Just west of Downtown Los Angeles, from any high-rise building in Westlake/MacArthur Park, tenants may enjoy one of the most wondrous views of the DTLA skyline, yet down below, the area surrounding the region isn’t so sightly.
Originally built in the 1880s, back in its heyday, Westlake was an area where families could gather, children could play, and residents could find respite from the city’s hustle. Flash forward to a post-pandemic world, and the area, especially the centerpiece of Westlake, MacArthur Park, has become plagued by a confluence of social issues.
Someone left the cake out in the rain…
Last year, Norm Langer, owner of the iconic Langer’s Deli located directly across from the park on 7th and Alvarado, threatened to close during a meeting with Mayor Karen Bass, where he pointed out trash and the presence of homelessness, drug use, gang activity, and open-air illegal market vendors, who had moved closer to his business and the ever-growing menace of violent crime that was chasing his business away.
“I need the park cleaned up. I need 7th Street cleaned up,” Langer told Bass.
Not too long after that, reports of a multi-victim shooting in January 2025 sent a bloody message, prompting the LAPD to send additional resources into MacArthur Park at the direction of Mayor Bass.
The icing on the cake…
For decades, the sidewalks of Alvarado were congested by street vendors on both sides, evolving into an almost impenetrable, immigrant-driven community hub of low prices and resale items from jewelry, beauty products, clothing, tamales—you name it.
And business was good.
MacArthur Park became an anything-goes-for-a-price destination, seemingly unregulated with the exception of the Westlake/MacArthur Park Metro platform, which registered and supplied tents for the vendors it welcomed.
Today the sidewalks across from the park leading to Langers on Alvarado Street are empty, with the exception of rows of chain-link fencing erected by the city, leaving little room to walk, let alone set up vendor carts, lay out blankets of merch, or man tables.
It’s a startling change: a complete absence of street vendors along Alvarado from 6th Street to James L. Wood.
Crime is down but not out…
On Monday, March 10th, Mayor Karen Bass announced that violent crime in the MacArthur Park area has decreased significantly following city action in January.
LAPD also announced the successful recovery of more than $350,000 worth of stolen merchandise.
The mayor credited “direct city intervention,” including increased visible footbeats and arrests for suspected gang-related activity. Also deployed, Deploying Gang Reduction Youth Development (GRYD) teams, GRYD implements de-escalation strategies and works to prevent retaliatory shootings.
In the three months before these interventions, there were nearly 100 instances of recorded violent crimes. Over the last five weeks following the intervention, according to reports, violent crime decreased by 57%, including a decrease in robberies and a decrease in aggravated assaults. Also, according to the mayor’s office, data reporting shows a decrease in property crime and theft while LAPD continues recovering items stolen from retailers across the city, like CVS Pharmacy, Walgreens, Ross, and Target.
“We know there is still much work to be done in the MacArthur Park community, but over the past month, progress has been made in returning the park to the community. Crime in the area is down—theft and organized retail crime will not be tolerated in the City of Los Angeles,” said Mayor Bass. “I want to thank the LAPD for their dedication to stopping crime in MacArthur Park and across the city.”
“There is progress in the neighborhood here in MacArthur Park, and I know the work will continue even as assistance is being provided to Angelenos impacted by the Palisades fires,” said Norm Langer, owner of Langer’s Deli. “I want to thank the city for the work being done to help our community.”
Yet, open-air drug use continues to be a serious concern and is key to returning the area to the community. The mayor and Westlake Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez have vowed to seek recommendations, solutions, and feedback directly from residents, vendors, business owners, and community organizations to keep up ongoing strategies.
