Stephanie Guzman

Little Italy, a small district near downtown San Diego, hosts a vibrant compilation of businesses, eateries and people. Little Italy used to house a number of Italian fishermen in the 1940s, but a new feeling to the neighborhood has emerged. The close-knit neighborhood is opening up to more restaurants, modern complexes featuring swanky lofts, and a younger crowd. 

I took a walk around Silverlake on a Saturday and passed through a farmer's market, some murals, and definitely some hipsters. 

I grew up with the internet. My generation is considered the first generation where computers and the internet were a staple in homes. Our family's first computer was an incredibly large Dell, our first internet provider was the now archaic AOL, and I remember waiting for the internet while the computer screeched as if connecting was really strenuous.

I became familiar with social networking sites and before I even knew what it meant, I participated in finding out other people's business by their "digital footprint." In high school, my girlfriends and I would crowd around the computer, pouring over a boy's MySpace page. We were the modern day detectives. We could catch our boyfriends partying with other girls through their tagged photos, we could take two people and through their friends list, find out how they knew each other, and we could scroll to older posts to see how they interacted with their ex. It was all so easy, and so accessible.    

Angelenos that once whispered "recession" are now seeing the affects. The recession, in conjunction with our state's budget crisis, is apparent throughout Los Angeles. Construction is halted or put off till funds come in, swanky downtown lofts are having "eight-hour sales," our transit system is a mess and our local cal state schools are still cutting classes.

Upon graduating last spring, the keywords "city job" were associated with security, benefits and a nice paycheck. Classmates were lining up for city jobs in an effort to afford their own apartments, keep their nightlife habits and stop "bank" from being associated with "mom and dad."  But the recession has reached into the pockets of our county's operating budget. Last Wednesday, The Los Angeles City Council announced its plan to enforce layoffs and furloughs throughout many city departments. Numbers have been flying around, but an estimated 926 jobs will be cut, and some city employees will have to take 26 unpaid days off by June of next year. "Now Hiring" signs will not be seen in city hall windows for a while.