Historic South-Central

its south L.A not south central it used too be south central it could be safe on your block but not down the street.south L.A is not safe

People are scared of south central because they think they will get raped, killed and robbed. I have been living here all of my life which has been 23 years and nothing has ever happened to me. South Central me is not the worst place to live and I believe its due to the fact that the area I lived in was never flooded with gangs or violence. Yes, there is loud music, cars that go by super fast and we have had occasions where shooting occurs but, that is rare. Yet, I never go outside with the fear of getting shot. Most people think of south central as a place were people have a low education and don't do anything with there lives. I am proud to say I am not one of those . As a college graduate and current teacher at a preschool in South Central. I have learned that It doesn't matter where you live or come from , You can still succeed in life as long as you try and know who you can rely on. Through the bad and the good south central will always be my home and I would never change that.

I was born and raised in South Central Los Angeles known to many for its urban decay and reputation for incubating the dregs of society. Growing up in a concentrated poverty area has motivated me to make a collective change towards the progression of my community. As a youngster I realized the disparities between the rich and the poor and became often frustrated that more was not being done to alleviate the gang violence, prostitution, drugs and murders. It has also given me the ability to comprehend people of different ethnic and class backgrounds. These populations and I share similar experiences with poverty, social isolation and abandonment as well as street violence. I understand the social pressures of drugs, I understand the appeal of joining a gang, I understand the trap of living the only seemingly viable lifestyle offered to the people in the ghetto because I lived through it. I have gained courage and strength from my experiences and understood that although there are real racial barriers, poverty affects everyone. Non the less This area is still full of life, but we must take responsibility in order save our community, we must reinvest into our children and their future in order to reap the benefits later. As a community we have to start being involved with redeveloping it, we must open cultural centers, Libraries and community centers, not liquor stores.

P.S
Hipsters I am glad you are taking an interest in us but please leave our neighborhoods alone, you are the shock troops of gentrification

i grew up in the corners of 43rd and main st. As a young kid, i would only walk to west vernon, the store on 42nd, and to the church with my parents on 47th. i got older into my teens, i knew every kid with in 7 block radius. i love my hood. it is a shame that people don't feel the same. there are may characters within this hood, and am glad to say that i know some old timers. by the way it is South Central not "South LA".
-SCLA

Nancy have you ever traveled to NYC? More thrash on the streets there than in South Central L.A. streets. What is the "American culture" that you're talking about?

I would like to see Central Ave redevelped. Bring back the jazz culture that it cultivated in the 1930s- 50s.

I grew up on 42nd and Broadway, spent a lot of time on 41st PL and Main at Snappy's. It was not a picture perfect neighborhood back in my teens in the mid 80's. I have much love for the people and places around South Central. As I got older and traveled the country I noticed no matter were I went there was always some place that reminded me of home. You have good and bad in all people. You have crooks in Beverly Hills robbing folks everyday, There just doing it in a $1500.00 suit. If you take notice everybody wants to be from the Westside. I seen young kids in Indiana throwing up the W. I claim L.A. to the fullest, I have never denied my city.

I love the city of Angels
this city where your can come true the city of the show business and the place where bunnies live

I grew up in this neighborhood, and I can attest, it is the most disrespectful, uncaring neighborhood ever. No one respects their neighbors, noise levels are out of control, police are slow to respond, if they ever respond. Too many uneducated, beer guzzling fools in the streets. Trash in every corner. Crime has gone down over the years, but it is still there, where gang wars are not in the open, drugs are everywhere.
I can barely come up with something positive for the place. All I can say, is the Latino community here is rich in culture and history, we cant take that away from them, but VERY disrespectful of the American culture. People in this neighborhood are slobs. I am glad to be out of it and, can barely acknowledge it as my childhood home.

I love that most stereotypes about my community aren't true. Misconceptions about south central are over exaggerated, there is solidarity among the various shades of black and brown. It's beautiful. We are making real significant progress in race relations by talking to our neighbors. In south central you will find the new wave of Latin@ immigrants and a rich language filled with slang from its various ethnic groups. We have diversity that goes beyond statistics.