Honestly, it's not surprising. Downtown LA (DTLA) has been named one of the 'least vibrant downtowns' among 75 cities worldwide.

This is according to the 2026 City Pulse report, and anyone who has been to DTLA, right next to the Java Market, would probably say, "Finally, it's officially documented."

Even the score for 'beauty of the city' is more dismal. It simply means that it's outright ugly and lacks vitality.

Comparing it to cities like Madrid, Chicago, and Toronto, which have similar population sizes, is embarrassing.

In Madrid, 77% of people feel it's vibrant, and in Chicago, a whopping 84% feel the same, while Downtown LA only scores 65%. Nearby San Francisco is at 67%, both struggling together, haha.

In terms of beauty ranking, it comes in seventh from the bottom in the U.S.

It barely surpassed Denver and St. Louis, which I genuinely felt had nothing to offer, but the problem is this is the report card for a global metropolis like LA.

The reasons for this situation are even more ridiculous.

The crime rate in DTLA is a staggering 743% higher than in other areas of LA. This is not a typo. 743%. This isn't just a holy cow moment; it's just plain awful.

On top of that, the infamous Skid Row is holding strong, so the intertwining issues of homelessness and crime have already stripped the city of its self-sustaining power.

Given this situation, how can big corporations or small businesses survive? With crime, homelessness, and the disappearance of customers, everyone has packed up and left.

Gensler's LA office director said to the media, "The problem is that businesses have left; we need to bring offices back," but honestly, who would be crazy enough to open an office here again?

They say we need to make people spend money in the surrounding businesses after work, but who would want to have dinner or shop in a place that turns into a horror movie set after dark?

According to a 2025 survey, there were over 100 vacant stores right in the middle of the historic district.

Even one of LA's oldest restaurants, 'Cole's French Dip,' couldn't withstand the high rent, crime, and dwindling customers, and had to close its doors.

The city authorities, trying to think outside the box, have pulled out the card of relaxing regulations to convert empty office buildings into residential apartments.

The theoretical idea is that people need to live there to increase foot traffic, which would fill the ground-floor shops and reduce crime rates.

That's not entirely wrong. But will middle-class people say, "Wow, a downtown apartment!" and move in just because the building's purpose has changed while leaving rampant crime and tents occupying the streets as they are?

Plans to revitalize without addressing fundamental safety and environmental improvements are just like putting a breathing machine on someone without real treatment.

Currently, DTLA is barely surviving, relying on the glory of its past, literally in a state of life support.

Having lived in LA for 25 years, I see the decline of the Java Market and DTLA... now even Wilshire Boulevard is facing the same fate, and it just makes me sigh.