Dear Los Angeles,
You are breathtaking, full of bright colors, full of loving and caring people that enjoy helping others. A united community that comes together to make the city a better place, to create change. A welcoming city, where everyone can have fun. There may be ups and downs here and there but we always get up from them and strive for better. From seeing neighbors have good relationships to strangers having conversations in grocery stores. Los Angeles is a place where we get to meet new people, people who become lifetime friends. A city with hardworking people that get up early everyday to make sure their kids have everything they need. A place full of structures that tell stunning stories that people fall in love with. The city filled with love coming your way every day.
You have taught me that with a city full of people, you are never alone. LA has taught me to believe in myself and follow my dreams. I come from hardworking parents that came here to give their children a better life. Los Angeles welcomed them with open arms. It gave them the opportunity to get a job and provide for their children. You have taught me that I have a voice, a voice that can create change to make things right. I can say that as a teenager who has lived her whole life here, LA is remarkable. Starting from small businesses everywhere to breathtaking restaurants that are worth the long wait. Places families can spend countless hours and make lifelong memories. The amazing views of sunsets every day: one second there's light and another, it's completely dark. The beautiful places such as Dodger Stadium and Hollywood light up the city.
From murals on every wall to taco stands on every corner. LA is the place people like to come to specifically for the tacos. The tacos de asada, al pastor, and cabeza. The “Vamos a ir a Los Ángeles nomás a comer tacos” from the tías. The place of long lines everywhere because of the appetizing food. Mexican food and restaurants everywhere you turn. The overcrowded streets on Santee Alley and Main Street. People going crazy looking for dresses, and shopping. The place where I laugh, cry and smile. The place I grew up in learning along the way. The place I love to say is my home because I have many memories here. The city I like to explore, admiring the downtown buildings and its beauty as a whole. The city where I can be myself, despite people always having something to say. LA is the place where you can go with your friends to the mall, to eat, and to have picnics at the park, admiring nature. From the beauty of Vista Hermosa Park, appreciating the clear view of the downtown buildings. The chisme and coffee while enjoying spending time together.
LA you have given me peace and life. You have allowed me to enjoy my teenage years. You have taught me to enjoy every second of life because we never know what is to come next. Life is difficult sometimes, but LA gives me hope, gives me a place where I know that I will be safe. LA, the place of love, kindness and beauty. You have taught me to appreciate things and to appreciate those who surround me. You have taught me to never take things for granted. I am pleased to wake up here everyday. Thank you for everything that you have taught me and for the lessons I will continue learning.
— Melissa M.
Dear Los Angeles,
You are breathtaking, full of bright colors, full of loving and caring people that enjoy helping others. A united community that comes together to make the city a better place, to create change. A welcoming city, where everyone can have fun. There may be ups and downs here and there but we always get up from them and strive for better. From seeing neighbors have good relationships to strangers having conversations in grocery stores. Los Angeles is a place where we get to meet new people, people who become lifetime friends. A city with hardworking people that get up early everyday to make sure their kids have everything they need. A place full of structures that tell stunning stories that people fall in love with. The city filled with love coming your way every day.
You have taught me that with a city full of people, you are never alone. LA has taught me to believe in myself and follow my dreams. I come from hardworking parents that came here to give their children a better life. Los Angeles welcomed them with open arms. It gave them the opportunity to get a job and provide for their children. You have taught me that I have a voice, a voice that can create change to make things right. I can say that as a teenager who has lived her whole life here, LA is remarkable. Starting from small businesses everywhere to breathtaking restaurants that are worth the long wait. Places families can spend countless hours and make lifelong memories. The amazing views of sunsets every day: one second there's light and another, it's completely dark. The beautiful places such as Dodger Stadium and Hollywood light up the city.
From murals on every wall to taco stands on every corner. LA is the place people like to come to specifically for the tacos. The tacos de asada, al pastor, and cabeza. The “Vamos a ir a Los Ángeles nomás a comer tacos” from the tías. The place of long lines everywhere because of the appetizing food. Mexican food and restaurants everywhere you turn. The overcrowded streets on Santee Alley and Main Street. People going crazy looking for dresses, and shopping. The place where I laugh, cry and smile. The place I grew up in learning along the way. The place I love to say is my home because I have many memories here. The city I like to explore, admiring the downtown buildings and its beauty as a whole. The city where I can be myself, despite people always having something to say. LA is the place where you can go with your friends to the mall, to eat, and to have picnics at the park, admiring nature. From the beauty of Vista Hermosa Park, appreciating the clear view of the downtown buildings. The chisme and coffee while enjoying spending time together.
LA you have given me peace and life. You have allowed me to enjoy my teenage years. You have taught me to enjoy every second of life because we never know what is to come next. Life is difficult sometimes, but LA gives me hope, gives me a place where I know that I will be safe. LA, the place of love, kindness and beauty. You have taught me to appreciate things and to appreciate those who surround me. You have taught me to never take things for granted. I am pleased to wake up here everyday. Thank you for everything that you have taught me and for the lessons I will continue learning.
— Harmony D.
Dear Los Angeles,
You have taught me how to keep on going with life regardless of what happens. From celebrating that night when the Dodgers won the world championship. Everyone dressed in blue and white from head to toe. All the lowriders honking their horns and putting on a show for all the toddlers watching to express their happiness. All the crazy fireworks that get lit up and it starts smelling burnt…POW is all you hear, you look up at the sky and a beautiful image of different colors like pink, white, and purple display in the sky, as photographers rush to capture this beautiful moment and post it. You have taught me how to be humble. In a world where only cruelty seems to exist for everyone, Los Angeles is the city of hope and dreams. This city hugs everyone like a soft cozy knitted blanket. You have taught me how to fight the unknown, embrace the unknown. You shaped me into what I am today.
