Kingdom of Treasure

A Colorful Utopia

Sunny Los Angeles California. Home to the stars. A shopper’s paradise. A place with a perceived reputation of pure glamour. Where dreams come true. Superficial descriptions usually fill the air when people discuss the city of Los Angeles, but on a deeper level this overwhelmingly large city is made up of small communities whom connect with the space, and each other, in profound ways. Somewhere in the middle of chaos a city with a particularly special sense of community is located, the city of West Hollywood. Here is where the gay community in Los Angeles has carved out their own niche, a space in which they can freely express themselves. In this neighborhood people are friendly, outgoing, and often flamboyant in their mannerisms leaving in the air a sense of acceptance.

An Examination of Street Performers on Hollywood Boulevard

Nobody Walks in LA:

An Examination of Street Performers on Hollywood boulevard

Introduction

A few years ago my boyfriend attended the Music Institute in Hollywood. He and a couple of his friends decided after class that they would sit on Hollywood boulevard and play the drums on some buckets. Shortly after they began to play, the street performers and a few in costumes came up to my boyfriend and his friends and basically told them if they did not leave in five minutes they would come back and kick their butts. I found this story to be very interesting. After hearing this story I decided to focus my research on the social hierarchy within the group of street performers located on Hollywood boulevard. I also examined the influence the street performers have on the tourism of the area.

  I have not found much academic work on this group of people. What I have found is that the city does not require them to have a permit and they are not employed by a service. I approached my research using a number of techniques including, interviewing, participant observation, and movement mapping.  While completing my research I was assisted by my main informant who chooses to remain under the pseudonym Superman. With the help of superman I was able to receive the trust of many of the performers, this trust allowed me to gain more information from informal and informal interviews. On all of my visits I chose to do at least thirty minutes of observation. This is how I chose to start my research because the variability of the performers provided with a different type of fan base.

I have found that there are many types of street performances, From my research I have found that on Hollywood boulevard there are three types of street performers. The first is and most common are the performers in costumes. These individuals take on the role as the character that they are playing. They consider themselves actors. Fully adorned in the costume of the character, these individuals do not break character. For example, when walking down Hollywood boulevard you will see Spiderman perched in a squatting position on top of a coin operated newspaper vending machine. He makes hand motions as if he were shooting webs then he bounces around the street.

The next form of performers is the musicians. Within the musicians there are two sub categories. The character musicians, these are musicians who dress as a certain character and only play that characters music. For example, one of the musicians dresses up as Jimi Hendrix. He has his electric guitar in hand plugged into his small amp. He dressed like Jimi Hendrix and strictly plays Jimi Hendrix. The other category is the musician who plays their own music. An example of this type of performer is Drum Master. He is a performer who plays himself and plays original music.

Last form of street performer I will examine are the “crowd gatherers”. These individuals are the performers who will gather a crowd around them. These include but are not limited to dancers, magicians and jugglers. This group of performers will use their friendly personalities, music and other forms of entertainment to gather a large crowd. Once the performer feels the crowd is large enough the performer will begin the show. Throughout the show the performer will suggest that the show ill become more exciting with more tips. Then after the performance the performer will request money for the talent.  

Field notes

1^st visit

 For today’s fieldwork I have decided to stand back and examine the parameters of which I will perform my work. The sun is shining; it is around seventy degrees outside. The time is fifteen until four. Hollywood boulevard is a busy street both with foot traffic and traffic by car. I parked my car on the corner of Hollywood and Sycamore. As I make my way towards Hollywood and Highland I witness and altercation between a pedestrian and a driver of a motor vehicle. It seemed that the driver of the car was angry about the slow pace of the pedestrian while crossing the street. This seems testament to the idea of people in Los Angeles having somewhere to go and no time to get there. As I approach Hollywood and Highland I make post near Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. The nearest street performers are; a man dressed in a Batman costume and side kick Robin. Batman’s costume is a more to date costume mirroring the Batman costume worn by Michael Keaton in Batman Begins. On the other hand, Robin is adorned in a costume that looks similar to the robin costume worn in the original series 1966 except, he is wearing a black cape instead of a yellow one. The majority of people that walk by the two just turn their head to watch them and continue on their way. Out of thirty people that I examined walk by seventeen kept looking at them and continued their path. Eight people did not pay any attention at all. And five people interacted with them. Out of the fife individuals there were two children (both male) with an adult (female) who took a picture of the children with Batman and Robin. After the picture was taken the adult handed money to each child and instructed the child to hand the money to Batman and Robin. They the children thanked them and continued on their way. The other two that approached Batman and Robin was an adult (female) with one child (male). The child was in a stroller and pointed at the two, smiled and looked back at the adult and yelled “mama please! I want to say hi!” she directed the stroller over to them and they said hello to the child. The adult female took a picture of them with the child. She told them thank you and handed them money. Not once did the two performers request an amount from those who approach them. However, both times those who approached handed them money.

