There’s a reason I moved to the Arts District nearly 20 years ago (I’ll hit that milestone this coming September!) … it’s summed up in one word: “community” and now more than ever, it’s why I stay.
“Community” as defined in Merriam-Webster’s dictionary has several meanings. As the Arts District neighborhood in Downtown Los Angeles has transitioned over recent years, the definition of our community has seemed to evolve from “people with common interests living in a particular area” (i.e., people whose primary profession and interests include being an “artist”) to “an interacting population of various kinds of individuals in a common location” (i.e., individuals with various professions who interact). As things change, there are bound to be bumps in the road, but when it’s all said and done, what seems to remain, regardless of how long someone has lived or worked here, is that we love the Arts District and care about being here. That’s what is common among us; that is what we share.
As I celebrated another year of being alive this past week, it struck me yet again as to why I live in the A.D. It’s not just a place; it’s a community of people with some similarities, some differences, but when it’s all said and done, I think we all share the same goal at the end of the day; that we want the Arts District to be a better place for ourselves and for others (okay, just not “TOO MANY” of the others — lol!). I want to thank everyone for their gift of positive interaction this past week: a smile, a hug, a wave, and your time, albeit even if it was just a fleeting shared moment as we walked or rode by each other. Thanks to everyone who has made — and continues to make — this place a wonderful neighborhood in which to live, work and play.
~ Pollyanna aka Downtown Muse