Here is what I love–the food; the cheese pupusas stuffed with frijoles, tacos de asada with their salsa and juicy lemon, the steamy and spicy pozole, the delicious and savory birria. All these local night stands that are located at The Mercadito, set at a low and affordable price. The music – mariachi where you can hire these humble, family guys that are willing to play their trumpets and strum their guitars to make your ears feel blessed. Mariachi Plaza is a landmark where everyone goes to see mariachi perform. The Banda and Grupo that you can hear from the quince halls. Their drums hitting every beat, their accordion making the lead singer sound straight off the phone. Most importantly, Pico Rivera Sports Center where everyone goes on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays to dance to any type of grupo you may be feeling. From Cumbia, Merengue and Quebradita you have now engraved in Angelino's hearts forever. Los Angeles, you are unforgettable, one of a kind. No one can be like you.
From you I know family can come from anywhere in the world. They don’t have to be blood related in order to be considered your family. From you I am now fearless. Instead of hiding from these ICE raids and staying home, I show up, I am present. In this city, where immigrants that call Los Angeles their home, is the same city where ICE hunts them as if they were a deer. Nonetheless, they are strong, dedicated, talented, quick. They are what makes up Los Angeles. I study hard, work hard, I do this for you because despite all these circumstances you stand tall and proud against all this tomfoolery. I know that I am resilient and one of a kind. Even though other cities tried to be like you, no one can be you.
The community is unmatched. Everyone is so kind, filled with hope, and studies hard. No one can do it like you. The beaches are usually packed with families and their little ones who are just trying to enjoy themselves. The breeze is slow and gentle, salt in the air, the waves can be heard clashing against themselves. Folding into each other as if they are hugging themselves. The shells on the seashore, collected by little kids who are running back to their parents and excited to show them what they have found. The seagulls that are eager to steal anyone's unattended food and of course, the sun, how can you forget about the sun? The sunshine beaming into one's skin, so delightful and warm. Making everyone look like bronzed goddesses. From you I know that just like the beach is described, is how tourists would describe Los Angeles. The city of dreams, the city where I took my first steps at Hollenbeck park back in ‘07.
Always and Forever yours,
— M.L.
"Who are you, Los Angeles?”
I can't think of anything right now.
I'm trying to rack my brain for ideas,
Something to tell you about Los Angeles.
And yet my head is empty, my thoughts have long been poured out
And now I don't know what to tell you.
Maybe that is Los Angeles.
The city people can't describe
Because what they want to convey
Could never be said in words.
Won't be translated well enough for others to understand.
“This city is a home” how?
I wouldn't know what to tell you,
Because my answer is not one you’d expect.
Because we are not the same,
And neither is Los Angeles.
Words aren't enough to describe the hustling communities, the diversity of homes, the people, the places, the names, the faces or the feelings throughout.
Though, to be honest Los Angeles,
Sometimes I feel like a fraud when I write about you.
Are my thoughts truly mine?
Or are they what others expect me to say
“Los Angeles what are you to me?”
I ask this question over and over.
Hoping someone gives me an answer.
But only I can find it within myself to understand.
Los Angeles you bring both bring pain and love,
From the second-hand smoke to the warm laughter ringing in the air.
From the nights where fighting and alcohol reeked the streets
To the hug my friends give me when I’m feeling down.
From the Lack of home to the roof above my head.
Los Angeles, I have my answer.
It comes from the thoughts, and the thoughts come from emotions,
And the emotions come from Los Angeles,
The city of the Heart.
— Hazel M.
Dear Los Angeles,
I don’t know whether I like you or dislike you. I’m at a crossroads as you have both scared me with your darkness and shadows yet provided me with a home like no other. You have kindly opened your streets to me, and allowed me to explore the wonders and magical places you hold. Even with all the bumpy roads, out of use traffic lights, the complicated parking spots, the overgrown trees, or the creepy stranger, I love you.
You gave my family a second chance to start over when we moved here 8 years ago. You filled my mom with hope of more in life. Oh, LA how beautiful and giving you can be. You gave my mom a secure job here, and my sisters and I a chance of an education. You give us a summer breeze that smells of carne asada, or the one that makes my hair go crazy, I can’t see forwards. The palm trees that swing back and forth, almost looking like they are saying goodbye or hello. You give us so much heat that it feels like we’re melting but oh it’s a beautiful day to go out.
The parties are in every corner, with the color lights flashing and the music blasting that sounds so close yet so far, as it echoes through the dark non lit alleys. The taco stands at every corner or street that are at a walking distance, determining their locations with the loud steam, bright light bulbs, and the chatter of the customers giving out their order. The street vendors yelling out their horns to announce their arrival, while flagging them down, running and panting to get a piece of their spicy or sweet treat. An esquite, elote, or raspado. The crowded clothing shops where you cause so many fun memories and take our money. The crowded streets where people bump into each other like bumper cars.The bright green parks that consist of so many children running around, falling and scraping knees. The smell of grass and dirt that give us energy to reconnect with nature. The one where you can be free and safe. LA how wonderfully fun you can be.
Even if you are fun, why do I fear you at times? The city everyone wants to live in right?
With the freeways that lead you everywhere and get you to your destination, even with all the cars bumper to bumper not moving an inch due to an accident or reconstruction. The streets that are filled with urine, garbage bags, bottles, furniture, clothing and homelessness. The one where you’re getting judged for how you speak, or look. The one where all the fun is over when it's past 6:30pm, because now you have to constantly check behind you, in worries that someone will follow. The one with so much violence that it seems like there's more grievance than joy. Oh, LA I fear you, or more the people you hold.
