Once-Vibrant Downtown LA Now a Boarded-Up Haven for Vagrants and Abandoned Stores

The Decline of Downtown Los Angeles

Downtown Los Angeles, once a bustling hub of commerce and culture, is now facing a significant decline. The area, which was once the heart of the city's shopping and entertainment district, has become increasingly empty and unsafe. Rows of boarded-up shops, chain stores leaving in droves, and an increase in drug use among homeless individuals have raised serious concerns for both shoppers and business owners.

According to research firm Avison Young, there are more than 100 vacant storefronts in the Historic Core of downtown Los Angeles. This area, known for its Art Deco buildings and lavish theater marquees, now overlooks broken windows, boarded-up storefronts, and groups of homeless people smoking drugs in broad daylight. Around one-third of commercial spaces remain empty, with a higher vacancy rate than Detroit.

Business owners report that even the most resilient businesses are being driven out by crime, high rents, and a shrinking population of Angelenos who have reasons to be downtown. Many historical independent restaurants are struggling under these challenges, with some already closing and others fighting to survive. For example, Cole’s French Dip, LA’s oldest eatery, recently announced its upcoming closure.

Chain stores have also been closing their downtown locations at an alarming rate. Macy’s shuttered earlier this year as part of a corporate downsizing, leaving downtown without a department store for the first time in 150 years. Retailers such as Vans, Theory, Paul Smith, and Acne have also vacated the area. In 2022, Starbucks closed one of its downtown locations due to safety concerns.

The downtown Adidas store, which was looted during anti-ICE riots this summer, remains boarded up and closed, though the company has not announced any plans to shut it down. Each month, the streets of downtown get emptier, except for the increasing number of homeless individuals coming from Skid Row.

A Shift in the Community

Locals describe a dramatic change in the atmosphere of downtown. One barber working in the "Historic Core" shared that homeless individuals are now coming all the way up to Spring Street. He had to call the police when a homeless man barricaded himself inside his shop just days before speaking to The Post. “Everything is different now,” he said. “You used to have people partying in the street. Students would come in from the colleges. They’d get a haircut and go out and have fun.”

Before the pandemic, downtown LA was experiencing a renaissance similar to the Roaring Twenties, when playboys and flappers enjoyed the boutiques and movie palaces on Broadway Street. Historian William Deverell, author of "Whitewashed Adobe: The Rise of Los Angeles," noted that there was a high-water mark around 2015 to 2020, with energy and redevelopment in the Arts District and the Historic Core.

However, the pandemic dealt a severe blow to downtown, and the effects are still being felt. Rioters smashed and looted shops and restaurants during the BLM protests, and many businesses either never reopened or went under within the year. Today, many street-level businesses keep their windows boarded up as a precaution.

Challenges and Hope for the Future

Despite the challenges, some locals believe that downtown LA still has potential. Glen Proctor, who moved from New York after the pandemic, appreciates the quieter streets and the space available, even if they come with graffiti and hooligans. “Our life from New York is much more relaxed,” he said. “It can get crazy with the unhoused around, but you get a lot more space for something you would pay a lot more for in Hollywood.”

Apartment occupancy in downtown LA is currently around 90%, according to the DTLA Alliance, which is higher than pre-pandemic levels. Michael Backlinder, owner of a coffee shop with one of the only outdoor dining spaces left on Broadway, believes that the neighborhood is due for a comeback. However, he emphasizes that it won’t happen by trying to be the next Greenwich Village.

Backlinder suggests that the city needs to invest in downtown and change the perception of the area. “Everyone thinks people are dying downtown, but that’s not the case,” he said. “People just need to talk more positively.” With the right investments and community support, downtown Los Angeles could reclaim its former glory and become a vibrant center once again.