It may have been more rough looking in LA, but it was a way better place to live back then. There was a certain energy, people would hang out outside with their friends and go out cruising and dancing, partying, getting to know everyone. Having fun, just living a fun California lifestyle. They had a hope in their soul, music was awesome in the 70s. You could dig rock and roll, country, disco, hard rock, soft rock, all the genres were full of amazing talent and you couldn't wait to get enough money saved up to get that new album you've been lusting for. There was just a never ending flow of great new music coming out. Radio was great to listen to. The DJ's were fun, something new and great would be played each day. Also, there was just a feeling that things would get better, and they did! The 80s in LA were amazing, full of positive energy and fantastic economy. Everyone had a job, it was easy to get work, all different levels, not just the very high paying jobs. It was because the liberals hadn't screwed everything up yet so there was a free flowing economy for everyone to benefit.
I agree with most of what you say. I distinctly remember more people hanging outside, on their porches, etc. I miss those days and I’m glad you validated that. I knew I wasn’t imagining it, things have changed so much. Now the majority of the population are indoors staring at screens. There was also a lot of places to hear live music back then, and the backyard and warehouse parties with several bands were dope. I disagree about the 80’s though. I mat have grown up in a different part of town than you. I remember a lot of people on drugs like crack and PCP, and a lot of alcoholism, and it was the high era of hang violence and drive by shootings. I don’t think there’s a shortage of jobs today. Mexicans be working like crazy, but we’re probably talking about different job markets.
@@JPVillalobos27we just need to start a rebellious counter culture of going OUT again. unfortunately it seems like (maybe it IS true) that the crime is higher than ever, especially random acts of violence for no reason other than that person is just plain evil. but why let them win? we have to make a stand somewhere.... we need to get our human dignity back. i am not a city dweller by any means. in fact i hate cities even though i was born in one. lived in an apartment for the first couple of years of my life, then lived in the burbs for most of my childhood then moved back to the city for about three years when i was in my twenties. Now i am way out in the sticks where there are more coyotes than people. and yet i still understand the excitement of city life. i will occasionally visit for special occasions but the idea of living there again is petrifying lol and yet i can't deny, i like book stores, movie theatres, malls (back when they were still popular, the malls was my favorite place ever) music stores, street dances, parades, driving around on friday and saturday nights, car shows... yeah i did like all that to some degree. even an introverted, reclusive misanthrope like me still appreciates the energy of a city when times are good. but times are definitely not good right now. that's why we have to fight back even more than ever to make it better.
I grew up in 1970 and 1980s in high school and So much Freedom. Stomping ground was Hollywood, always going to the Troubadour, Whiskey, Florentine Gardens and never had any issues with crime, just enjoyed life. People seemed more chill back then, not agressive or tense, then again, no internet.
I loved LA in the seventies. College, marriage, our first home. I worked in television on Welcome Back Kotter, attended celeb parties, Malibu, Westwood Village for movies. The energy was amazing. That’s why I enjoyed Once Upon A Time In Hollywood so much. It was like going home.
mario zermeno Kotter was the most popular show back then. It was a fun show. I usually played a student but I was also in about a half dozen sit coms at the same time. My family is still in the industry. It’s a fascinating business.
Laura Salveson ---- I have the highlighted comment in here and someone had just replied but it got me reading more comments. I got to your comment and I wanted to say a couple things. I was in elementary school during the '70s and I liked Welcome Back Kotter, the first couple seasons and the funny thing is, I became friends with Bobby Hedges ( Juan Epstein) in the '90s. Unfortunately he passed away a while back. Sadly. The second thing I want to say was that Once Upon A Time In Hollywood was also a great time machine if you grew up in LA in the '60s, '70s. Also, I had the pleasure and honor to be the locations electrician for that film. Every location and two full blocks of Hollywood Blvd was transformed into 1969. It was like recreating my childhood. I've worked on many award winning, nominated, films and tv shows over the last ten years but working on that film and on a Quentin T film was a dream come true and that particular film especially. Glad you enjoyed the movie.
@@13_13k yes I knew Bobby. Didn’t realize he died. I’ll say a prayer for him. Once Upon aTime in Hollywood was so nostalgic to watch. I’ve seen it several times and will undoubtedly see it many more times. Tell me how they transformed the streets to look like 1969. I’m fascinated with movie magic. Our family is in the film finance side of the business so we get to go on set and watch them create stories from a basket of disjointed scenes. Our movie The Tiger Rising was released last Friday and it was such fun to see the final product. I love the movie making craft.