2^nd visit

On my second visit to the field I preformed a number of interviews with both the performers and the people walking down Hollywood boulevard. First I am going to discuss the information I gathered from the performers. The first person I interviewed was Batman. We met at a small café off of Hollywood boulevard, I chose to use Batman as my main informant because I have been in communication with him for many years due to his apartment being located next to my best friend apartment, Throughout the years he and I were acquaintances thus, this familiarity provided a sense of trust. Batman lives in a studio apartment off of Hollywood and Sycamore. He lives with his girlfriend, who is also a street performer, and his two cats. Until recently, Superman and his girlfriend had a third roommate within the studio apartment. However, now that he has been making more money they are able to live just the two of them.  Batman informed me that he has been a street performer for ten years on Hollywood boulevard. Prior to working as a street performer he worked various acting gigs such as commercials and local theater. When I asked him how he became a part of the street performers he told me that ten years ago he was struggling to make ends meet and for a few months he became homeless. While he was living on the streets he decided to make his way to Hollywood boulevard from Long Beach. He had heard from a few people that there was money to be made in that area. When he came to Hollywood he was a pan handler. He was a pan handler for a year he was not welcomed by the others. However, after time he had proved himself to be hardworking and he proved to the others that he deserved to be in that location. From that point on he changed completely. He took on the role as Superman on the streets. He said immediately he tripled the money he made from pan handling. He felt immediately that people (tourists) liked him better. Being Superman was like being on the stage again. He was fully consumed with the role. He let me know that these roles are taken seriously by the performers. For some, this is their only form of income. He also informed me that territory was very important. The performers who were located in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theater on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays have the most seniority. That location is a prized location and those who do not know hierarchy and location find out quickly. 

The next person I interviewed went by the pseudonym Drum Master. The drum master is a Forty-five year old drummer on Hollywood boulevard. He plays the bucket drums in front of the Hollywood metro station. During this visit I watched him for about thirty minutes before I asked to interview him. I took a seat on a window ledge nest to a man who was videotaping Drum Master. When I asked the man if he knew Drum Master he said “yes” and informed me that he was a part of Drum Masters recording crew. Drum Master was recording a documentary about himself. From my observations of Drum Master I found that he was very personable. He made interactions with the children drawing them in then asking the parents for money. Most of the time people would throw a crumpled up bill in to his bucket.  A camera man walked by him a few times and each time the man walked by Drum Master would incorporate the man’s briefcase into the beat he was playing. When Drum Master took a break from performing I used this opportunity to interview him. This was more of an informal interview. I chose to use an informal interview with Drum Master because this was the first time we met and I wanted him to feel comfortable with me. I also wanted him to be able to lead the conversation. I felt like this would be a good approach because I at the time I felt like if I were leading the interview I would miss out or overlook some important information. As he walked up to his friend who was recording I asked him if I could ask him a few questions for a project. Immediately he was excited to talk to me. He explained how important school is and told me that he went to a music academy for drums. After he graduated from the music school he began his career as a studio drummer and informed me that this was not his only means of making money. He told me that he was on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. And he has been on a number of guest spots on television shows and documentaries. He also informed me that when the clubs start to close in Hollywood he sits in front of the clubs near the hot dog venders and plays the bucket drums. He argues that the drunker the people the better, he says that they tip a lot more when they are intoxicated.  Drum Master informed me that Venice Beach is also a good money spot but that Hollywood is where he makes most of his income. He informed me that within a few hours at his location on Hollywood Boulevard he can make anywhere from seventy-five to two-hundred dollars.  He said that it all depends on the crowd. If there is a movie premier he will make more money. During the vacation seasons like summer and spring break he make more money. He also said that there are a few regulars that he has. He said that every time he sees his regular Mr. slick (that is the nic name he calls the man) gives him one hundred dollars. He made it clear that not all of his regulars were as generous. However, he did say that they give him between ten and twenty dollars. Drum Master continued to tell me about the social hierarchy of the street performers. He informed me that the best spots are acquired by time. Indirectly, he told me that no one would have the gumption to take his spot. He has been at that location for over fifteen years and he does what he can to maintain that spot.  He told me that he has his connections. When I asked him to explain what he meant by this he reported that he has friends that tell him when someone tries to steal the location.  

