When you think of Los Angelesyou think of palm trees, beautiful beaches, bright city lights, and superstars.
L.A. is a place where dreams come true and is the city of angels. But many of us
aren’t familiar with the not so glamorous side of LA.
Just miles away from the Staples Center and L.A. Live, the newly opened entertainment center, lies a poverty stricken community known as Skid Row.
Skid row is a run down, urban area with a large
impoverished population. Americans are making reference more and more often to “skid row” and the likelihood of ending up there, given the economic hard times. But in LA, Skid Row is more than a condition — it’s a
real place.
L.A.’s Skid Row is an area located between S. Main St. and S. Alameda St. in the heart of that metropolis’ downtown. As soon as you arrive on Skid Row, you’re overwhelmed by the heavy stench of rotting
trash and the sense of misery that permeates the air.
More than 9,000 people roam the streets of Skid Row each
night and the population continues to grow. Homeless people, drug addicts,
prostitutes, alcohol abusers, mentally ill and physically disabled people
stumble up and down the block — or simply lie in the filth that surrounds them. It is a place of hopelessness and despair, and profound sorrow. The residents of Skid Row hail from all walks of life and unfortunately that includes children … who most likely will experience very lille joy this holiday season. –iesha daniels
