Elements of Urbanism: Los Angeles

[thelakelander]

Chicago and Philly are both over 11,000/sq mi.

The 2010 Urban Area population density numbers haven't been released yet, but here are the density numbers for the 12 largest urban areas in the 2000 Census:

1. 7,083.3 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana

2. 6,130.4 San Francisco-Oakland

3. 5,309.3 New York-Newark

4. 4,407.4 Miami

5. 3,913.6 Chicago

6. 3,400.8 Washington,DC

7. 3,094.4 Detroit

8. 2,951.1 Houston

9. 2,946.4 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington

10. 2,861.4 Philadelphia

11. 2,322.6 Boston

12. 1,783.3 Atlanta

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_urban_areas

Although some cities on this list have denser cores and inner city neighborhoods than others, a few like LA and Miami have pretty compact suburbs which pulls their overall urban area density numbers up.

[I-10east]

I didn't know that there was a city in Jersey called "New Newark". LOL, JK Lake.

[Lunican]

I was looking at city density versus urban area: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_cities_by_population

[iloveionia]

The old electric rails went EVERYWHERE.  The lines are still there so to speak.  There was a rail that went all the way up to Mt. Lowe.  I in the streets in some areas the tracks are still there.
In Long Beach the city still owns some of the old rail "roads." Others were sold for development, some were turned into parks, some are just open and vacant.

[Ocklawaha]

Keep in mind when we talk about sprawl, that it is 42.8 freeway miles from downtown Jacksonville Beach to downtown Baldwin, but it is 59.3 freeway miles from downtown Los Angeles to downtown San Bernardino and you'll NEVER leave town. It's just an endless array of smaller cities, one minute your in El Monte, the next minute your in West Covina, fans of old time comedy will recall the famous spoof on the Pacific Electric Conductor as he called out "Azusa, Cucamonga and Aneheim..."  But Mass Transit? The electric railroad built Los Angeles more so then any other city in the world,  and as the map below demonstrates, it's all coming back.

I agree Ennis, the last time we were out in LA, we didn't drive anywhere except the nearest Metro-link station. Both of our families are scattered all over Santa Clarita in the mountains just north of the basin after selling most everything in Long Beach. I also agree with fieldafm, LA-Long Beach, along with Portland, are both great choices if I ever leave Jacksonville. I lived in both and can remember the crazy rumors that they were going to shift their transit focus to rail, just imagine such a thing. Involved with the political and public push for transit I left both places BEFORE they started construction on the first rail line. Humm? Maybe I should leave here too? LOL!

OCKLAWAHA

[jcjohnpaint]

seriously I have never thought, but I have lived close to NY and the suburbs for the most part/ at least in outer Jersey are not very dense/ at least like LA. 

[thelakelander]

I didn't know that there was a city in Jersey called "New Newark". LOL, JK Lake.

Whoa, my bad.

[Ocklawaha]

The old electric rails went EVERYWHERE.  The lines are still there so to speak.  There was a rail that went all the way up to Mt. Lowe.  I in the streets in some areas the tracks are still there.
In Long Beach the city still owns some of the old rail "roads." Others were sold for development, some were turned into parks, some are just open and vacant.

Don't know what generation your from iloveionia, but my first train ride was on the Pacific Electric Long Beach Division.  Mout Lowe (above and below) was long gone, the Alpine Tavern far up the mountains burned down in 1936 (the year Jacksonville abandoned it's streetcars) and about all that remains are the big shady oak trees.





An afternoon four-car Venice High School school train, about to use the crossover east of Centinela Avenue to run west to Venice High (Ira Swett photo).  Typical Los Angeles when Ock was a kid!

OCKLAWAHA

[Keith-N-Jax]

Sweet thread, I still havent been to LA yet, soon I hope.Great work!!!

[thelakelander]

I was looking at city density versus urban area: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_cities_by_population

I figured that.  The thing that throws me off with them is the land areas of cities aren't the same.  For example, Miami Beach (12,539.8 residents/sq mile) is denser than Chicago (11,843.6) to the naked eye.  However, Chicago covers 227.6 square miles of land area while Miami Beach is only 7 square miles. 

On the flip end is Jacksonville at 1,100.1 residents/sq mile due to consolidation.  However, no one here would argue that our actual urban core (which covers more land area than the town of Orange Park) is not denser than Orange Park (2,156.9/sq mi.).

[thelakelander]

Speaking of density, here are some random pics of LA outside of downtown.


























TOD in the burbs.  People are getting off the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner and walking across the street to their townhomes.

[Ocklawaha]

The Strand in Jacksonville has/had a slogan, 'ALL CITY NO LIMITS', I can't think of anyplace on earth this fits more then the overall Los Angeles basin. For those who have never been there, imagine San Marco mixed here and there with the downtown core and stretch that for 100 miles east to west, and nearly 200 miles north to south... THAT IS LA.

Ennis where was the Metrolink station in the last photo?

OCKLAWAHA

[GayLA]

.Being a Jacksonville area native and moving to Los Angeles a year ago...I can say that Los Angeles is extremely overrated. Downtown Los Angeles is an exact clone to Downtown Jacksonville, but add a couple million of people. When I moved here, I was shocked to find out how Downtown Los Angeles lacks so much. If it wasn't for L.A. Live, there would be no nightlife...with the exception of a few clubs here and there. The Metro most certainly has to be one of the worst transit systems in the nation. In this one year, I have lived in Long Beach, Hollywood, Downtown, and Baldwin Hills and the commute to get from any neighborhood to Downtown is obsurd. They are working on expanding the Metro Red Line that only goes from Downtown to North Hollywood..a couple miles shy of Burbank (which would be helpful). The Metro Purple line, reminds me of the Skyway in Jax. It takes the exact same route as the Metro Red Line, with the exception of two extra stops in the Koreatown area. The Expo Line is set to finally open it's Culver City leg from Downtown in November and that would be the first form of transportation besides bus, that goes to West Los Angeles. However, despite all of that...LOS ANGELES IS AN AMAZING PLACE TO LIVE!!!! I LOVE L.A.!!!!!!!!

[fieldafm]

Please tell me you went to Astro Burger in North Hollywood... it was literally up the street from that picture.

Dangit I'm craving me some L&L Hawaiin BBQ right now(btw BoomShakaLaka in Atlantic Beach is the closest thing you'll get to L&L, and it's fairly good-little pricier than L&L).

BTW, I have spent lots of time in Compton, LaBrea and even Gardena(East LA) and it really is not as bad as the movies depict it by any stretch of the imagination.  In fact, there are areas and pockets in Compton and LaBrea that can be quite nice.

[fieldafm]

I also agree with fieldafm, LA-Long Beach, along with Portland, are both great choices if I ever leave Jacksonville.

Where else in this great country, can you surf and ski in the same day??  Then when you head back home, grab some In N Out... double double with fries animal style!