@@NBportofino ---- not to dismiss Bobby's death but, I don't want to take this conversation in a sad direction. About Once Upon a Time... the Hollywood Blvd scenes were a lot of work. We weren't allowed to close down the street completely, foot traffic and vehicles were stopped at times when cameras were rolling, and we had dozens of extras and old cars waiting to move. Construction built all new store fronts for every shop,, art filled the window displays, I added or removed window lighting and signs for stores, we transformed two movie theaters, one was still a theater called the Halogram and art Dept had the old Pussycat signs remade and myself and studio electric , lighting got the marquis back to original and almost three thousand red and white lightbulbs under the marquis and around the edges of the all the signs,, across the street the Old Vogue Theater which is a museum and a restaurant, had to be restored to be the theater again, all the neon on it's marquis and all the giant neon signs above all the buildings, about six, myself and a neon sign guy got them working, we had to remove and replace street signs and street lights and bus benches, billboards, plus all the lighting for the theaters and the neon signs I had to wire from each sign, the movie theater marquis and flashing lights etc.. with power cables that ran behind all the buildings to a lighting control board two blocks away so Quentin could radio the lighting tech and have total control of the whole street's lighting to come on and go off on his mark. We had two weeks to do all that and so much more. All while tourists and homeless and traffic were still walking around. We had to lie (as usual) about what we were filming to keep people uninterested. The joke was it was a mayonnaise commercial. But we did all the restore of the Taco Bell, Der Weinerschnitzel, Westwood Village and the two theaters and the Cinerama Dome and the two main houses which I was working on before shooting and after wrap and during because so much remodeling was done and the swimming pool was my personal Hell. Trying to get those two pool lights to work was crazy. We were two days away from shooting the ending with Leo in the pool at night and the lights kept failing after I basically rewired the whole system. Finally after a big meeting someone suggested lights run from cables in the water out of frame and I told them no way was I risking Leo's life with electricity in the water. Lol so we had to replace the two pool lights completely, pull them out of the pool wall with the housing which was leaking after I fixed everything else. But I got it done and the pool and the view looked amazing. There was no CGI for any of the shots, everything was physically transformed to look as close as possible to 1969. Art Dept and others found hundreds of old photos for reference on how everything looked. They had KHJ radio ads and so many details that get overlooked but subconsciously you are seeing and if you were alive back then, it triggers you. It was absolutley insane what went into that production. I worked six and seven days a week average and 14 - 18 hours most days for four months, but I started with scouting in May, shooting in June and wrap in November and I was still working restoring things to normal into January. Crazy but fantastic job.
I was born in Santa Monica and grew up in Van Nuys, but that was in the 50-60s, I have the best memories of it then. even though I am older (much) I still have the mindset of a Southern California boy and still see the world through that lens -
I'm from L.A. and I have been all over the country and I don't give a damn what anyone says I will keep being an Angelino till my last breath there's nowhere like it here.
I was born in Downey Dec 28, 1969. Six days later I was adopted and transplanted to Idaho. I've always felt a connection to LA. The music, movies, styles etc. I'll always wonder how it would've been to grow up there.
Wow, your description of L.A. in the 70's sure doesn't jibe with mine...well except for the smog. I remember it as high school dances, and football games, Washington High School, and Cal-State Northridge. Cruising up and down Hollywood Blvd on Fridays, picnics and pick b-ball games on the weekend, dinner at my grandmothers on Sundays. My memories also include the beautiful vegetable garden my grandparents had in their South L.A. backyard. Swimming during the summer at Athens Park, riding horses at the El-Fig stable in Gardena. Car loads of friends/family heading to the beach or Angeles Crest Forest. Hiking all day long in Griffith Park. Osko's and Dillion's to dance the night away followed by a 2am pig out at Tommy's burgers, or moon over My Hammy at Denny's. I'll definetly agree with one thing though.... The music was BOSS! I'm a true Native Angeleno.
I grew up in LA. I always thought it was just fine. Even in ,”bad areas,” if you were respectful you were pretty much okay. You had to know how to handle yourself tho. I liked LA in the 70’s!