LA you have witnessed so much hurt yet have continued to give and give more than necessary. You have done so much for this community and for me. You have so many bruises, and scars but yet I love you Los Angeles.
— A.E.
Dear Los Angeles,
I love you for welcoming my family with open arms when they came to this country looking for a better future. Even though many peoples' loved ones have turned into memories on your streets, including even some of my loved ones, I still love you Los Angeles. Even despite all your flaws and imperfections you will always be the place I call home and the place my family will call home. I've learned many things because of you, LA. I learned to always appreciate family and to be grateful for everything that we may have.
Los Angeles, you have been my home since the day I took my first breath and walked my first steps. I love Los Angeles for the parks you provide us with and the amazing taquerias and different diverse food spots you provide us with.
Thank you for providing everyone with a home and for those who are roaming your streets late at night looking for a place to call home. I sure hope you one day bless them with a home as well. Even though many tears and blood have been shed on your streets I still love you Los Angeles.
You are a place we should always appreciate and be grateful for. You provide many communities with many beautiful neighborhoods and homes. You provide us with a beautiful city scape and wonderful views. You are a gorgeous place Los Angeles. Your beautiful sunsets and your beautiful beaches everything about LA is truly beautiful and unique there is no other place like LA. Good and bad, LA will always be amazing to me and to my family because this is our home.
— Roberto G.
Dear Los Angeles,
When I spend lots of money on gas because of all the sights to see, and I see the tourists coming to visit the things I also came to see but they traveled for hours and I took a 30 minute drive, it makes me think that I'm lucky I'm in the best city in the world. And the popular artists are coming to play here when other people have to travel out of their cities to come here to see them. The influencers you create because people think they can be the next big thing. The art on the walls I see in the street that tell the past, present, or what people think will happen in the future.
Walking down your streets inhaling all that street food smell makes me hungry for the tacos, tortas, burritos, semitas, and the Mexican coke the vendors are selling. Although you have many 5 stars and Michelin star restaurants, they can never compare to the love and hard work behind the street vendors. The local restaurant is run by a lovely couple and kids only wanting the best for their customers, and making jokes that always make me laugh. The local bakeries taste amazing and the smell of the fresh bread is better than any big corporation can do. And the local coffee shops are also way better than the big corporations. Not only do they have better flavors but their pastry options are fresh unlike some big coffee shops I know.
And the beaches are beautiful although I don't like the sand. They get everywhere. I still love the cold breeze and the smell of the ocean. The piers are also great. The people my dad bonded over while I sat there because I was bored from not catching anything all day. Once my dad caught four fishes at once and caught the attention of many people. And one time the people who were next to us caught a stingray once or a crab, I can't remember. And multiple times I went whale watching. It was fun but I got a little seasick.
And the teams we support like the LA Lakers as our city's basketball team and the LA Dodgers. But the local school teams are just as good. Like the rivalry between Roosevelt and Garfield in football. They were able to get the Black Eyed Peas to play for them twice. And college football is just as entertaining.
Although you sound perfect, it’s not. There are problems like homelessness and the wildfires that are here and causing the smoke to damage the ozone layer. The lack of rain you produce makes the fire problem even worse. And the car dependent city you are making it hard for those who don't have a car. And the high crime rates. Even with all these problems you're still my home. You made my childhood memories. You have many amazing communities. And this is why I love you, LA.
— Erik L.
Dear Los Angeles,
From the first moment I saw you, I knew you were something special. Your sunsets paint the sky with colors I cannot forget, and your energy fills every street. From the bright lights of Downtown to the soul of Boyle Heights, you're a city of endless stories, dreams, and cultures coming together.
I love how the warmth of the sun always shines on you, no matter where I go. Your beaches, your hills, and your neighborhoods all mix together to make life feel full of possibilities. In every corner, there's beauty, from the murals of East LA to the glimmering skyline.
You are a place where dreams feel real, where people from all walks of life come to make something new. You hold so much hope, and I see it in every smile, every step, and every moment. There's a spark in you that never fades, no matter how fast the world moves around you.
Even with all your beauty, you are not without your struggles. Your streets tell the stories of hardship and resilience, of people fighting for a better tomorrow. But through it all, there is an unbreakable spirit in your people, a determination that inspires me everyday. You are not just a city, you are a testament to hope, to second chances, and to the belief that anything is possible for anyone
Los Angeles, you are always growing, always changing, but you will always feel like home to me.
— Angel L.
Dear Los Angeles,
You've taught me a lot. You've taught me not just about myself but other people. The people you see at the market or on the corner digging through trash. The city of angels, even though most people are Dodger fans, where everyone is able to express themselves. A city where no matter how much you change, the city will remain the same with its free spirit and not fearing judgment. Always helping one another because family isn't just blood. All the way from the beaches of Long Beach and Malibu. The smell of the salty ocean water to the palm trees lining the streets of Beverly hills. From the rich to the poor, we all love this city, this city is our home. The hometown spirit, fireworks shooting into the sky when the boys in blue win a game or when the Lakers bring home another championship. Partying in the streets when our teams secure another victory for us. The imperfections of the city connect with perfectly imperfect people that call these mixes of cultures and heritages their home.
The history of the people that made this city great. The murales that display the best from the city, to sport, to movies, to artists, they highlighted this city and recognized its greatness. Always remembering where they came from. The home they always loved. Remembering the people who have passed and recognizing those who are still alive. Painting their face on the side of buildings. The history they hold of Chicanos and Chicanas fighting for our rights to west coast rappers talking about the city they call their home. The murals make this city's history come to life and inspire others to be great like the people you see on the side of the building. Always displaying the hardships that we had to go through to make this city amazing. The struggles that our ancestors had to endure for us to have a better life. The struggle they had to face, the abuse they were forced to take. All that history is captured on murales, telling our city’s history with just a few colors. The power they hold, the love that they share. That makes Los Angeles our home.
