Diversity (Chap 9)

            Public markets like the farmers market brings diverse people together. (This image is not mine, it is from http://www.pps.org/reference/brings-together-diverse-people/ )

My neighborhood in Koreatown is diverse but still predominantly Hispanic and Korean. Diversity is very important because it opens our minds to other cultures or beliefs. Diversity helps us broaden our perspective.We start to understand and respect other people that are different, and find common grounds that binds us positively. I believe any successful city is diverse.
In the chapter, they mentioned the South's institutionalizing racial segregation back in history. They used to practice "separate but equal facilities and opportunities for whites and blacks" but now people are not separated anymore. People learned that whatever color or beliefs you have, you are still a human being and that is what connects all of us on this planet. Due to the popularity of slavery in the Southern states back then, certain biases were imprinted to some individuals which they still carry secretly or without shame.
You really get exposed to different cultures and religions here in Los Angeles. This exposure helps us drown out our fears and biases. People of different race, color, and religion work together and benefit from one other. It's one of the beautiful things you will see in cities like Los Angeles.
 
One of the things I love most about CSUN is the diversity! Multiculturalism is an amazing thing! Here is a short amateur video showing diversity.

LA View (Chap 8)

  This is the view of LA from the Griffith Observatory.  (This image is not mine, it is from http://marqelexsis.wordpress.com/2010/02/20/zemotion-la-meetup/ ) Our skyline is pretty, but may not be as iconic as New York City's or San Francisco's, here is why: http://www.kcet.org/socal/departures/landofsunshine/laws-that-shaped-la/laws-that-shaped-la-why-is-the-la-skyline-so-bland.html )

Okay, so I have seen this view many times when going to the observatory. You can see how big LA from this view. You will also notice that LA is a sprawling city. You will see Islands of tall buildings.
LA is not like in Appalachia. It is rather flat in most areas. There are no major land bodies that truly separate or isolate an area of culture. The city's terrain is not rugged, it is filled with buildings, roads, parking structures, and other city features. There may be some slight differences in culture in some areas but that's because the county of Los Angeles is big that places are separated by distance or freeways. All, if not most, areas here in the city benefit from the transportation system which helps circulate the economy here in the city.

Just showing the topography around Los Angeles. It shows the various mountain ranges that surrounds the city. (This image is not mine, it is from http://www.atmos.albany.edu/student/heathera/mapdisc_10-26-07.html )

I couldn't find a video on Los Angeles or Koreatown's geography, but I found a nice brief introduction to California's geography.

Public Transportation (Chap 7)

  This is a picture inside one of the long buses in LA. I always ride one of these to school via Orange Line. Yes, it gets really crowded.  It shows how populated LA is.  (this image is not mine, it is from http://www.lightrailnow.org/facts/fa_brt_2006-10a.htm)

     I live in a place where I have good access to public transportation. I live near main roads and intersections so it's not hard for me to get around. First I take a 5 minute ride to the Beverly subway station, then I take the Red Line(subway), then I take the Orange Line, then I take another bus at Reseda to get to CSUN. It takes me about 2 hours to get to school, that's including the waiting time and the stops. I love the Metro!
     How should I relate this to the Bypassed East chapter of the book? Well, I can only relate it by talking about how opposite my area is to the Bypassed East.  Like I mentioned earlier I am near or right on the transportation lines so my place is not at all bypassed. It is not easy for one to live and work in the Bypassed East because of the harsh climate (often cold and damp), the terrain, the quality of the soil for agriculture.  We don't really have a harsh climate here in Los Angeles.  I am still able to grow my plants in my balcony even with very hot weather.  I'm not sure about the quality of the soil where I live, probably not sufficient for farming, but the trees, bushes, and grass here are green.  Los Angeles is so much more populated than the Bypassed East.  Why did I pick transportation for this section? Because my area has abundance of it and it just shows that my area is populated, not ignored, significant, not bypassed.  It shows how the area is thriving and connected.

    This is a map of the Los Angeles bus system routes.  (The image is from http://www.theatlantic.com/special-report/the-future-of-the-city/archive/2010/06/off-the-bus/57449/ )

     Here is a video talking about Koreatown and mentions metro transportation.  It shows how it is a bustling place.

CARS!!! (Chap 5)

                                (this image is not mine, it is from http://www.johnsonmatel.com/blog1/)

     There are so many cars here in Los Angeles!  This is where the freeway is born. The first freeway in the US connected Downtown Los Angeles with Pasadena. People of Los Angeles are so dependent on their vehicles in order to get around. People can't live without them. I don't drive at all.  I have always taken the bus or the subway to get around LA. Sure it takes longer, but you get used to it.  It is cheaper to commute (only 5 dollars for a metro day pass.) and you are helping the environment.
     Chapter 5 of the book talks about the North American manufacturing core.  Well, I chose to blog about the cars in LA because it shows how dependent we are to those manufacturers in the US and abroad.  Our cars are made out of metal or steel.  The sources of these materials and other minerals are found here in North America.  According to the book, the US and Canada are "blessed with natural resources that drive heavy industry."  I looked up where our cars are made here in the US.  I went to Howtobuyamerican.com and found that the cars that are made in the US are manufactured and assembled in states like South Carolina, Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, Illinois, Texas, and other states.  No car manufacturers in California according to that website.  So I googled "car manufacturers in California" and found that there are about 30 manufacturers/companies located in the state.