That’s because the thugs back then were much respectful than today’s teenage society now days they just shoot at whoever even the innocent and also the teenagers were much calmer and wiser too.
I'm from la. Born here and still live here. I'd die if I got to experience it in the 70s and 80s. No words could explain. I'd trade everything from today like, stupid social media, and cell phones, to experience the 70s here .
Funny... I'm reading this comment approximately a year after you wrote it, I'm sure you can agree that last year had a higher degree of freedom than we currently enjoy.
I was raised in the L.A. suburb of Paramount,CA. 1966-1984 ,and loved it growing up there. This vid brings back good memories for me of places i used to see all the time. Jim's char-burgers was great ,them & Douglas char-burgers had the best pastrami sandwiches ever, the band i was in used to play at the Starwood, and Gazzari's, the Dodgers were badass back then ( Garvey,Smith,Baker,Cey,Lopes,Russell, Yeager,Monday,LaSorta ),so many great things to remember, Winchell's donut house, Farmer John meats, Carnation milk-ice cream, Formost milk, Boy's market, Cal Worthington used cars, 93.KHJ am, KLOS fm, KROQ fm, KMET fm, Mc Coy's market, Bob's big boy, Dipsy Doodle soft-serve ice cream trucks, Red Devil fireworks, Columbian gold weed, the L.A. FORUM, Der Wenerschnitzel, Shakey's pizza, Lucky lager beer, it's endless man, ( just like this rant ) S.California ruled in the 70's ! Cool video, rock on! Bob.G
@Da Nhl1 -yes i do remember the Helms' bakery truck stoppin' in front of our house ( in Paramount off of Compton blvd. on Texaco ave. & Richfield st. ) and get the most delicious fresh donuts in the morning. My mom would give me $ with a note to give the bakery man saying it was ok for me to get a pack if cigarettes for her ,as she waved to him from our porch, ahh,ha', you 'd never get away with that now days, that truck had everything, pastries,candy,baseball cards,smokes,ect... it was great. I had friends living in Bellfower, they lived right on Alondra, w/ constant traffic going by, my brother and i would ride our bikes there on weekends and stay overnight and go to Bellflower music on Bellflower bl. and check the instruments in the window. I remember seeing Jaws at the Rosecrans drive-in ,and i beleive there was a giant Glide-Slide out in front of the theater, and was'nt Tahitian Village across the the street? I think it was?, anyway you are right, good memories, great stuff. Rock On my fellow Angeleno, Bellflower,& Paramount ruled! Bob.G
@Da Nhl1 I used to go to that slide...on gunny sacks... Pastramis at Jim's Char Broiled and the onion rings were the bomb . .Eric Underwood class of 81 Downey High School
Lived in California from the mid 70's to the late 80's. Use to go to LA at least a couple of times a year (from Sacramento). I was into three things back then, women, clubbing and cars. LA had plenty of all of these. Fun times.
I grew up in LA, and that video hits it right on the nose! I recall, in the 70s, going to movie theaters on Broadway for a buck and watching Bruce Lee flicks all day. Or the 80s, going to clubs at the Alexandria Hotel, Circus Disco, Hong Kong Cafe, and many more. Those were amazing times.
I'm a die-hard New Yorker, but I must say that I feel an energy being in LA like no other place. The dry air, hills, palm trees, history, and eccentricity of it get under your skin. I've been around and it's the only other place I can say I'd like to live. Let me add too that without mucho money, there isn't a place where crime doesn't exist.
Born in Inglewood 1965, raised in Westchester, pleas than a mile from LAX, and a few blocks from The Big Donut on the Westchester (L.A.) Inglewood city limits. Seeing a lot of the places that are not there anymore brings back memories, The Starwood, Oskos, La Cienega Lanes, just to name a few Thanks for the time travel
@@davidlang1125 --- Osko's... I had some good times at that place for under 21 dancing back in the early '80s. Rodney Binghamheimer (Rodney on the ROQ) DJ'ing. Good Times
Yes this was a great time travel video. I didn't know that nasty naughty Los Angeles and all those "fun" people but then I do now. We had it all in the 50s and the 60s and the 70s and the 80s but it started to get a little more "dicey" in the 90s and the OOs and the 10s and the 20s so far are not that great especially with the pandemic that never ends. But then that pandemic will end some day. But I'll have already lived the best life I ever could anyway. Thanks so much for this video with it's overview of those 70s years. Very special time travel. We still have it all here and we still don't have to shovel snow. Like others do in other parts of this country.