From the tall buildings that light up the city, to the roads filled with cars, Los Angeles is a city like no other. With its history hightling greats and heritage helping people connect closer to their family. Los Angeles is a city where you go to search for where you belong. The City of Angels, where dreams come true and you fantasize about seeing your name on the walk of fame in a star. The hills that present the beautiful nature. The corner store you remember from your childhood where you get a discount because the owner watched you grow up. The lady down the road remembering you running around during hot summer days. The heartwarming feeling you get when you recall the old lady that used to come over and gossip with your grandma while you listened by the doorway in hopes of not getting caught. The memories you share with your family or the people from the neighborhood. The love that you give to one another is what makes this city so great. It's not trees, it's not the buildings, even if those make the city better, but it's the people that live here. The people that make this place better and loved. They turned a city into a home that we will cherish for the rest of our lives. We love Los Angeles.
— Daniela C.
Dear Los Angeles,
I have a love-hate relationship with you
You're the city I grew up in
You're the one who brought me with my friends
You welcome my parents, you gave me a place to live
You gave me memories that I won't forget
I remember when me and my neighbor would go outside and play
Tag or hide and seek
I'm grateful I was brought to a city where people help each other
To lift each other up but
My favorite thing about you will definitely be the food
Mole, tacos, menudo, pozole, pambazo, any kind of Mexican food
Not only the food but I like when Boyle Heights comes together and make parades
You also gave me memories I don't want to remember
I have watched you burn I've seen the sky turn the color of yellow
Breathed in the smoke of old trees and lost homes
but when the sky clears, when the sun shines bright we will rebuild again and again
One thing I like about LA is that anyone can come live here
Different cultures can come visit
Whether you're Hispanic, Asian, African American, anyone can come and visit the beaches, themes parks and the museums
But there are things I don’t like about LA, I don’t like how people don’t try to keep the city clean or keep it safe
LA is a city of dreams, but like in any place, it has its struggles
It can be one of the most expensive cities
It can be frustrating when driving in the freeway, while some areas can be safe, crimes remains
An issue in parts of LA
I may have not have loved being here but you were always my home
— Emely G.
Dear Los Angeles,
Back in 2020 I was coming from Mexico. You were going to become my new beginning. I was worried because I'm coming from a small town where there's no big building or a lot of people. I'm coming from a place where the houses are spread out and surrounded with fields. Most of the roads over there aren't even paved. They were full of dirt and hardly looked like roads, so the change was big for me. I didn't know what to think of you. I've only heard of you or passed by and never explored you. But I was going to live here now. It was different here, there was traffic everywhere. Places always packed with people. The city was crowded, you were different. Your city could never feel lonely. I loved it. I was received with open arms. People here are very united and supportive. There is so much culture here to learn from. I heard so many people would come from all over the world just to come and explore your city. With you I saw my first baseball game. The Dodgers Stadium was beautiful, the experience was amazing, the fan base so thriving and full of energy. Your bright building in the dark night gave a relaxing mood. Walking through your city enjoying the building and the breeze of it all. The town in Mexico, where I came from, the tallest building we had was Downtown LA's smallest building. I didn't grow up here but Los Angeles sure grew on me. Your street murals and museums all over the city are all so unique. LA was really different for me. I picked up so many new hobbies and enjoyed doing things I didn't before. Here is where I met the beauty of books. They filled my eyes with wonder. There was this store called The Last Bookstore and it was beautiful. The store was telling its own story. I also learned how to take the bus and train. I had never used those as transportation and here in LA it's pretty common. So for that I love you. Not too long ago I went to my very first protest and I was really able to see the way everyone supported each other. Us the students started to protest and people from all over the city supported because in this city if one is affected, all are affected. Los Angeles you've shown me it's okay to be vulnerable to step out of my comfort zone.
Thank you, Los Angeles for being that beautiful and chaotic place that you are today. Thank you for welcoming me and helping me evolve into the person I am today. I look forward to continuing to explore you and your hidden gems.
— Angel B.
Dear Bennett St.
You watched me grow up, learn to love and hate. I'm beyond missing your parties and “fireworks” and loud music. We were inseparable. I thought we would have stayed together forever. I remember the loud arguments, the ghost I had in my room, the giggles of my 3 year old sister, and the laughter we all had playing little games we made up. The place where we could walk down a couple streets to go get groceries and snacks. The place where my cousins could come and visit me everyday because they were only 3 minutes away. The days where we spent all day playing at the park of which I was taught to sway on the swings. The place where if I knew it wouldn't last I would have clawed my way back to you. I love the place where we would wake up before the sun and go to church. I love the place where we would play water balloons till we were tired because all we had to do was walk a couple houses to go buy more.You were the place where I have my favorite memories of life. The place where my grandma would wake up extra early to take me and my cousin to our first day of school. I love the place where my school was only 3 houses away and the park was right to our school. The place where everyday my grandma would take us to the park so we can sleep good those very nights. I love the place where I had friends next door,up front, and down the street. The place where me and my cousin would annoy the landlady to the point of cursing at us just because it's funny. The place where we raised a street cat for years till she had babies. The place where my mom would sing me a lullaby before bed. The place where my dad came home to play with us. Where we could have dances competitions. A full on operating slime business. Where the kids up front would scream at us because we were girls and they were boys. Where I would get lemons and oranges from our trees. Where we could smell all sorts of manure because there was a rancho next door. The place where my grandma and mom chased me around the front yard because I sat on the counter again. The place where joy filled the floors and walls. The place where everyone in the neighborhood would gather to have Easter in the park. The place where we didnt know if we would get our phones snatched or have a loving conversation with someone. The place where it was so easy to get to know people. The place where horses and chickens would roam the street. Where the roads were cracked and crooked everywhere. Even the place where a lady would pass by trying to sell everyone bows, skin care, and makeup products. The place where everyone knew everyone. The place where the parade of the virgen de guadalupe was a huge event for us. Where we all came out of our house and waited for the soft music to surround our ears. Even the place where we would run after the ice cream truck man because he never wanted to stay in one place. The place where we knew the churro man by first name. The place where we could walk 3 minutes to get to our shopping plaza. The place where my parents raised me and where my sister was born. The place I called my perfect, cozy community.
