Read about APA Los Angeles' COVID-19 Response
Sign up for our Newsletter
  • About APA Los Angeles
    • Leadership
    • Meetings & Bylaws
    • 2019-2021 Strategic Plan
    • Policy & Legislation
    • State & National APA
    • Contact Us
  • Professional Development
    • University Engagement & Student Support
    • Young & Emerging Planners
    • AICP – Get & Stay Certified
    • Leadership Program
  • News & Events
    • News & Newsletter
    • Events
    • Blog
    • Submit an Announcement
  • Awards
    • 2022 Planning Awards
    • Past Awards
  • Resources
    • Diversity Initiatives
    • Jobs
    • RFPs & RFQs
    • Consultant Directory
    • Links
  • Join & Support
    • Join APA
    • Swag Store
    • Sponsorship & Advertising

News & Blog Posts

Comment are off

A Love Letter to Los Angeles

19 Dec 2016
Vice Director for Administration

By Georgia Sheridan, AICP
Manager, Systemwide Planning, LA Metro

This fall marked my 10th year in Los Angeles. I live in a small guesthouse with a pomegranate tree in the front yard and a lemon tree out back. My street is named after the golden state’s favorite fruit – avocado. A Church of Scientology sits at the end of the block in a new-to-look-old Spanish revival building. Every now and then, I receive save-the-date postcards on my car window for “purification parties.” My hair is little blonder, thanks to the California sun (and a bit of bleach), and my limbs are a little leaner, thanks to the LA yoga/hiking lifestyle.

When I started writing this note, I was sitting in a café, two seats down from the villain of the latest Ghostbusters movie. The café music was muffled by a steady din of blenders, whipping almond milk, fruit, and veggies into “Joshua Tree” and “Runyon Canyon” smoothies. 

But here is where the clichés end.

LA has defied all the stereotypes I tried to tape on it.  It is a place I never planned to stay, and now can’t find a good reason to leave. It is beautiful, banal, infuriating, and inspiring. Like the Hollywood dreamers it attracts, it is full of potential, and slow to reach it.

The puzzled map of 88 separate cities is in constant flux, and yet, often feels stuck in time. When we try to pinpoint the “pulse” of Los Angeles, we come up short, falling back on tired stereotypes. Its people and places are too vast and varied to squeeze into a neat tagline.

As I settle into my second decade here, I’d like to pay homage to a place that has challenged my thinking, tested my patience, and granted me interesting work, friends, and a solid supply of fun.

Below are 20 slides – LA’s greatest hits (for me) from 2006 to 2016. From new parks and public art to rehabbed buildings and free events, these projects are shifting and shaping the physical and psychological landscape.

Los Angeles has many challenges ahead – housing affordability, water, a homeless crisis, the list goes on. But, I strongly believe – the best is yet to come … and won’t it be fine.

Social Share

  • google-share

Recent News

Coming Soon: Call for 2023 Awards Applications and Jurors!

26 Jan 2023

2023 Student Showcase - Now Accepting Abstracts

06 Jan 2023

APA Los Angeles Board Seeks Student Representatives for the 2022-2023 Academic Year!

09 Dec 2022

Help Shape the Future of the Valley at the 2023 Our Region | Our Future Summit

23 Nov 2022

APA Los Angeles Board of Directors Voting Open November 8th Through November 29th

08 Nov 2022

APA California Sections

  • Central
  • Central Coast
  • Inland Empire
  • Los Angeles
  • Northern
  • Orange County
  • Sacramento Valley
  • San Diego

Quick Links

  • Home
  • Join APA
  • Contact Us

Search

facebook
twitter
instagram
linkedin
© APA Los Angeles