Another look at downtown L.A.

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Backstory: About five weeks ago the L.A. Times ran a controversial piece about downtown real estate, pointing out ‘signs that downtown’s residential boom is slowing, if not stalling out altogether.’ I say controversial because the story unleashed a flood of comments on this blog, many of them from defenders of life downtown who were angry about the article (That was the thread in which I was accused of having a ‘Westside white-bread classist attitude’).

Now the new part: Today’s paper takes another look, a friendlier look, at life downtown, this time focusing on the industrial district and its ‘intoxicatingly youthful vibe.’

‘Here, away from the bustling sidewalks and skyscrapers of the city center, narrow, quiet tree-lined streets intersected by old rail lines have become magnets for urban residents looking for a different downtown experience. ... Birds chirp over the low rumbling of trucks. Residents say the area reminds them of New York’s TriBeCa or Chelsea districts when they were just becoming residential hot spots.’

I’m anxious to hear your comments on this one, but first just one piece of newspaper spin on publishing two seemingly contradictory stories about downtown: they’re both valid views of what’s happening. Yes, the residential boom appears to be slowing down. And yes, there is also a growing community of people who enjoy living downtown.

There, my spin. Your thoughts? Comments? Email story tips to peter.viles@latimes.com. FYI: Long weekend ahead. No new blog posts until late Monday. Comments will post, eventually.