—Darlene V., Compton
Dear Los Angeles the city of Angels,
I love you for the boiling summers
I love you for the freezing winters
I love you when I can visit school and see my friends
I love you when I come home and see my family
I love you for taking in my parents, the keeper and the painter
For allowing my mom and dad to tell their stories
I love you for showing her that her world isn’t over
I love you for showing him that his world isn’t full of hate
I love you because you support my parents
I love you for your groove, for making me happy,
I love you for your mood, for your beautiful streets and houses,
I love you LA but do you love me too?
I know you love me LA because I love you too
Always by your side LA, it’s always me and you,
When you burned I still loved you LA, my heart, my guts, they wrenched up for you,
When your traffic is congested I still love you LA, I put up with it everyday waiting for you,
When I found out life would be hard for me as a first generation student I still loved you LA,
Because you’ve always been there for me, promising that it would get better soon
We fight for what's due Los Angeles, we fight it for you,
The city of Angels, beautiful, wonderful people, but is that really true?
LA do you still love me when people believe I don’t deserve love too?
LA do you love me when we’re choked, harassed, threatened, and abused?
LA do you love me when we’re belittled, flashed, banged, and treated like trash?
I love you LA, I really do, but do you really love me too?
LA do you still love me even when your streets are no longer safe anymore?
I love you LA I really do, but issues are rising,
The grasp on me tightens, there’s pressure on my throat
Do you love me LA as I can’t rise for air,
As I can’t come up from under the water,
As I can't escape the smoke?
I’m scared LA, scared to leave you alone,
I can’t see you LA,
I can’t taste anything LA,
I can’t feel, smell, or hear you LA,
I love you LA but you’re fading away,
I love you LA but I’m going far, far away, I want to figure out my dreams outside of LA,
I can’t figure it out here, no not now, not here LA,
The play is over LA, I’ll bow later LA, I’ll come back to you always like I always do LA
I still love you LA, I promise I’ll come back, I’ll always be with you LA But until you figure yourself out LA, never forget about me, even in light or in dark
I’ll come back for you LA, for you, I promise
Everywhere I go I’ll rep you LA,
Goodbye until next time, see you later, LA.
—Lesther G.
Dear Boyle Heights,
You've nurtured me, watched me grow, been there for every single milestone. My first day ever at school, hearing me cry and plead for my mother because I was scared of change and didn't know english, to seeing me make friends for the first time seeing me blossom into someone who talks nonstop about everything. The endless nights spent on your streets, shaping who I am today, from the arguments held, endless parties in the backyard of the house with what seemed liked millions of stairs on Mott Street, the lively music a never ending stream of hi how are yous to everyone or else I would NEVER hear the end of it from my parents, the place where endless summer days spent at the park, the sticky sensation of melting ice cream all over my face and hands giggling as I looked at my cousins and siblings who were equally as covered.
Late night performances from me and my cousin hoping to persuade our moms to let us have sleepovers at grandma's house. Seeing me trip on the stairs in my big fluffy, sparkly, pink dress and realizing in that moment that pink was my color and trying to fit in with boys was NOT my thing but glitter and pink was so me. My first day of middle school, my first friendship breakup, you've seen me in ways no one has, walking home in your vibrant streets my eyes glossy exhausted, stressed over school multiple times. The secrets and gossip shared on our mini walk to the store by the corner of the house. The cats we always pet even after getting scolded by mom to stop. You've taught me how to love, be more open, you've taught me manners and what it means to work hard. From you Boyle Heights, I've learned who I truly am with the guidance of your beautiful lively streets and amazing community. I've learned not to be ashamed of where I'm from or what language I speak. You accepted me and let me be me, loudly and unapologetically.
—Melanie A., Boyle Heights
I am 56 and moved here in 1994 just after the “big one" (earthquake). Everyone from my home town of Milwaukee, WI., questioned my sanity. No one believed I’d make it here for long, "I’d be back”, they all said. Maybe their reasoning for my imminent return was their own limited mindsets, the very ones that were passed onto me through the environment and education of that particular part of the country. Which I now would deem as an incomplete mindset based on their limited exposure to other worlds and cultures. For me the L.A. universe, while overwhelming upon arrival, gave me a freedom I never knew I craved. A healing I hadn’t known I needed, purging of prejudice I didn’t know I carried, a cleansing of my soul through exposure to new cultures, people from other countries, traditions, religions and viewpoints I hadn’t known until moving here. I could most surely write a love novella rather than a mere love letter to express how and why this has been my experience (and continues to be so) But this format necessitates brevity. So let me just say the dinner parties I’ve both attended and held with guests whose homes originated in Spain, Brazil, Canada Russia, Poland, England, South Africa, Switzerland and Bulgaria (to name a few) are but a single example of why I love Los Angeles and how it’s shown me so much love in return. A love that I wouldn’t have experienced had I remained in my birth city.
—Kimberly Berg
Dear Los Angeles,
You are where I took my first breath, you are my first sight and my first hear. You are my first Cracker Jack and my first bubble gum. You are where I tasted ice cream for the first time. You are where I learned to hop scotch and jump rope. You are where I learned to ride a bike. You are my first climb on a tree. You are my first dodge ball game. You are where my dad first pushed me on a swing.
