The Associated Press – by Jae C. Hong
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles has been home for thousands of homeless people, a tenuous comfort zone for many who hit the rock bottom of their lives in America.
The area, originally agricultural until the 1870s when railroads first entered Los Angeles, has maintained a transient nature through the years from the influxes of short-term workers, migrants fleeing economic hardship during the Great Depression, military personnel shipping out during World War II and the Vietnam War and low-skilled workers with limited transportation options who need to remain close to the city’s core, according to the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce.
It’s also become a battleground where the poor fight merciless drug addiction and alcoholism.
On Skid Row they’re offered a place to sleep, food, counseling and even spiritual support. Some win the battle and turn their miseries into testimonies. Others don’t. It’s not a rare scene on Skid Row to spot addicts doing drugs in the open even when police patrol the area.
Temptation lurks on every corner of the grid — but so do helping hands.
The fight continues today. The warm afternoon sunlight shines on those who sleep on the sidewalk.
Here’s a gallery of images from Skid Row by photographer Jae C. Hong.
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Follow AP photographers and photo editors on Twitter: http://apne.ws/15Oo6jo
Follow Jae C. Hong on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jaethephotog
I avoid downtown L.A.
The closest I usually get is Chinatown, for some Slippery Shrimp at Yang Chow’s.
PeeWee (Bloomie) doesn’t even acknowledge that there Is a Skid Row in His NYC. On top of that, he’s receiving the first “Jewish Nobel Prize” tomorrow (1 Million Dollars, as if He needs it). Grrr…
Just read about it and sent a couple stories to Henry.
Surprisingly, he hasn’t been in the news (almost) every single day for a while now.
Must be slowing down.
Or wising up.
He’s been in the news. Given everything else that’s been going on, I just didn’t send it in.
Bloomberg Tax On Sodas In Mexico, Bloomberg War On Low Self Esteem In Girls, All Women Should Wear Only High Heels/Bloomberg’s High Heel Fetish, Bloomberg $$ For Cory Booker Election (and various others, [tell us something new]), Bloomberg vs Banksy…
Oh, well, THAT’S a relief, Angel. At least with a loudmouth like him, you always know what you’re up against.
Take Villaraigosa, for instance. You never hear anything much about him.
It’s the sneaky ones you have to watch out for.