I came across this on LA City Nerd the other day and was unexpectedly drawn in. I guess not so unexpectedly given that I'm a sucker for anything having to do with southern California. The two things that struck me simultaneously were how little has changed and how much has changed. That seems to be the pattern that occurs with every journey back in time. Facts seem to have changed, but the overall character has remained the same, with one notable exception:

The question left in my head has to do with the inherent optimism of Los Angeles. It's still largely a city of dreams, but when did it become jaded? I'd imagine that the LA portrayed in national folklore was no more accurate then than it is now, but there did have to come a turning point where Hollywood went from being glamorous to just being dirty. Of course, the article does reference the Black Dahlia, but leaves out the Zoot Suit Riots entirely. It focuses on the romanticized film noir version of Los Angeles the same way that more recent writings have focused on the dystopian. It feels like Tomorrow Land where other accounts feel like Blade Runner. Is the shift one of perception, reality, or fad? Or is it just in my head?