Here are the links: http://www.howtobuyamerican.com/content/db/b-db-autos.shtml , http://www.manta.com/mb_45_A82C77VC_05/car_manufacturers/california , http://energy.sourceguides.com/businesses/byGeo/US/byS/CA/byP/ev/ecars/byB/mfg/mfg.shtml (electric car manufacturers in California)

                        Here is a video pertaining to LA traffic and its history.  It's a good short video!

Neighborhood (Chap 4)

                                      Here is another picture I took from my apartment balcony.

     I live in a neighborhood with taller buildings. If you look closely, you are able to see the very tall buildings of Downtown Los Angeles from afar. I do enjoy living in the city. I like the energy, diversity and its complexity. I have been living here in the city for almost twelve years and I couldn't imagine myself living in a suburban environment.
     Los Angeles is such a big city.  One of the major cities here in California. The Megalopolis in Southern California includes Los Angeles, Long Beach, San Diego, Riverside, Anaheim, and Bakersfield.  They are connected to each other by freeway or public transportation.

                                                This is a video showing Los Angeles as a whole.

Restaurant (Chap 3)

                         (This image is not mine, it is from http://burritowisdom.wordpress.com/2009/02/).

     So this is Mariela's Tacos, a Mexican restaurant just right outside my apartment.  It's been in our neighborhood for as long as I can remember. They serve good Mexican food like tacos, carnitas, burritos, and many others.  Ironically my favorite order from the restaurant are their cheese burger and fries combo...I don't know, it's just easier for me to eat it on the go.
     As I mentioned before, I live in the Koreatown area with predominantly hispanic and korean population.  You will see evidence of these cultures by looking at the restaurants around. According to the book, "culture provides a group member's identity and heritage, and in the process lays the basis for the group's meaning and purpose."  There are many Mexicans who immigrated here in Los Angeles from their country.  Their culture is tightly intertwined with the general culture here.  Mexican restaurants like this let us know of their culture's presence.  It also brings Mexicans (other hispanics too) together and gives them comfort. Mexican is one of the main regional cultures here in California.

     I actually found an amateur review of Mariela's Tacos on youtube!  The video was uploaded four years ago so their review isn't really reliable now... or then :p  Also check out the comments on the video if you have time.

                            

Griffith Park (Chap 2)

                           This is basically Griffith Park.  You will find the Griffith Observatory here.
                 (This image is not mine, it is from http://clarkblog.typepad.com/photos/la_sights/griffith_park.html.)

                    This is me at the Griffith Observatory. My friend and I hiked all the way up there.

     Griffith Park is my favorite park to visit here in Los Angeles!  It's pretty close to where I live. It only takes me approximately ten minutes or less to get there from my apartment via bus so I consider it as part of my neighborhood.  When I want to go out with a friend and we don't have a lot of money to spend, we just go here and just have a picnic (usually with the food and drinks we bought from the 99 cents only store).  This is a nice place for city people to connect with nature.
    You will see various types of plants and trees here like California oak trees, wild sage, manzanita, Nevin's barberry and many others. When talking about fauna, you will find squirrels, opossums, mule deer, skunks, coyotes, foxes, bob cats, and many others.  The park is located at the Eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains.  It stretches from Downtown to the Pacific Ocean.  The mountains also separates the Los Angeles Basin from the San Fernando Valley. The Santa Monica Mountains belong to a group of mountain ranges here in the southern part of California along the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Most of California is filled with the Pacific Mountains and Valleys.  California's physical environment is very diverse.  The Los Angeles area is both flat and as well as hilly.  California as a whole contains many faults which is why we often get earthquakes here in the state.

 Here is the topography of Los Angeles. (The image is not mine, it is from http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=3067 )

                            This is an amateur video showing interesting places around Griffith Park.

Intro: My Home (Chap 1)

(From http://la.streetsblog.org/2009/03/12/metros-street-life-in-koreatown/ )

                                      I took this picture from our apartment balcony last year.

     HELLO THERE! My name is Nathaniel and I live in Los Angeles, around the edge of Korea town area. I don't drive so it takes me about two hours to get to CSUN via bus and subway.  As you can see here, my neighborhood is quite urban. Although the rent is a little expensive (living in LA is expensive!), the location of our apartment is very favorable because we are very close to a main street where all the stores, restaurants, etc tend to gravitate. To me, just looking at the photo, what makes this place Los Angeles are the apartments, the mountains and the typical California palm trees you see sticking out. What we also have to look at are the people that inhabit the area, for they are also one of the main factors that create a certain place. My neighborhood is diverse but it is still predominantly Hispanic and Korean. According to lmu.edu "Los Angeles has the largest Latino population of any major American city and it is also home to more Koreans than any city outside of North and South Korea." You will see many Korean and Hispanic businesses side by side in harmony. There are many Mexicans or people of Mexican descent here in Los Angeles due to its history, immigration and the fact that California is just right above Mexico. California is very rich in culture which contributes to the state's complexity and success. Los Angeles is one of the major cities here in the United states, along with San Francisco, New York City, Seattle, and many others.  North America (US & Canada) is pretty much urban, industrialized and highly mobile in population.

Here is the population os Los Angeles. Koreatown alone has the population of 124, 281.

                                                    Here is a youtube video about Koreatown.