{"id":119212,"date":"2026-04-30T01:57:03","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T04:57:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ubirataonline.com.br\/misery-and-malaise-cloud-l-a-why-it-feels-so-hopeless-this-time\/"},"modified":"2026-04-30T01:57:05","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T04:57:05","slug":"misery-and-malaise-cloud-l-a-why-it-feels-so-hopeless-this-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ubirataonline.com.br\/en\/misery-and-malaise-cloud-l-a-why-it-feels-so-hopeless-this-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Misery and malaise cloud L.A. Why it feels so hopeless this time"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Even L.A.\u2019s biggest boosters were struggling to spin in the early 1990s.<\/p>\n

The aerospace industry, <\/u><\/a>an engine of the suburban boom, had collapsed with the end of the Cold War, bringing a deep recession<\/u><\/a> and real estate crash.<\/u><\/a> Crime, particularly murders, was hitting new records.<\/a> The city\u2019s fragile race relations had crumbled with Rodney King<\/u><\/a>, Latasha Harlins<\/u><\/a> and the 1992 riots. Then, on top of all that, a massive earthquake <\/u><\/a>hit early on the morning of Jan. 17, 1994.<\/p>\n

But for all that shock and pain, the L.A. dream endured.<\/p>\n

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A Los Angeles Times poll a few months after the quake found L.A. County residents feeling good: <\/u><\/a>78% said they were satisfied with their lives and 70% said they liked the communities where they lived. Most felt safe there and were hopeful for the future.<\/p>\n

Even the author seemed surprised by the good vibes: \u201cOur optimism has always confounded the experts,\u201d wrote Frank Clifford. \u201cDespite all that has befallen Los Angeles in the last few years, most people have not slipped into a slough of despond.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Trash and graffiti cover a section of North Meyers Street in downtown Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

(Luis Sinco\/Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n

Darkness enveloping L.A.<\/h3>\n

These days, \u201cdespondency,\u201d \u201cmalaise\u201d and \u201cmiserable\u201d are words often used to summarize the mood of L.A. This valley feels not that different from the early 1990s, marked by destructive fires, the Hollywood slowdown, postpandemic urban woes, the homeless crisis and a City Hall hit by a series of scandals.<\/p>\n

Survey after survey underscore the bleakness. UCLA\u2019s Luskin School of Public Affairs was the latest, with its annual Quality of Life in L.A. County index dropping to the lowest level ever recorded. <\/u><\/a> <\/p>\n

But one thing makes 2026 different from the early 1990s: affordability. The UCLA report found sky-high housing costs and the general state of prices at the top of the grievance list.<\/p>\n

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John Travolta (R) and Sam Jackson (R) in a scene from the movie Pulp Fiction. Miramax Films. Photo by Linda R. Chen<\/p>\n

(Miramax Films)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n

Priced in, priced out<\/h3>\n

The early 1990s, by contrast, were a time of falling and then stagnant <\/u><\/a>home prices. So many people credit their fabulous real estate to once-in-a-lifetime deals<\/u><\/a> they got during this period (an acquaintance who was far from rich purchased a vast Los Feliz hacienda during the downturn). L.A. home seekers can only dream of such good fortune today.<\/p>\n

This was the era when the late Jonathan Gold was roaming L.A.\u2019s neighborhoods finding exceptional meals that would not break the bank. My colleague Laurie Ochoa, an esteemed food writer and Gold\u2019s wife, said he believed back then that L.A.\u2019s unique melting pot made it the rare city where you could not just eat cheap but incredibly well.<\/p>\n

\u201cPulp Fiction\u201d came out a few months after that 1994 poll, and one memorable scene speaks to the price sensitivities of this era. John Travolta rants to Uma Thurman about that $5 milkshake she orders at the fancy Hollywood-themed restaurant (\u201cThat\u2019s just milk and ice cream? \u2026 You don\u2019t put bourbon in it or nothing?\u201d he asks incredulously<\/u><\/a>). What would he think of Erewon\u2019s $21 Malibu Mango <\/u><\/a>smoothie?<\/p>\n

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People hike the trails at Runyon Canyon.<\/p>\n

(Juliana Yamada\/Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n

An affordability agenda<\/h3>\n

Next week, the candidates for L.A. mayor will gather for a big debate. There are so many issues facing L.A. \u2014 fire recovery, homelessness, the struggles of downtown L.A., the flight of entertainment jobs. Faith in City Hall, always shaky, seems in free fall. <\/p>\n

But the big question L.A. wants to know is how the candidates can make L.A. more affordable, with cheaper housing, more economic opportunity \u2014 a place where young people without trust funds<\/a> can imagine a future.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not too late. The UCLA survey offered some good news:<\/u><\/a> A \u201cstrong majority\u201d of L.A. County residents still believe they have opportunities to live a \u201cgood life\u201d filled with culture, delicious food, diverse people and access to outdoor splendor.<\/p>\n

They just need their leaders to help.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s top stories<\/h2>\n
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\"Rifles <\/picture> <\/a> <\/p>\n
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Rifles line a display rack at Turner\u2019s Outdoorsman in Torrance.<\/p>\n

(Carlin Stiehl\/For The Times)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n

D.C. shooting suspect charged with trying to assassinate Trump<\/h3>\n

More rain could be in store for L.A. this week<\/h3>\n