3^rd visit

Now I would like to discuss what I have found from the perspective of the viewer. For my fifth installment I decided to focus on the perspective of the viewer. When I use the term viewer it includes both the tourist and those who live in the area. I preformed a formal interview with both groups.

First I will discuss the information gathered from the interview with the tourist. I interviewed a twenty one year old male named Attila visiting from France. He was accompanies with his two friends, a twenty four year old male and a eighteen year old female. He is aware that I am using his interview in a research paper and chose to not use a pseudonym. Attila informed me that this was his first visit to Los Angeles. He said that he had desired to come to Los Angeles for a long time. His reasoning for wanting to come to Los Angeles were driven by the hope to meet famous people. When he arrived to Hollywood he said that it was not like any place he had been. He informed me that the reason for visiting Los Angeles was not driven by the street performers. However, when he arrived to Los Angeles people told him about Hollywood boulevard and suggested to him that he would not want to miss out on the performers on the weekend.

The next interview that I performed was with a twenty seven year old name who lives in Hollywood. The woman chose to go under the pseudonym Pechoise. Pechoise informed me that she has been living in Hollywood for six years. She complained about the traffic that tourism plays during the weekends. She informed me that not all of the performers are nice. She told me that she has had a couple of confrontations with the performers while walking down the street.  She told me a specific story where a costume performer yelled that she was beautiful as she was walking by. She smiled and continued to walk to her destination then he continued to yell to her that she was an “ugly sweaty bag” because she did not stop and give the man a dollar.  She suggested that the performers who are homeless are more aggressive when it comes to pan handling. Pechoise informed me that now that she has been living in Hollywood for so long she hardly notices the street performers. She said that she gets frustraited with the congestion of people and to deal with it while she is walking around running errands she said that she almost puts blinders over her eyes. She said that with the constant contact with the performers, homeless, the tour bus people and musicians trying to sell you their CD it is a complete over stimulation of from people.

4^th visit

            I chose to include my vignette to the ethnography because during this semester and throughout my research I have faced my own trials and tribulations. My vignette is a description of my journey to my research location. For this visit I decided to take the metro because my car was out of order. So this vignette describes the experience I had while going to my location.

I decided to take the Metro today. The metro stops at Hollywood and Highland. I exit the Metro. As follow the herd up the first flight of stairs. In front of me is a large woman who appears to be in her late forties walking along side a boy who appears to be in his teens. I hear a woman begin to yell. I try to not appear as if I am eavesdropping so I continue up the stairs with my eyes focused on the steps. I keep listening to the woman. She yells “Oh hell no! I bet all you fuckers looking at me think I fucking this kid here! But I ain’t no pedophile, I ain’t no pervert! Y’all better just keep your judgment to your own self” As I turn my head to the left I make eye contact with a woman. As our eyes meet our silent faces signal to each other how uncomfortable we feel. I continue up the second set of stairs. I can’t wait to get to the street so I can smoke a cigarette. My destination is becoming closer and closer with every step. I look to the right and cannot help but notice the posters all over the walls written in both English and Spanish. The posters are a picture of a man lying in the hospital clearly in agonizing pain. Below the picture states “Dying from smoking is rarely quick and never painless” I feel my body heating up in panic. I know I should not smoke anymore. “It’s ok ill stop tomorrow”. I finally make it to the top of the steps. Walking down Hollywood boulevard on a Sunday is like walking through a herd of cats. Everyone is walking in a different direction. No one is looking where they are going. From my walk to the theater I like to listen to people and see if I can tell what language they are speaking. As I walk by the star tour bus people I feel pity for the tourists, but quickly relinquish that thought because I remember being a tourist in another country and paying for tours that to the local may seem pointless. Aalst, I have made it to the theater. There are two performers here that I have not seen before. They are both transformers, one is wearing a bumblebee costume and the other is wearing blackout. Both of the costumes look clean and new. The children surround them. There are more people walking around today than I have seen sense my last visits to the field. I believe this has to do with the warm weather and because it is getting closer to summer.

