When I first arrived in Los Angeles in 1994 as an undergraduate freshman at USC, I was excited to find that my Marks Tower dorm room overlooked the beautiful city skyline. I was awed by the majesty and romanticism of it all. I was 18 years old, away from home for the first time and finally living my childhood dream of becoming a part of "the big city". While I reveled in exploring the campus and surrounding areas, I had no car and would rarely make the necessary arrangements to venture much further. In this first year, I understood L.A. only in terms of this small section of downtown. In turn, my first impression was that Los Angeles was, in fact, the gritty, bustling metropolis that I had come to expect from television and film. I now find this initial understanding of our city to be incomplete, if not naive.
After seven years of living in many different parts of L.A., my impression has changed quite a bit. I now see this place more as a number of different cities connected by freeways. I see Los Angeles as a big city made up of thousands of small communities, and as one arguably lacking an all-encompassing community connecting these various peoples. Another thing that has come to strike me about this city is it's unparalleled cultural and socioeconomic diversity. As I drive down these streets, I often find myself wondering about the many vastly different experiences all taking place at the same time in Los Angeles. The businessman stresses about his luncheon downtown as he walks by the street vendor who is struggles to make rent.
While I still find downtown to be the exciting, urban adventure I once extolled, my impression of Los Angeles has evolved to encompass what I perceive to be a complex mix of people and lifestyles that continues its struggle to find a greater sense of unity.
-Tom Sparks