You are where I learned to drive. You are my first kiss in the auditorium. You are my first taco and not my last and my first sushi all in the same day. You are where my dad and I would share the best street dogs ever. You are my late night high school parties at somebody’s parents’ house and my hung over early morning cleanups at the same house. You are my late night trips to Pinks and Astros with a group of drunk friends.
You are where I had many a first dates. You are where I lost my virginity. You are where I went to my first rock concert and my first baseball game. You are where I spent many nights laying on the sidewalk and gazing at the stars.
You are where I had my first bath and then my first swim. You are where I first swam in your ocean.
You are where I cruised Sunset Strip and PCH listening to the same songs on tape and then on CD many a nights. You are where I walked many a miles to buy my first pair of vintage Levis on La Brea. You are where I ditched many a school days to go to the beauty supply store on Larchmont or to Zankou Chicken or Yucca’s, which are all still here today. You are my many days and nights at Tower Records, Chin Chins and Hamburger Hamlet. You are my many hikes up to the Observatory. You are where I watched my boyfriend play at the Whiskey a Go Go and at the Troubador and where I used to visit him at the LA Zoo where he worked in high school.
And I love you because...
You opened yourself up to two immigrant lovers with nothing but chump change to their name to begin a life here. You gave them a spot on the map to start their home and their family. You gave my dad his first job as a canner in a factory and then eventually gave him another spot on the map to open up his first business. You gave him his first big break on an unknown strip of your land. And then you gave him another spot down the street for his second business. Over time, you were giving him and others like him another spot, then another spot and then another spot and all these spots formed a community, one of the biggest formed in LA and the US. I love you because you gave him his first break and made his dreams come true. I love you because you are generational. I love you because of the history that is in you. I love you because you are the home in which we laid my dad to rest.
And I love you now even though you are so badly hurt because love isn’t only the good times but also the bad times. I love what you were, what you are and I love what you will be.
Thank you LA. Home is really inside us, it is where the heart is, and you are my home.
—Susan Lee, Echo Park
There is a peaceful 10 seconds when you first wake and you have forgotten where you are. You plan, you imagine your life as it once was and then your stomach drops out and the pain hits, as you suddenly remember you have lost your home. Burnt to the ground. Every single day I focus on the people I love the most and hold them tight. They are all that matters. I swim in gratitude that we have places to be outside our crumpled city. I think often about Ukraine and Gaza and how millions of families are torn apart, where finding warmth and safety are rare. I still have everything, really.
But in grieving the loss of my home and neighborhood, I mourn that Thomas won't be my neighbor anymore. I hope, but I doubt it. I fear that Ian and Benny will move away. This makes me so sad. I love this block we stumbled upon 15 months ago. It was perfect. We had an unbelievable giant live oak in the back and it was breathtaking. I named her Glory.
As much as I loved sitting with Glory, I usually chose to sit out front. I would sit and do work or drink my coffee and listen. Our quiet dead end was alive with people walking dogs and neighbors playing jazz (3 different neighbors). I loved hearing the horns, it felt so special. The hundreds of parrots that would use Glory as a resting spot, sounded like we were in another part of the world. The Owl family. The mama teaching her baby to hunt. The Owl sounds were incredible. I would get out of bed at two in the morning and sit right under the tree because it was just so special. The coyotes we lived with on a daily basis and the stress I felt trying to keep two small dogs alive. I remember the morning I was watering the garden and a bobcat just casually walked by. I felt so honored to see that beautiful cat. Glory is still standing. I wonder how badly she's been damaged? Only time will tell if she'll make it. I won't forget the Fall of 2024 and the millions, yes millions - no exaggeration - of acorns showering on us. Jesus, there were so many acorns. I still loved her though. It was who she was, a great California Live Oak. I wonder if she knew this was coming and that's why all those acorns just rained down for six months. Nature is wild.
I am a person who can't block out noises and I'm irritated by dogs barking all the time, but not this neighborhood. I learned to accept the barking and tried to get to know the dogs. I for sure fell in love with their owners, making the barking much more tolerable.
From the house I will miss our art. Paintings and prints that have been in our lives for many many years. I guess I was lucky to live with that art, hours and hours of being with it. It was so much a part of our lives, like a comforting friend. Thank you to our paintings that sparked such joy.
I have now said goodbye to my remaining record collection. A lifetime of vinyl. A DJ that could rock a party, mix two records together and make a new experience. Thousands of hours listening to those records, hunting for those records. So many are out of print now. Goodbye sweet record collection.
I will miss my mountain bike. I loved that bike. It wasn't fancy, but it was the bike that saved my life during the pandemic. It took me through the city and into nature. I mounted a speaker on the handlebars so I could blast music and just ride. That bike fit me perfectly and it never needed adjustments. I loved it. My dad's ashes are gone. Well not really, they're still there! But the beautiful container that held them is gone. It sat anywhere I needed it to be. Always close. I kissed that container and hugged it countless times. It was the perfect weight.
I won't forget how difficult moving into Marigold was on our relationship and how we persevered. I won't forget the chatting chair in the kitchen. I won't forget the family nights of games, dancing and listening parties in the living room. I won't forget how we poured sweat and tears into making it our own piece of magic. It was so magical. Goodbye to 383 that once was. Thank you. You were absolutely amazing to me. I'm struggling with hope at the moment. The journey seems so daunting, gnarly and truly depressing. But I do have a shimmer. Marigold, we will bring you back. It won't be the same. The only thing I can promise is that we will fill it with love.