            After being a part of the public transportation for the first time in my life I gained a whole new perspective of Los Angeles. I have always had a secret (distant) love for public transportation. But it was not until my car broke down and I still had a desire to go to the field did I decide to take advantage of the system.  After using the Metro system I felt more in tune with the flow of Los Angeles. I had to know exactly where I was going, what time I had to be at the stop by and when to transfer to another line. This intimidated me and excited me all at the same time.  

Conclusion

After the examination of my research I have found that there is a strict social hierarchy, the performers are territorial, and tourism plays an important part in the monetary aspect of the street performers.  

From the information I have gathered, I have found that a social hierarchy exists among the street performers. The placement within the social hierarchy relies upon the seniority of the performer. Those who have been on the boulevard for the longest get the rights to the locations and costumes which are the most desirable. This sense of hierarchy provides a sense of entitlement to the location. This is seen in the extreme territorialism. I found it interesting the amount of territorialism the performers had about the location which they were stationed. While describing the locations the performers talked about the locations with a sense of ownership even though those locations were clearly public locations. This sense of territorialism stems from the many years the individuals have spent gaining seniority, and earning the location.

I also became aware of the symbiotic relationship that the performers have with the tourism. The tourists come from all around the world to visit Hollywood boulevard. The performers provide entertainment and give life to the street. The tourists give life to the performers as well. Majority of the individuals who stopped to take pictures with the performers were tourists and the few who were not tourists informed me that they were just taking a picture as a joke. These two groups give life to each other.    

Overall, throughout the information presented in class and what I have found during my research I have found that urban spaces are complex places where multidimensional relationships are formed. The perspective and interactions made in the city are dependent on many factors. I have found that being a street performer is not only a job but a committed lifestyle. This group devotes much of their time to their role as street performer. That being said, the performers have not legal or cooperate obligation to follow order and rules. However, even without this formal structure they have structure within their own group. When one desires to become a performer they learn the order through social interaction with the fellow performers. I do not feel like my research is complete and I have a strong desire to continue researching the life of a street performers. By removing myself from my comfort zones during this process I have learned very much about myself. The performers, especially Superman, were a very helpful aid in my research.

The Benefits of Farmers' Market in the Urban Space

As a young teenager living in Los Angeles I would look forward to my Sunday morning outings with my older sister. The reason for such excitement had to do with going to the farmers' market. We would go to the Hollywood Farmers' Market and get all our goodies for the weeks. There was live music playing, and the crowds were busting with people from each direction. It was a great learning experience because it allowed me to explore new things and to interact with people in the city. My youth experience is what motivated me to look into different farmers markets and to seek the impact that it has on the people and the community. I have two main objectives that I was aiming for, one was to understand why certain crowds of people are more inclined to go to one location over another. The second was to interpret the relationship between the vendors and the customers. My field site locations were Panorama City ( at Kaiser Permanente) Farmers’ Market on Wednesdays and Burbank’s Farmers’ Market on Saturdays. In the beginning of my fieldwork I was unclear on how I would grasp the dynamics of the relationship established within the farmers market. I found that the different anthropological methods that Setha Low used in her ethnography on public space helpful. I used certain aspects of the book as a guide line to obtain information, this was extremely beneficial to me because it helped keep me organize and it also I kept me focus on what I was observing. 

          I would like to give a brief description of the techniques I used and then go into length on how these techniques tied into my experience as an ethnographer. On my first visit to the farmers' market (in Panorama City) I wanted to track the movement of the people. I found a blue metal bench to sit at and was able to observe the overall movement of the entire famers’ market quite well. I also used this technique at the Burbank's Farmers' Market. The second method I employed was behavioral inventories. I wanted to determine which demographic of gender was more likely to attend the farmers’ market. I created a rough sketch of data with four categories: 1) Female, 2) Male, 3) People in pairs, and 4) three or more people. I entered the last two categories to see if people in pairs were more likely to be female-female, female-male, or male-male. The three or more people category was to see how often bigger groups visited the market. I had different results for each farmers market. My third method of gathering information was by interviewing a few people at the farmers' markets. I was able to get two key informants, one was a consumer by the name of Heather and the other was a vendor by the name of Jason. These interviews were informative because it gave me perspective from the buyer and the seller point of view. In both interviews I found that establishing a rapport was an important factor to the farmers' market environment. Lastly and most importantly I spent my time doing participant observation, by observing the crowd and being apart of the crowd. This last method really helped me capture the true vibe of the market.