I don't understand why anyone would say LA was not a nice place back then. Rents or to buy a home was dirt cheap, we had the music industry, the California fashion industry was booming, the sunshine, beautiful women & men, Hollywood, great architecture of great dreamers and list goes on.....
We had a wonderful time as teens in Los Angeles. I agree with D. Dollar; even the "bad" hoods no one bothered you. We danced to all the great music, respected each other. People were real and love was real. This dude got it all wrong.
Except for the landscaping and ""gentrification" which did come in the 80s, 90s and proceeds but with expensive property and also too much drugs and crime and homelessness abounding. Been through numerous decades in this area and can't believe the continuing build out. So many more people than even in the 1970s.
This is such an accurate time capsule! I arrived on Christmas Day 1975. From Sydney Australia. And this is what I found! Really! And I designed a disco club called Osko’s on La Cienaga Blvd as seen at 10:05 around the end of 1976 when disco was already on its last legs!
So sorry I missed your comment...I love what you wrote. How exciting. Disco had a short life within the straight community but disco takes off in 1978 it explodes with Donna Summer’s the Village People and in 1976 70 million babies in America Born in 1955 all turn 21 at once ... refreshing the gay club to massive proportions 5 other major clubs open in LA to accommodate the huge up tick in alcohol and dance club admissions.
@@JamesBlackmanIII the LA gay social scene in the late 70’s was a blast even for a straight guy like me! Met really great people and hadn’t expected to see the rise of anti-gay prejudice lead by an uncaring and ignorant President when they were struck with a mysterious new disease in the eighties. By then the party was over. LA never felt the same after that.
I was raised in Los Angeles during the 1970’s. WHAT WAS WRONG WITH IT?!!! How I would to step into A Time Machine and go back to That ERA of Los Angeles!
Me too!!! The girls, morals, the food was better, the music, the vibe was better!!! The girls wasn't all Ratchet and Snobby!!! These times sucks!!! I'm glad to be alive even though....Let me know when a time machine gets built.
Born and raised in Los Angeles 1965. Moved away in 1975. I never knew what stars looked like because of the smog and lights until we moved to north California. Also, my mother liked playing records, and I liked it. I got my first record player in 1977.
Yes many would choose it in the 70-90s. I dipped my toe in the water in 85 & just moved out to Santa Monica, it was too expensive then for me so I moved back east. You couldn't just crash wherever you wanted like now. LA is a cesspool now unless you're uber wealthy.
Respectfully disagree. Yes, SMOG was bad. Air quality was much worse than today. But the mentally ill were still in hospitals, not living on the streets.
@Brandon Taylor ....hugh..? there's more healthy food options today then there was in the 1970's....that's a fact...and way more diversity in food choices..
@@johnadams5259 What about kids? When I was a boy a fat kid was an anomaly. Lots of chunky kids now. In the 60's and 70's we ate plenty of sugar. BUT, nothing was supersized. A 12oz can of soda was plenty. Our plates weren't piled up like they are now. We didn't eat cereal for snacks or for dinner. We had pizza maybe once a month. We had fast food maybe twice a month. When my mother made fish stick with tater tots, we each had 2 fish sticks and it was enough. We never came inside to play unless it was cold or raining. We drank from the water hose because our parents would fuss telling us to either stay in or stay out. By the time we took our bath at night we were dirty. We didn't put holes in our jeans on purpose, we wore 'em out and our mothers would patch them up. My mother got paid every other Wednesday and she'd go grocery shopping. She didn't shop for snacks. If we ran out of milk or whatever, she didn't go buy more. We had to wait til that next paycheck, so we knew how to ration. We didn't feel hungry. Sunday breakfast and dinner was the best meals of the week. We live in abundance now despite people thinking these are the end times. No Ciggies!! 😀
I was born in Van Nuys, and grew up in both Altadena and South Pasadena during the 60-70's. My dad was a California Highway Patrol Sergeant, while my mom was an RN who worked at Childrens Hospital in DLA. I have many fond memories of Southern California. Indeed, we have had troubled times, but seemed to make it. As I write this, it is 5/9/20, and Newsum is gradually opening places up during this COVID-19 Pandemic. Our history is rich with everything associated with LA, and yet have a difficult and shameful past. Be safe out there, everyone.
