked in a residential neigborhood and walked my way through the streets of Koreatown. I was not sure how people would react to me exploring this part of town due to me being hispanic. However, I found that there were many hispanics in this neighborhood who were employed by Koreans themselves. I often found some Koreans to smile at me, while others looked at me oddly. I explored the many plazas and gallerias in Koreatown which consisted of many shops and markets that had imported food. When I was in one of the plazas, I walked into a bakery and there were translations for everything. I also sat in a coffee shop where the customers were mainly Asians and Hispanics. I was very surprised to see so many Hispanics because I was unaware of how many were employed by Korean shop owners. As I continued to walk around I noticed that many of the people that were there were regulars and those that worked in shops would have great relationships with customers. All around I always noticed that people frequently knew each other. The younger generation were mainly the ones giving me the best customer service, while the older generation seemed hesitant and not as friendly. I also noticed many Hispanic businesses in Koreatown, which is interesting to see both cultures share this space.

The one thing that I did really notice was the fact that we discussed cities as having their central points and the business aspect of the city. With the central point being the economic/business area of a city, the other layers of the city are then all residential areas, which refers to our reading "The Growth of the City." The author explains how cities expand and how mobility helps with this as well. Los Angeles has expanded in such a way that mobility in this city is absolutely necessary and usually occurs outside of the residential areas. It was amazing to see and observe personally how all these layers of a city are formed. As a Los Angeles native I have never taken the time to observe or even notice such layers of this city, when if fact they can be so obvious.

Koreatown was interesting to explore and I learned so much about how different cultures have come to find a way that works for them to feel comfortable and native to a town or country that isn't necessarily home, but  can feel that way.
This map demonstrates how many Asians have come to Los Angeles and have made this city their home and how the creation of a city such as Koreatown can make living situations better for people.

WEEK 2: When LA Comes Together for Sports

Hello there, so for week 2 my job happened to give me free tickets to a soccer game to watch the LA Galaxy team at the Home Depot Center in the city of Carson. Los Angeles happens to be a lively sports city with die hard fans for about every team it has. I believe that sports brings people in a city together to enjoy something they appreciate and have in common.

The location of the stadium is a neighborhood full of homes and the stadium itself shares common grounds with California State University, Dominguez Hills, which is a heavy commuter school. The location of this stadium makes it convenient for local fans to go to games regularly because its right in the middle of so many homes.

The reason I thought doing a sports game in LA would be perfect for this project was because I was especially aware of how much diversity there was at this game, yet fans felt comfortable within the atmosphere of the game to interact with one another. The amount of diversity that was brought to American soccer was interesting. A group of season ticket holders who were of Hispanic descent brought drums to the game and it brought such a fun and lively atmosphere to game. The sounds of the drums made me want to consistently get up from my seat and cheer throughout the whole game. With the sound of the drums also came cheers that were closely tied to the rhythm and it was interesting to see everyone of all races in that section get up and jump side to side to a very Hispanic dominated rhythm. This comes to show that even though we were all watching American soccer, everyone was able to bring a part of soccer from different home countries where soccer is celebrated and enjoyed differently. This is what is so great about LA, that people can bring so many different backgrounds together and enjoy a similar interest without letting differences get in the way.

The quote that we discussed in class about boundaries which was central for this project came to mind many times throughout this game. The one time I did see boundaries in this stadium was with the seating. It was obvious to see the economic hierarchy associated with race and who dominated the lower level seats (better view, more expensive) and who dominated the higher level seats (less of a great view, cheaper). There were also reserved suites where people could eat dinner and watch the game with a better seating view. This was the only time, I was able to see the social difference in terms of economic status and type of race that dominated these seating areas.

I think that I got the overall diverse Los Angeles experience at this soccer game. Seeing the many different people come together to enjoy something they all enjoy which in this game was the sport of soccer, was amazing. In such a homey neighborhood, such a lively stadium in the middle made going to see a soccer game comfortable, convenient, and fun.

Week 1: INTRODUCTION

Hello my name is Erica Mendez and this blog will be about the social differences and observations that I make throughout the Metropolitan area of Los Angeles. I have lived in Los Angeles all of my life so I hope to discover and go to areas I have not explored yet. Although I have visited areas such as Hollywood, downtown, and the South Bay, I have never really payed attention in detail and observed people and how they use the space and react to the environment they are in. I hope to see Los Angeles in a different more aware perspective after this project.

The class Cities and Social Difference interests me because I love to study cultural geography and I have yet to take a class that focuses on this topic. I know the city of Los Angeles is diverse and it is amazing how one street can have so many different neighborhoods and different people just within a few blocks, and I hope to explore the many different neighborhoods and communities that I can discover.

I'm excited for this project and am excited to share my new experiences in L.A.! :)

-Erica