To the editor: Your letters about our city’s preparation for the 2028 Olympics brought to mind two interactions I had with visitors.
On a flight back from the UK, a single woman sitting next to me was excited to visit Los Angeles. My husband and I were returning from a trip to fairy-tale villages, green landscapes and cities with beautiful cathedrals. I asked the visitor what she liked about Los Angeles and, without hesitation, she replied: “It still feels like the Wild West.”
The other interaction was with a Swiss couple traveling with their young daughter. They were touring Los Angeles and the surrounding area by bus. We adopted them for a day and took them to the Getty Museum. The woman asked if Mulholland Drive would be out of the way. She was a reader of Michael Connelly's books and wanted to see where the famous detective Bosch lived.
Los Angeles continues to capture the imagination in ways those of us who live here can't comprehend. Visitors overlook its flaws and let its magic and glamorous history fill them with a sense of awe and wonder. And maybe when it becomes too much to handle, so should we.
Donna Sloan, Los Angeles
..
To the editor: How dare Paul Thornton claim that “Los Angeles isn’t very pretty”? I disagree.
I lived in Los Angeles on and off for over 30 years. Even though I no longer live there, I still love it. When I fly into LAX, I get excited to see the San Gabriel Mountains, with Mount Baldy and Mount Wilson against a sunny blue sky.
I love seeing the bright buildings of downtown Los Angeles and the long procession of hotels, shops and museums along Wilshire Boulevard, all the way to Santa Monica.
I love seeing the Hollywood sign against the green hills and the Hollywood Bowl nestled in the palm-covered hills of Cahuenga Pass.
Even though I have lived on the Central Coast of California for the past 40 years, I still consider myself an Angeleno. Paris is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Los Angeles may not be equal in terms of culture, but it is a worthwhile and, yes, “beautiful” destination.
Jill Anderson, Pismo Beach