@@alexandrscience3473 Hey Alexandr. Sadly, I did not know Dr.Feynman. My step-dad worked at JPL while finishing his Ph.D. This goes back to the early 70's. Take care and be safe, okay?
I was with my uncle when we went on a trip to LA in 1976. I really liked it. My uncle didn't. He wanted to go back. He told me if I really like LA, wait till I grow up and just go there as many times I want. Not the same anymore. My uncle is in denial and doesn't process many changes have taken place in LA.
I thought LA was great in the 70's. Especially compared to the way it has become. Yes, they had real music back then too. And I will take the smog over today's chemtrails and deliberate drought any day!
Born and raised there. Born in the late 50, left for the military when I was 17 in 1977. Never returned to live there. Spent my time stationed around the globe. First duty assignment was Germany in North Baveria. Did not know how nice life could be outside of LA. My family stayed there and I returned from time to time. I used to Cruise Whittier Blvd. from 1974-1977. Very cool time. We also went over and cruised Colorado Blvd where the surfers went with their hot rods. My buddies got Tattoos and Good Time Charlies on the strip.
Classic photo of THE SYLVERS rehearsing around the 10 minute mark. They were from compton and black los angeles embraced them as our version of the Jackson family. They were led by the oldest brother LEON SYLVERS who would go on to produce multiple platinum records for the SOLAR ( SOUND OF LOS ANGELES RECORDS) LABEL. Solar had groups such as SHALAMAR , LAKESIDE & THE WHISPERS.
If you were born into the 70s era of Los Angeles than that's the only life you knew of. Of course it was good. You had nothing else to compare it to. Now that 5 decades have passed you can compare each decade. To me the 80s was the best decade. Not just for Los Angeles, but for everywhere.
I wish you can redo this film and make it a bit slower just to be able to think about all these places in LA I've experienced! The street names, the mom and pop restaurants, all of it! Came to LA in 1975 as an 11 year old kid! I felt I was in heaven! Love the images!
This is the best place to live even with the smog. And we did not have global warming or climate change. But we had the starwood, the whisky, Roxy, gazzaris and all of the other 18 and under rock clubs. We had sunset strip, Van nuys blvd, Westwood village, Century city and Tommy burger. The beaches azusa canyon. Growing up in L.A. Couldn't ask for anything better.
I always enjoy the cars from the '70s. I look for American Motors products in particular, especially AMX's. Nothing, except one Hornet station wagon. Even that would be a rare bird today.
A very good visual compilation of the 70's in LA, I really enjoyed it! This video reminded me that this era is when Gay's started to come out and Disco was a vein for them to express themselves, which was and is a good thing. I am not gay and grew up in the bay area, but the images you have displayed I can relate to. Thank You.
Steven Flores I was a waiter at the French market from 1975 to 1980 and then also was a go go dancer for a minute at studio one but did most of my time at Circus just go and probe and it was a very exciting time I remember waiting on share and bet Midler and Liza Minnelli in the village people and Donna Summers it was a absolute ball so you caught my narrative that I did that with a point of view of which I only knew of which the fact that I grew up as a Gay kid in LA too. Thank you for your kind comments
Raised in South Central Los Angeles. Best pastrami's Johnny's on Adams and Crenshaw! Quick and split best burgers! Fat Burgers also Howard's bacon and avocado Venice and Sepulveda. 70s and 80s was great with the skating rinks like flips in Hollywood Skate Depot at World on wheels. And Venice Beach was the spot. Along with Westwood Mardi Gras. Cruising Crenshaw Boulevard was necessary every weekend. When you go to the Century Drive In to make out because you couldn't hear the movie for the airplanes landing at LAX. Long live LA
doesn't matter what little town you are from or what big city . We all loved where we grew up . If you grew up in the U.S.A. you are lucky . We are lucky . Even the folks that grew up in the smallest one horse town in West Virginia loves their town . We had 5 foot snow falls all the time here in the Northeast and blizzards all the time but we went out and played in it and built snow forts while the West coast kids were on their beach but it was all good no matter where you were from . Every place has merit and a rich History . Then when you grow up you get to choose where you want to live . The world is your oyster . I choose to build my home 1/2 mile from where I grew up all my life . We have very little here by comparison to larger cities and it still is freezing cold and snows feet but it's where I still choose to call home . Bloom where you are planted !
