From Chicago’s South Loop to LA’s South Park
By Virginia Wexman
Four years ago when we retired from the University of Illinois at Chicago where we were both professors, my husband John Huntington and I moved across the country to South Park. Lured here by the weather and the opportunity to be near children, we soon discovered many more advantages of life in Downtown LA. Though we own a car, we rarely use it; walking and public transit are much more pleasant and relaxing. John bicycles. I’m a movie buff and like to hang out at the Regal LA Live. We frequently eat out at local bistros like Barcito and BottleRock. For special events, we head over to the Ace Hotel or venture further afield to the Disney Concert Hall and the Music Center. Walking our dog Sammy has encouraged us to explore the byways of the South Park neighborhood. Sammy has a special place in her heart for the dog park at LA Live, where we have all enjoyed the company of various South Park dogs and their owners. Soon after we moved here, our building instituted a social committee, which sponsors monthly dining and movie clubs, and a monthly social hour. These events have enabled us to make friends with congenial neighbors.
Having moved to South Park from Chicago’s South Loop, we can’t help making comparisons. Just as happened in the South Loop when we lived there, South Park is experiencing a building boom as more people trade the nightmare of traffic jams for the joys of being able to walk to work and play. But there are differences, too — not all of them in favor of Los Angeles. Long famous as the city that works, Chicago has been blessed with strong, visionary mayors and a tractable city council. The city also benefits from high property taxes, so ample funds are available for maintenance and improvement projects like sidewalk repairs, street cleaning, street-light replacement, and the construction of parks. Los Angeles, by contrast, is a poor city; and its politicians are often at odds with one another. It’s shocking to discover that LA lags far behind Chicago in terms of the number of conventions held here, but our inadequate convention center, long slated for upgrading, puts us at a disadvantage when we compete for the convention trade, which pours millions of dollars into Chicago’s hotels and restaurants.
Of course, the most damning comparison between Chicago and Los Angeles is the vast homeless population that survives on the streets here. Yes, we saw homeless people when we lived in downtown Chicago, but Los Angeles wins this competition hands down; in fact, we are the homeless capital of the nation. My first response to this dire situation was to volunteer at the Downtown Women’s Center on San Pedro. More recently, I have begun to work with the League of Women Voters Committee on Homelessness. At the request of the Mayor’s office our committee has produced a reader-friendly booklet entitled, “Yes! In My LA,” which helps neighbors understand the benefits of welcoming housing for the homeless into their communities. We also lead discussion with neighborhood groups on this issue and attend public meetings as advocates.
One of the most welcome benefits of living in downtown LA is the presence of BIDs. Here in South Park we have a particularly active organization; it’s a responsive presence that keeps our streets safe and clean while beautifying the neighborhood with public art projects and parklets. The South Park BID’s Green Carpets and other events have enabled John and me to become familiar with residents and businesses in our community. We are very proud of the national accolades our BID has received, recognitions of the outstanding job the organization has done to humanize what might otherwise be an impersonal and challenging urban environment.
Virginia Wright Wexman is Professor Emerita of English and Art History at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She has written extensively for the scholarly and popular press, and she served as President of the Society for Cinema and Media Studies from 1993–95. After moving to South Park in 2013, she became active in the League of Women Voters of Los Angeles, where she now serves as Action Chair.
