To the editor: The term that comes to mind after reading this article is “cultural evolution” (“Los Angeles has one of the deadest downtowns in the world, according to a new survey,” June 13). Things change over time. Fighting to restore downtown to its pre-pandemic days can only go so far. It won’t be enough to attract people back.
Los Angeles is a commuter city, unlike New York or other walking cities known for their vibrancy. For example, my wife spent years commuting downtown every day until COVID changed that. Now working from home, she is spared the stress of a two-hour round-trip drive, gasoline, insurance, car maintenance, new office clothes, parking fees and lunch expenses. Now, she works in sweatpants and wears a sweater for online staff meetings.
Armando Cepeda, Anaheim
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To the editor: It was coincidental, if not providential, that I was in the city of Chicago on the weekend this article was published. Chicago has been ranked “best big city in the U.S.” by Condé Nast Traveler for the past nine years.
Walking around the downtown/Loop areas, it was not hard to see why: clean sidewalks and streets, no homeless persons crowding walkways or panhandling, a bustling nightlife scene, efficient and seamless public transportation. It brought back fond memories of how it used to be here in Los Angeles.
Mark M. Nakagawa, Los Angeles