West Central Los Angeles: The Eastside of the Westside

Why is it, that all the other "sides" of the city begin immediately adjacient to Downtown Los Angeles with little or no debate on their actual boundary line? For example, the eastside of Los Angeles is always designated as beginning east of the L.A. River. Likewise the southside of the city, whether it's called South Los Angeles or South-Central Los Angeles, begins immediately south of Downtown L.A.. There are even signs south of Washington Bl. attesting to it's boundary. Lastly, the Northeast section of the city begins once you cross the various bridages spanning the L.A. River, north of the Industrial Distict. Once you leave Chinatown and the railroad yards of the Central City's northern portion and cross the river you are no longer "Downtown", but in the Northest section of the City. It is only when you attempt to define the boundary of the westside where arguements erupt. Debates range from where the boundary of the westside of L.A. begins, to redefining the "eastside" of Los Angeles. Many times these debates are over "who" can define their area of the city as being on the western section. Debates can get heated and often times tempers flare as individuals attempt to correct one another as to where these boundaries lie.


What I have noticed in all of these debates is that for the most part these verbal confrontations or online discussions take place among residents of the far westside of the city. In other words the debates,the arguments,the redefining of traditional boundaries and even community names are all being done from a far westside perspective,with very little or no imput at all from residents of other sections of the City. Many times these other sections of the City are home to people who have lived here for generations, as opposed to many far westsiders who are recent eastcoast or midwest transplants. And yet,it is these very people and their perspective, the perspective of the far westsider,whose point of view often times becomes the "official" perspective. As such that perspctive is the one that makes it online as well as on to the printed and tv/radio media. As a result anyone attempting to voice another point of view is quickly dismissed as being wrong or not knowledgeable. The result is that the perspective of the far westsider goes unchallenged and thus creates the view point that L.A. IS the "westside" and everything outside of that general area is either not worthy of coverage, dangerous or filled with people who have been deemed not important. As a third generation Angeleno, and a lifetime resident of the Eastside of Los Angeles,(Boyle Heights/East L.A.), I am here to offer a different perspective. One that is shared by many and yet seldom heard. That perspective is that the westside of Los Angeles, just like it's eastside, southside and northeast counterparts begins west of Downtown L.A.. Granted that the area immediately west of the Central City to the Pacific Ocean is a huge area, but so is the southside of the City, covering the area south of Downtown L.A. to the Harbor. In actuality one need look no further than the City's street designation signs that begin at 1st and Main Streets, in Downtown L.A.. It is there, on that very cornor that one will see that the sections of the City begin not in far off La Cienega or Sepulveda Blvds., but there on that little cornor in the core of the City.


As this article is concerned with the boundary of the westside of Los Angeles I will concentrate my thinking in that direction and begin to offer support to my perspective. Heading west from that previously mentioned cornor towards the western edge of the Central City we reach the Harbor Freeway or 110 Fwy.. This freeway helps to define the boundary between the westside of the City and it's central core. In fact "City West" is actually the first community of the City's westside. Now I know that refering to this area of the City as the "westside" may baffle many. However it is only proper, since it does mark the beginning of the City's western sector. One would be wise to observe the street signs in that area as well as the signs on libaries, theaters, parks and government buildings. ALL read "west" in either their street designation or title or section. As for the street names many abound with the term "west" in them. Street names such as Western Ave., West Bl., Westmoreland Ave., West St. and West Lake Av., just to name a few. Now from the perspective of an eastside like myself, this is definately NOT the eastside. Nor does it come anywhere near being part of Downtown L.A. as many seem to think. No, this area of the City is part of the larger westside and I for one refer to it as the Near Westside or West Central area of the City. True, it may not have the affluence of the far westside, nor the income brackets of residents that inhabit the far westside nor even the institutions that reside in the far westside. However what it does have are the houses, buildings and street names of what was once the City's original westside. And in fact when first incorporated into the City, west of Alvarado, was called the Western Sector.


I do admit that the westside is a huge area to begin with. Therefore from my perspective it can be divided into three distinct parts. Those are the Near Westside or West Central area, the Mid City District and the Far Westside or like many might consider it westside proper. But nonetheless it is on the western side of the City's Central Core. The idea of refering to the Near Westside/West Central area as the "eastside", a practice I have not only read in the printed media but heard on tv and radio commentaries as well, is erroneous. If that area is the eastside then it can only be the Eastside of the Westside but westside nevetheless.