Now before I go into my analysis of the time spent at the both Farmers' Market, I would like to share with you the historical content I came across. During my fieldwork I became interested in the history of farmers' markets in Los Angeles. According to a 2006 article that I read in the Los Angeles Times, the farmers' market was intended to bring fresh produce to consumers who wanted an alternative to commercial grocery stores and to help small farmers stay a float in the competitive world of commercial agriculture. The idea came about in the 1970s, when four farmers decided to sell their fruits and vegetables in a church parking lot. They were well received by shoppers. At the time it was against the law to sell produce outside of commercial markets. In 1977 the law was overturned owing to the fact that farmers had vast quantities of produce going to waste. The farmers in return protested by dumping their excess waste on the state capitol lawn. This method was very effective.  The governor at the time was Jerry Brown, and he decided to exempt farmers from the restriction only if they sold their fruits and vegetable at a farmers' market. Thus, the movement of farmers market was birthed. Since then, farmers’ markets have branched out all over Los Angeles offering local communities fresh food, lower prices and cutting out the middleman. Farmers' markets have become a social setting allowing strangers to interact in the city. This is a space where people feel comfortable and safe.

          My first visit to the Panorama City Farmers' Market was on Wednesday February 22, 2012. The air was warmed by the sun, people were walking around enjoying the weather. I sat on a bench under the shade of a tree and began to survey the spatial area of the market. I wanted to get a sense of the movement of the people, observe the flow of people coming and going. I did a rough sketch of the layout and took fifteen minutes to watch the flow. At the end of the time I uncovered that the majority of the people arriving around the area would make a beeline to the hospital entrance acknowledging the market but not stopping to shop. I found that most of the shoppers at the farmers market were exiting the hospital and decided to check it out on their way to the parking structure. This simple observation made me think that people coming into this space were just on their way to the hospital and not really with the intent of shopping. After doing my movement map, I went ahead and did some behavioral inventories. I did two sets of inventories, one was to determine which gender shops the farmers' market more often and the other inventories was to observe if people were making an effort in bringing their own bags. During my observations I noticed that the majority of the shoppers were females and that females were also more likely to shop in pairs. The three or more people category was a mixture of female-female-male and all females. For my second inventories I was surprised to see that out of the nineteen people I observed only one person had brought their own bag. I thought this an interesting find, so I made a note to myself to conduct the same behavioral inventory at the same location on a different Wednesday. After collecting data, I decided to walk around the market to get a feel for the environment, and to exchange words with the others. Most of the vendors were very attentive and wanted to know if I needed any help looking for something. It wasn’t until I went to the dried fruits and nuts booth that I discovered that in all that time watching others, someone had been watching me. He was selling all types of delicious dried fruits and nuts and had been watching me taking notes from a far. When I reached his booth, he called me “writer”, at first I thought he said if I had ride over here. He had an accent I’m thinking French, when I replied I said “no I did not ride here”, then it clicked that he saw me writing. He then inquired what I was I doing. This moment lead into a light conversation about this farmers' market. He told me that business is good when more people have to see the doctor, and that means people are more likely to be sick. At that moment I realized that the Panorama City Farmers' Market is completely obscured from the busy street of Roscoe, making it difficult for public to know of its existence. It seems the majority of the attendees are patients or employees. We talk a bit more and at the conclusion of our conversation I found it sweet that he gave me a full bag of unshelled walnuts. After leaving his booth I started thinking about other factors that make this farmers’ market smaller in size and in crowd. I came up with a few conclusions. The first as mentioned is the location of this space, the market is hidden from the view of the streets, and not very accessible from the road. Another factor may be the actual day and time. This market operates on Wednesdays from 9a.m.-1:30p.m. which is on a school day. Also more people tend to work throughout the week making it difficult to attend this market. And lastly the weather plays a role at the farmers’ market, something I observed on my later visits.

  I returned to the same location a few weeks later. This was what I discovered on March 21, 2012. The weather was chiller than before, the clouds were gloomy and the crowds were slimmer than my last visit. I sat down at the same bench that I did my first inventories. Before I started taking some data, I noticed a small placard that read open rain or shine.  It made it think just how important the market must be if the vendors are willing to sell on a cold or rainy day, knowing that a lot less people are likely to show. It is a true commitment to the community. After my little contemplation I conducted my data. Once again females were more likely to frequent the market and when a pair was spotted the chances were more probable that they were two females strolling around together. The three and more people category consisted of two parents and a child this time around. When it came down to observing the bags I only saw one person out of eleven with their bag. This leads me to believe that the people coming to this market are by happenstance because they are on their way to the hospital.