You know after watching the entire video, I see what you are saying. I had no idea traffic was like that bumper to bumper in the 70"s. I visited there because my aunt moved there and now that I think back, she had a 2 room apt. livingroom and kitchen, or and tiny bath. I bet she was paying her entire salary for it too. She lived in that efficiency for 12 years. She took us for rides, but only showed us the good parts. lol
I think after 1965, it became more expensive cause they opened the flood gates for immigrants. Our neighborhood was all white and by 1987 there was more immigrants than American's.
@@haveanicedave1551 well that's what we get for building the most efficient and largest airport on earth the world bought a plane ticket. I remember when Iran fell we had a flood of immigrants from Iran and about the same time South Korea was having financial troubles and Koreans were coming in daily and then with the war in Honduras we then got a truckload of Hondurans then the Japanese showed up to buy everything, then when the Soviet union fell here came the Russians. Then when Hong Kong went back to the Chinese they came in to LA and bought Palos Verdes and Sierra Madre. But for the record your flood gate comment is based on your opinion of maybe not liking it but they showed up with passports and money. Now today in 2022 it's as international as New York. By the way doesn't matter when you show up United States of America we're all immigrants unless you're a native American.
I grew up here. I don’t remember it being bad at all in the 70s. There were less people. Smog, yes. Crime was more rampant in gang areas south of the 10 during the 1980s. I miss the all the neon. Signage was king. Now all the trees they planted cover the streets signage, what’s left of it. Whole blocks have been torn down and overdeveloped. I’d take that LA over today’s LA. Its like a dystopian twilight zone now. Sanity flight to other states. Only crazies and hyper wealthy now. Her best days are behind her. Great montage. I recognize so much. Wish there was a time machine. Thank you
There is no where else for a Californian to go. I'll be living here for most of my life because I already know that there is no where else in the world for someone like me born and raised in Southern California. And the weather is comparatively "divine" even with all the population and homeless. No where to run and no where to hide. I agree with your description "dystopian twilight zone" though. Strange isn't it. As for her best days behind her---you can't know that. Better days ahead always.
I lived in LA back in the 70s and your partially correct. It did get uglier in many respects, but it had it's nice areas too. My neighborhood was really nice in the 60s like a leave it to beaver vibe, but it had changed in the 70s when bussing was being enforced and a low class of minorities started buying homes in the area. I had lived next to Inglewood and it was getting bad. The crime rate began to climb higher. Gangs like the Crips and Bloods were starting to run rampant. Our neighbors were starting to get robbed with home invasions, and the streets became dirty with trash. It was turning into a ghetto. It was at that time 1977, my family and I left LA for good. Like it or not, being a native Angeleno this is what had happened to my neighborhood in Westchester back in the 70s.
I never understood the longing for the good old days until this exact moment. What I wouldnt give to forget what I know and be a part of these pictures!!
At 5:54 is a photo of Bond's Appliance store which was until fairly recently located on 4th Street in Long Beach, Ca. The building remains but Bond's is history. I purchased an old restored stove there back in the70s. Today;s date: 7-6-2019. Long Beach is changing. Thanks for posting this vid. H.B.L
I grew up & lived on Russell Ave off Vermont Ave in the early 70’s. I remember those times fondly. DTLA for a 7 year old was scary with the drunks , but no way as bad as it is today with the drugged up homeless.
I was born in 76 but I know in the barrios they dealt with poverty, crime, gangs, drugs, and la migra! Immigration raids where common. East LA presente!
I turned 7 years old August of 1970 and during the 70s growing up in LA, I thought it was a terrible time and a terrible place. I hated those years. I was always being bullied, chased and beat up by gang members.. Funny thing is now I look back on it and think it wasn't so bad. I actually love seeing photos and videos of that time now. Would I like to go back in time.....? No, I'm good where I am
I've been here since late 70s lol still the same thing! Sure some different things but the idea is the same. Traffic good music smog good food and trouble if you looking for it.. o let's not forget beautiful women!!!
I grew up in L..A. during the 70's, that's when I came of age and experienced the rough and tumble life of a misspent youth!!! I wouldn't trade it for anything. I had LOTS of fun getting in trouble and exploring all that the city had to offer. Too bad L.A. has deteriorated into a city that is too expensive to live in and plagued with unnecessary violence. So SAD to see my hometown has become a shell of it's former self.
