Is South Los Angeles The Next 'Hot' Area?

Months before the eve of the 15th anniversary of the South Los Angeles riots- over the verdict that acquitted four officers who beat motorist Rodney King the year before- there's building going on in South L.A. (still known in some circles by its' former name, South Central).

Pockets of this largely African-American community, south of the LA city center, are seeing apartments and condos being built. And some of the people who are building these units are current and former gang members.

In the article from the Christian Science Monitor that's linked here, South LA is becoming a new 'hot' area for the housing market, mainly because other areas throughout LA have peaked in housing. With recent news that the housing market may be slowing down a bit, South LA could buck the trend.

No one's crying gentrification yet, but no doubt, some can't help but wonder when will this longtime enclave of mostly black and Latino residents become, well, as white as Wonder(R) bread. Will improving the area be at the price of a more diverse populace?

One can't help but wonder. Hopefully, the black residents of South LA will embrace and contribute to the improvement of the area, as oppose to lament it.

Copyright 2007, by Darren W. Alexander. All Rights Reserved.
Article, Copyright 2005, by Christian Science Monitor, Inc.