After conducting my second inventories at this location. I started observing the few shoppers that were there. That was when I noticed Heather Jones (alias she asked to keep her name confidential). Heather was approximately in her fifties, she was about 5 feet 5 inches tall, and she wore brown leggings that made her look lengthier. She had on a white long sleeve shirt with a light pink scarf wrapped around her neck. I noticed her talking to a vendor about some fruit and I approached her and asked if I could interview her. And she accepted. In my interview with Heather I was able to sense the significance the market had on her life. When she spoke about the market her eyes had a certain sparkle to them, you can tell that she was happy that the farmers’ market were around. She expressed to me that the farmers market provides fresh quality food and it cuts out the middle man from the equation. She likes buying from the source. This is a social playground where she can interact with people and vendors and discuss anything, in this case it's usually the quality of the food. I would like share an excerpt from my interview with her seen below: 

(GS=Gretel Sevilla, HJ=Heather Jones)

GS:  What is it about the farmers' market that you like?

HJ: The food is fresh, fresh produce.When I get home and I put those produce away in the fridge they last two to three weeks. The produce I get at the grocery store last a few days.Hello!… I am so disappointed with the produce at the grocery store, it's better to spend a little bit more at the Farmers' Market and have some real quality.

GS: So do you think the prices are more than the grocery store?

HJ: Somethings are and some other things tend to be cheaper. You just never know.

GS: What's your spending budget like at the Farmers' Market?

HJ: If they take cash it's usually like $25. But if they accept checks well it's a bit more.

GS: How do you select your produce?

HJ: I touch it or smell it. For example, Grapefruits, I pick them up and look for the weight to see if they are juicy. I touch tomatoes to see if they're ripe, I smell pears to see if they're sweet and I lightly grip avocados to see if it has that certain ripeness. 

GS: Do you like to talk to other shoppers? 

HJ: I love to talk to people. I strike up a conversation about the produce, if something smells good. My dad was that way too, he was very friendly and chatty, always striking a conversation with strangers. I guess I have that quality too.

GS: Do you ever see produce that's unfamiliar to you?

HJ: Yeah, one day I asked the vendor "what's that?", he told that it was mexican squash. And he went ahead to tell me the different ways in preparing it.

GS: Do you find the farmer's market educational?

HJ: Definitely. I'm always learning about all sorts of things.

I used this excerpt to illustrate Heather's experience as one in the social setting of the market. This expresses her reason for attending the market which is to buy fresh produce and it also points out the importance of interacting with others in the community. After the interview, she had to take offer for work. She gave me an apple from her bag. I thanked her and we both departed the market around the same time.

My second field site was at the Burbank's Farmers' Market on the corner of Third Street and Orange Grove, the location is very visible from the streets. People can enter this market from various points, granting more accessibility to the public. I took advantage of the parking structure adjacent to the market to collect data. I walked up to the second floor and had a bird eye’s view of the market. I attempted to do a fifteen minute movement map of the space. I was having trouble mapping the entire market because this space was much larger than the Panorama market and there were far more vendors. Since keeping track of the people's movements was very challenging, I decided to do a movement map of a small portion of the market. This made it much easier to manage. My map revealed that although there were multiple entry points, most people entering the market were coming from the parking lot that I was observing from. It may be due to the free parking offered to the public, making it more inviting to the masses. Before heading down to the market I wanted to conduct some behavioral inventories.  My findings were radically different from my previous locale. During this visit, I noticed that the majority of people were in pairs, usually female and male. I also discovered more children and teens with their parents lumping them into the three people or more category. When I did the bag inventories I was pleasantly surprised to note that out of the thirty people I observed, twenty of them had brought their own bags. A significant difference compared to the Panorama City Farmers Market. It seemed to me that the people entering the general vicinity where heading to the market. My reason to this is that I noticed a lot more people with their own bags, an indicator that they were planning to shop. After collecting some good data, I went to the farmers’ market to see what they had to offer. I entered through the popular entry way and from a short distanced I noticed an older women with a young child around two years old. One of the vendors were giving out samples of strawberries, the little girl looked at the crimson fruit and extended her little hand to get a piece of it. She put the strawberry in her mouth and her eyes widely opened like she had never tasted anything as yummy as that. I smiled at her reaction, the woman and the child thank the lady who offered the fruit and continued their journey into the market. I think this an excellent example of a child's experience with food in a social setting. By offering samples people get to explore new options and learn about new foods. I also noticed that when customers were unfamiliar with an item they would ask the vendors, and they would gladly tell them what it was and many times give recipes. On the same occasion I saw a young women in her twenties inquiring about a brown dried up fruit that sort of looked like a date. The man selling the fruit told her it was called jujube and that it can be used to make tea. He went on to describe the details of brewing the tea and told her that jujubes are beneficial for the digestive aid and the liver. Pleased with his help the women purchased a bag of jujube. These two situations reminded me of the article The Public Realm by Richard Sennett, in which he explains the role of the city. Sennett states that in the"public, people can access unfamiliar knowledge, expanding the horizons of their information" (261). I like this idea of the city being a grounds for knowledge. I definitely feel that Farmers' market are informative and friendly social grounds that express this beneficial tool of providing new knowledge to the customers in the community. By going out of the private sector of your home and exploring the urban space of the Farmers' Market you have an opportunity to encounter much diversity and learn from others. 