I grew kup in The Valley which was basically a small town. We'd go Over the Hill for fun and adventure. Back in the 60s we'd go all over LA and never had any hassles with anyone. KERB blasting out the windows on a hot summer night. Art Laboe and Wolfman Jack.
It was so cheap to live there back then. I finished my military service in the early '70's and with only about $300 from my mustering out pay I was able to find a decent place to live in Hollywood, where my job was starting. The smog was certainly terrible then, often not being able to see Griffith Park and the Hollywood sign from my apartment on Selma!
I've been going to LA since the 60's till now. Going there for a wedding this coming weekend. LA was good then and is still good now. LA always had homeless but without tents during the 70's, mostly confined to downtown. Mentally Ills were still present back then but a lot fewer. Difference: 1970's-80's mostly low rises and friendlier, less dense, relatively small downtown with narrow and tall skyline, albeit few high rises. Now: more like Chicago with big city vibe and dense, not friendly, especially in Hollywood. Large downtown with big skyline. Both era: very diverse.
I know MY song reference is totally out of date buy the context is correct. I was just going to quote "its still the only place for me", but I put the whole damn song 😁 No doubt, to live and die in LA California, what you say about Los Angeles Still the only place for me That never rains in the sun and everybody got love To live and die in LA, where everyday we try to fatten our pockets Us niggas hustle for the cash so it's hard to knock it Everybody got they own thang, currency chasin' Worldwide through the hard times, worrying faces Shed tears as we bury niggas close to heart Who was a friend is now a ghost in the dark Cold hearted bout it Nigga got smoked by a fiend Trying to floss on him, blind to a broken man's dream A hard lesson, court cases keep me guessin' Plea bargain, ain't an option now, so I'm stressin' Cost me more to be free than a life in the pen Making money off of cuss words, writing again Learn how to think ahead, so I fight with my pen Late night down Sunset liking the scene What's the worst they could do to a nigga? Got me lost in hell To live and die in LA on bail To live and die in L.A. It's the place to be You've got to be there to know it What everybody wanna see To live and die in L.A It's the place to be You've got to be there to know it What everybody wanna see It's the City of Angels and constant danger South Central LA, can't get no stranger Full of drama like a soap opera, on the curb Watching the ghetto bird helicopters, I observe So many niggas getting three strikes, tossed in jail I swear the pen the right across from hell I can't cry 'cause it's on now I'm just a nigga on his own now, living life thug style So I can't smile, writing to my peoples when they ask for pictures Thinking Cali just fun and bitches Better learn about the dress code, B's and C's All them other niggas copycats, these is G's I love Cali like I love women 'Cause every nigga in LA got a little bit of thug in him We might fight amongst each other, but I promise you this We'll burn this bitch down, get us pissed to live and die in L.A. It's the place to be (Let my angel sing) You've got to be there to know it What everybody wanna see To live and die in L.A. It's the place to be You've got to be there to know it What everybody wanna see yeah 'Cause would it be LA without Mexicans? It's black love brown pride and the sets again Pete Wilson trying to see us all broke, I'm on some bullshit Out for everything they owe, remember K-DAY Weekends, Crenshaw, MLK Automatics rang free, niggas lost they way Gang signs being showed, nigga love your hood But recognize and it's all good, where the weed at? Niggas getting shermed out Snoop Dogg in this motherfucker permed out M.O.B. Big Suge in the Low-Low, bounce and turn Dogg Pound in the Lex, with a ounce to burn Got them Watts niggas with me, OFTB They got some hash took the stash left the rest for me Neckbone, Tre, Head Ron, Punchy too Big Rock got knocked, but this one's for you I hit the studio and drop a jewel, hoping it pay Getting high watching time fly to live and die in L.A. It's the place to be (Let my angel sing) You've got to be there to know it What everybody wanna see To live and die in L.A. It's the place to be (to live and die in LA) You've got to be there to know it What everybody wanna see yeah This go out for 92.3 And 106 All the radio stations that be bumping my shit Making my shit sells katruple quitraple platinum This go out to all the magazines that supported me (to live in die in LA) All the real motherfuckers (to live in die in LA) All the stores, the mom and pop spots A&R people, all you all motherfuckers (to live in die in LA) LA, California Love part motherfucking Two Without gay ass Dre (to live in die in LA)