—Linda Kennedy, Altadena
Dear Skylane Drive, the dead end, where the mountain meets the Altadena Crest Trail,
My three-year-old asks me: did the slide at preschool burn? Did the screws on the slide burn? The plant in the pot next to the sink where we washed hands? My nap roll? If I ate the honeysuckle, the little flowers, if I ate the sweet flowers, would they taste like ash now?
After school, the three-year-old and his two-year-old brother used to leave the pirate ship in the woods — a pirate ship in the woods. It sounds fantastical, ridiculous, a child’s dream, and it was. They’d leave the pirate ship and walk down the trail to the farm. They collected acorns and fed them to Georgie, the goat. They yelled at the chickens who tried to escape the coop. The coop’s door was new because a bear had mauled the old one. As my kids waited for the winter sun to set, they made bouquets from the wildflowers.
When I was a child in Kentucky, I heard about California’s terrors. Earthquakes, mudslides, riots. We stopped eating grapes in solidarity with the striking farm workers. Things were hot and hard in California. I moved here for work, and then suddenly I had a whole life here. Time is a figment. My kids’ first memories will be golden brown forest floors, peacocks in the road, persimmons at the Altadena farmers’ market. Rolling down the hill at Loma Alta Park. Standing atop hay bales, hay in their clothes, hay in their hair. Beautiful, easy things.
The questions my three-year-old asks are a litany of images he wants to remember. He loves this place. I love this place. After the fires, I found one of Georgie’s acorns still in my pocket. I thought I had the only remnant of Skylane Drive, then I heard what survived. That fortified chicken coop and the winding live oaks. California — hot and hard, beautiful and easy. Don’t tell me bulldozers will move across the hallowed ground where my kids lay on their backs and looked at our blue sky. Tell me my acorn talisman doesn’t matter, because so many more like it will grow.
—Kate Erickson, Altadena, Skyline Drive
Dear Los Angeles,
My husband and I moved here 16 years ago as newlyweds in our mid 20s looking for adventure and chasing dreams. We spent all our savings to move 3,000 miles across the country arriving right as the economy took a downturn (Jan 2008) and the one job we'd lined up wasn't here anymore. We loved you anyways.
Not knowing anyone forced us to push beyond our comfort zones. I met my best friend buying a table on Craigslist. We had nothing in common except that we both moved here the same day. I asked for her number and the rest is history.
I eventually found work in my field of ending homelessness and watched as the crisis exploded over the years. Rather than feeling discouraged, I feel uplifted that the community who works to house the homeless never gives up hope, never stops caring, never stops innovating and that Angelenos continue to tax themselves to end this epidemic.
I love this beautiful city where people can be free to be whoever they are. I saw a woman in cat makeup as she rode her bike on the beach and I thought, "if you want to be a cat, you be a cat." My son goes to a lovely public school with people of all colors, all religions, all abilities, all economic make ups, and all genders, where the kids don't think twice about what bathroom another child goes into or whether someone was born a girl or boy and whether they wear a dress, or nail polish or go by "he," "she," or "they." Everyone just "is."
As I prepare my small family to move back to the South to take care of aging parents, we all mourn the life we love, our community, our city. I hope that my child holds onto all that he got from his hometown and brings a little bit of Los Angeles to the South. And maybe, hopefully, we'll be back some day.
Thank you for everything, LA,
Love,
—Rachel Citron, Palms
A love letter to the city of angels, the city of love ❤️
LA you have been home since I was in the womb a valley girl from the start
I’d walk down the streets of north Hollywood
Pizza from dales jr
Get high up Mulholland drive
Complain about how I couldn’t wait to one day leave
So bored in the valley
But every time I left you
You were always there
A piece of my heart
That I always needed to return to
To return to myself
I met your shadow just as I met your light
With my own day and night
I rebelled, I tantrumed, I resented you
And my hate was just as strong as my love
Isn’t that just it, we love so much that we hate
You’ve grown on me over the years
As you do in your sneaky ways
You reel us in
The dreamers, the artists, the hopeless romantics, the lost ones, healers, the broken, the open, the lonely, the visionaries, the misfits, the escapists, the performers
The list goes on and on
Of the ones that call you home
That know your crazy just as we know your beauty
Your grime just as much as your dazzling lights
Your warmth just as much as your harshness
And through all the grey there is always a golden light that comes through your broken cracks
Where the light illuminates
The free expression that is inevitably what any Angelino would be hungry for
For we all know what it is like to be on the other side of freedom
Hidden and repressed
You give us a chance to be on the stage
Whether we are behind the scenes
Or in the center
Everyone has a chance here to be a part of your show
All backgrounds and cultures
In this melting pot of quirky, of weird, of character, of diverse, of eclectic, of everything in between
Even though each part of you has its own world, it’s own vibe, it’s own scene from the west to the east
You might as well go across the world
And yet you feel so small
On the days I bump into someone I’ve known many moons ago like it was yesterday
LA you will never be the same again
The fires have wildly swept through you
Like never before
Displacing angelinos near and far
Our hearts are broken open
We know this is only the beginning
Of a different city
Half of you feels empty
Like half our heart is gone
And yet our la family feels stronger than ever before
It is a long road ahead of us, and yet our love is bigger than ever
—Lotem Porat
ODE TO LA
We’re hazy, purple, starless nights.
Neon flicker of Hollywood lights.
We’re pro- pronoun. We rise up for everyone’s rights.
We’re big-time rockers.
Coaches of tween soccer.
Folders of towels in the tall dudes’ lockers.
We’re Dogtown boarders.
Water hoarders.
Supermodels to mail orders.
We ignored all our parents’ screams.
To bus out here to fulfill our dreams.
To be the next Gwyneth or Joaquin.
We’re landscapers and artists
We don’t need to be the smartest
Our creativity is core to the hardest.
We’re curvy, healthy, veggie and lean.