 A few weeks later I returned to the Burbank Farmers' Market in hopes to interview someone. I went to up to the second floor of the parking structure to briefly watch the people moving about. The temperature was relatively low, and I moved about to keep warm. The crowd was smaller than my last visit. I also noticed that the majority of the customers were much older, I think this had to do with the time, it was about 9:45 a.m. While observing the market I noticed a man with his coworker trying to pass time. They were working at one of the booths by the main entrance. They were selling produce and eggs. I went down the stairs and asked if I could interview him. And gladly accepted my offer. He become my second key informant, his name was Jason. The interview was about 35 minutes long. Jason was a little shorter than me perhaps 5 feet 4 inches. He was bald and had on a black hoodie sweater and dark denim jeans. He was very friendly and smiley and had this calm vibe to him.We began our discussion by him expressing that all the produce and eggs comes from his family's farm located in Bakersfield, California. He has been selling at various farmers' market location since the age of seventeen but he started coming way before that. His first experience at the market was when he was a little kid. He would help his parents out on the weekend.When he was younger school wasn't his only focus. Upon arriving home from school he had to help out in the farm. On the weekends he would help his parent with the selling. He mention to me that at the time he didn't like all the hard work but now he is appreciative, his experience made him independent at much younger age. He expressed that by seventeen, he had his own money and job allowing him to get what he wanted. From there, we proceed to discuss the goodies that he was selling. I inquired if his produce were organic. He replied by telling me that they grow everything organically and that the farm was certified organic up until a few years ago the certification cost got too expensive.  He goes on to share that they use chicken fertilizer for the produce. So I asked what they feed the chicken, he tells me the left over vegetables, bird seed and pellets. He tells me that the frequently asked questions from consumers are: if it's organically grown, if they used pesticide, when was the fruit picked and gathered, they would ask about the different seasons for fruits and vegetables. At this point I see that he is selling eggs, sweet potatoes, onions, and garlic . He tells me that they sell eggs and potato year round to help keep business flowing. Their best selling crops are the red flame and purple grapes only in season around July. He said that they sell out pretty quickly. (I make a note to myself to come back in July for the grapes.) I ask him about what his schedule is like on a saturday morning. Jason states that he gets up at 4.a.m. and hits the road with his coworker by 4:30a.m. to arrive at the market around 6:30a.m. to set up. They stay at the market until 12:30p.m. and start dismantling the tents and loading the leftover produce into the truck. They arrive back to the farm around 3:30p.m., and load up the truck for the next day. It's usually about a 13 hour long shift. (I never realized the long hours vendors endure, I respect them that much more). As far as the pricing goes, he tells me that a few factors go into considering the price such as the cost of gas, competitor prices etc. They try to keep the same prices for as long as they can. He goes on to say that the customer at this market are usually are older and that he doesn't see as much youth like at other locations. We try to figure out why. We noticed that this market does not have any music, warm food to sell or artisans crafts perhaps this the reason why there is such little youth present. I go on to ask what he thinks the vibe is at this farmers market is. Jason tells me that he thinks its nice. That he gets a lot of the same customers each week, and the neighboring vendors have a friendly relationship amongst each other. He likes the rapport of the market and providing people with good quality food. From this interview I was able to get the perspective from the seller, and I gain an even greater respect for the farmers who sell at the market. A lot of work goes into providing fresh quality produce for the consumers, the work day is long but I sense the outcome is rewarding. At the end of the interview, I take a photo of him. He smiles proudly behind his stand. I pick out some sweet potato and garlic to purchase. He ends up giving me a discount on all things that I selected. I think this was a very sweet act, we definitely established a new pleasant relationship. I found that his actions strengthens the perception of the farmers market as being an urban space that stands to help and benefit the members of the community.He helped me gain knowledge and perspective from a farmers' point of view. I would like to point out an important factor that I encounter in all my visits, which was the vibe. I feel that this urban space provided me with a sense of security. The vibe that I felt can be interpreted as people looking out for each other. I believe that Jane Jacobs article on sidewalk safety is so spot on. She mentions to effects that creating safety in the public realm heightens the possibility for more people to gather in an urban space because they are not fearful of crime or danger. I definitely felt that this was the case in all my visit, even though people were strangers to me their friendliness gave me a sense of belonging to the community and made me feel safe to be there. 

