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Talking with a family from Mission Viejo about illegal immigration, they acted as though the problem wasn't all that bad. Their mentality to be of the 1970s, for the man said, "it depends. You have your good areas and bad areas". The thing, though, is that most areas have this problem. It's not like one ghetto or whatnot, but it is a widespread problem across the L.A. basin, though the coastal areas, with the exception of Santa Monica, seemed to be the least effected.

I got off the Hollywood freeway at Santa Monica Boulevard and was in shock at the conditions of old Hollywood. Bars on the windows, litter on the street, advertisements all over the windows and some telephone polls, many signs in Spanish, etc. It looked more like Mexico than the United States. Of course, West Hollywood and Beverly Hills were a lot nicer, but I found it hard to believe that they let old town Hollywood become so depressed.

These are the types of people who keep themselves isolated in their tiny, gated communities and don't travel outside their tiny, little world. The world revolves around them, and if they don't see it, they believe it doesn't exist. There are many people like that who are in complete denial. My sister lives next door to a couple who are like this. The never go anywhere outside their neighborhood (only 2 miles away from a nasty bario), but all is well with them. If they go anywhere, they fly there.

I got off the Hollywood freeway at Santa Monica Boulevard and was in shock at the conditions of old Hollywood. Bars on the windows, litter on the street, advertisements all over the windows and some telephone polls, many signs in Spanish, etc. It looked more like Mexico than the United States.

Unfortunately, it's been like that for years. "Old Hollywood" died right after the 50's. Even though Santa Monica and Beverly Hills "appear" to be nice, I have friends in the local PD's that could tell you what goes on. They are surrounded by nasty areas. Lets just say, one won't get rich or get drug money if you rob a poor person.

West Hollywood and Beverly Hills were a lot nicer, but I found it hard to believe that they let old town Hollywood become so depressed.

Speaking of West Hollywood, I used to work at Melrose and San Vicente. I left California in 1980 after living there for 12 years. My last address there was 136 S. Virgil. Right off of 3rd and Rampart. (Yeah-Rampart Division)

I believe the name of the complex was Meadowcreek Apartments. They were brand new with swimming pool, sauna, jacuzi, weight room, and full recreation room. I understand they are a dump now. It was a SWINGLES (swinging singles) complex when it was new.

I miss the complex but I don't miss California. I saw what was coming and I moved back home.

...widespread problem across the L.A. basin, though the coastal areas, with the exception of Santa Monica, seemed to be the least effected.

When I drove by the northern edge of the San Luis Obispo area, near Santa Margarita I guess it was, down to Morro Bay nine years ago, some of the settlements and houses looked like a West Coast version of a Wyeth painting, especially in the fog. In thirty minutes, coming from Bakersfield, I'd driven from 97-degree heat in the valley up over the grass hills of the Panza Range and through a low gap in the Santa Lucia Range of the Southern Coast Range to find myself in blowing fog just on the other side, and a temperature drop of about 40 degrees. I stopped the car, popped the trunk to retrieve a windbreaker (a ridiculous thought 10 minutes earlier), and got a faceful of 130-degree air from the trunk -- one of the strangest sensations I've ever experienced. Some interesting experiences in California! And a very picturesque area, too -- very little people could do to screw it up.