We walk tall, we yearn to be seen.
Dre, G&R, Eilish, Chili Peppers, Kendrick, Rage Against The Fucking Machine.
We’re early risers.
We put veneers on our incisors.
There’s never ever enough moisturizer.
We’re east side Lowriders.
West side Surfsiders.
The launching point of hookup Grindr.
We’re morning Yogis
We call “cut” for bogies.
All parties miss Arnold and his stogies.
We eat our tacos in the parking lot.
Every week there’s a new hot spot.
Say something unwoke and there’s a boycott.
We’re Life coaches.
Sidewalk roaches.
Agent, manager, lawyer poachers.
We drive hours to find a party in the hills.
We compound our pills.
Watches and cars, but stacks of bills.
Michelin stars.
We eat in our cars.
At 1 am, down go the bars.
We’re horror, drama, comedy, science fiction.
It’s next to impossible to get an eviction.
Every one of us have dietary restrictions.
Overly regulated.
Heavily delegated.
Meditate to not get frustrated.
We’re spread out, but we commune.
We all know when there’s a new moon.
Don’t even think of driving in the afternoon.
Bukowski, Didion, Easton Ellis and Chandler.
DiCaprio, Kardashian, Monroe and proud to adopt Sandler.
Farmers market over brunch.
Fifty-dollar sushi lunch.
Our earth rattles like a knockout punch.
The leaf blower is our alarm.
We’re sweet narcissists full of charm.
Can’t hack it out here, go back to the farm.
Runyon every single day.
Griffith if you’re dl gay.
The Bu if you can afford to pay.
The deep valley to film smut
Always take Fountain for the short cut.
Melrose thriftin’ then smoke a blunt.
DGA, WGA Teamsters and SAG
Filler and botox erase our hags.
We invented the humblebrag.
Dirty, gritty, brightly dark.
You can’t fall asleep without hearing a dog bark.
Dodger Dogs at the ballpark.
Everyone has a touch of insane.
Please just make it fucking rain.
Please just make it fucking rain.
—Jill Brown, Fairfax
Angels Live Here
LA is my mother—
she opened her arms and held me
when survival meant exile
from a homeland I never got to know.
LA is my father—
she taught me to ride my bike on
her sidewalks, her golden hour
the light of my childhood,
her steady hand why I feel both safe,
and free.
LA is my sister, my brother—
she gave me family in all her corners,
each city a grinning cousin,
a new perspective,
a brave new world to explore.
LA is my soulmate—
she makes room for every version of me,
as I embrace every version of her,
led by the angels,
we make it through the flames,
intact, together.
—Melody Godfred, Brentwood
Los Angeles of Ed Ruscha’s "Every Building on the Sunset Strip";
Of John Fante’s rhapsodic, “Los Angeles, give me some of you! […] come to me the way I came to you, my feet over your streets, you pretty town,”
Los Angeles, my mother’s father’s mother Aurora Holguin’s birthplace;
Where my mother’s mother’s father worked in the war factory in the 1940s and met Mercedes, the woman he’d leave my great grandma Esperanza for (Hope, left for Mercy, a very cruel joke);
Then Esperanza took her son and my grandma to stay with distant relatives- a tent, a Compton backyard- while she got back on her feet;
Where my mom and her two sisters were raised all over the San Gabriel Valley once their family could afford it, because the suburbs were safer even if they were redlined;
Though my sister and I pined for “the real LA, where stuff happens”, took the gold line to the red line a few times in high school to see Hollywood, and wandered around wondering what to do, marvelling at simply being here, like some goddamn tourists;
Los Angeles of the honestly and wonderfully offbeat Altadena, the tucked away Sierra Madre of my dad’s parents’ lives from the 1960s onward;
My mom still in her canyon apartment, miraculously intact after these last fires, waiting for the bears to return, the deer at the end of the driveway;
Los Angeles with your clamor and chaos and creatures and yes, smells of Santee Alley;
The grit and the grift and the glam of Hollywood, where I am lucky to love my apartment neighbors and know them all by name;
Where I fantasize about printing a good-sized map of the region and tracing with pins, with dates where my family has lived these past 110 years;
Where all of the history is so recent, so close to the surface, it’s all still here which somehow means, it’s all so easily lost;
Fante said it well, “I loved you so much, you sad flower in the sand, you pretty town!”
— Solana Rose Feldthouse, Hollywood/Sierra Madre
Dear Los Angeles.
I love so many things you’ve given me, but I love you most for the words and the language that you have given me. I learned two formal languages and dozens of informal ones to communicate with Angelenos while I have been in this great city for the last 40 years.
Arriving in the mid-80s with a bit of Spanish on my tongue, I went to school and learned how to speak English. When I got home after classes, I tuned to the radio, discovered American music, and learned so much more there, than what school taught me. The songs that spoke of love and pain, success, and everything in between gave me my first dreams in this great city. These were not all things I knew about at 9 or 10 years old but they were things I wanted to know. The songs and melodies of rock music filled my head and my heart with fantasies until I discovered hip-hop way on the far right of the AM dial and then my first and mouth were finally full of a language based in the reality that was really mine. That music and those lyrics from the airwaves gave me the public education that really shaped who I am to this day. Los Angeles, I love you for giving me the many languages of my life. You gave me a chance to be heard and to herald change in your streets and in the hallways of schools and city halls. I have learned that we all have voices, and I have sung and shouted and read aloud and protested on your streets and on your stages. From radio to TV to the smallest gathering of friends, Los Angeles, my love, you have given my voice wings like your namesake and even if my words have not always been welcome or appreciated by all of your residents, I appreciate the sunny days that were the backdrop for words to be said and ideas to be shared and loves to be had in my LA story.
— Ivan Muñoz, 50, El Sereno