Here in LA, we’re not exactly over-supplied with parkland.
So it’s particularly galling that MacArthur Park, one of the true gems of the city, is in such an appalling state.
It’s surrounded by dilapidated buildings, covered in garbage, and overflowing with illegal vendors and people sleeping rough.
Yes, the area around MacArthur Park is a poor neighborhood, but that’s all the more reason that the city should focus on making it a safe, clean, wonderful place for families. Families jammed into small apartments need places for children to play!
Perhaps the single best thing the city could do to kick off the process of improving the park would be to reverse the damage caused by the geniuses who decided to run Wilshire Blvd through the middle of it in the mid 1930s. Here’s a pic:
It’s about time we heal that cut, knit the park back together, and clean it up for the people who live there.