I would like to culminate this ethnography by saying that farmers' market are good for the youth and the adults of the community for these following reasons. They help eliminate the middleman between the farmers and consumers, offering fresh quality produce usually at a cheaper cost because farmers can set their own prices. Members can find more specialty items such as jujubes and persimmons, this also gives people an opportunity to try new things and to expand their knowledge. The farmers' market helps build the community because it provides a space for community members to interact. You become more aware and conscious about your food and where it comes from. The relationship of the farmers and the customer are mutually beneficial, to which helps reaffirm the significance of this urban space and the importance of the human interaction.

 

References

Jacobs, Jane,  1961 “The Uses of Sidewalks:  Safety” in The Death and Life of Great American Cities  New York:  Jonathan Cape, 39-51

Parsons, Russ "The idea that shook the world"

http://articles.latimes.com/2006/may/24/food/fo-farmer24

Sennett, Richard, The Public Realm

 

 

 

 

Privatization and Commercialization of Santa Monica: Effects on Local Youth

    Santa Monica’s focal point has always been situated near 3rd Street Promenade.

In the late 1880’s, all businesses and financial districts were established right along on

the coast. The first hotels, such as The Arcadia, City Hall and numerous piers were all

within walking distance of one another. Today, the city of Santa Monica is one of the

oldest, most popular, and therefore most prosperous beach-side cities on the west coast.

Over the last few decades, elaborate efforts have been exerted in order to revamp this

historic locale. Modernization in this metropolis has resulted in new and refurbished

entertainment centers for locals and tourists alike. The population of Santa Monica’s

residents is quite extensive across the ethnic and economic board. Since

commercialization and privatization of public spaces tends to “limit participation to those

who can afford it and who conform to middle-class rules of conduct and appearance,”

(Low, 35) my intent for this ethnography was to research how new developments within

the city have affected the local youth population.
   
    In order to collect research and make relevant annotations, I chose to begin my

participant observation on Main Street and the Santa Monica Mall. Main Street is a busy 

boulevard that runs north and south near the beach. The abundance of restaurants, bars,

and boutiques make Main Street’s environment perpetually lively. As someone

whose frequented the city of Santa Monica for several years now, I’d long ago taken

notice that the night-life hotspots had been shifting further north, much closer to  3rd

street. Of course, this is very typical of lounges in most cities that have room for

expansion. My question, however, was why were the new bars/restaurants and old

clientele moving further and further away from the south side of Main street?
   
    The Santa Monica Mall has always been a staple for the city and yet it was never

nearly as popular as the 3rd Street Promenade. Recently, the city decided to tear down

the mall and renovate it completely. Now know as Santa Monica Place, it is a luxurious,

multi-leveled, outdoor fashion center. Whereas before the mall hosted mostly

independent clothing shops and small scale brands, today it boasts both a Bloomingdales

and Nordstrom, Louis Vuitton, Michael Kors, Burberry, Tiffany and Co., and every other

prominent high-fashion designer that was absent at the Promenade across the street. The

dining deck, which overlooks the pier, the beach, and the Santa Monica Mountains, also

contains Americanized cuisine from around the globe. There’s a wide array of fast food

including Southwestern, Mexican, Italian, Asian, and Mediterranean. Restaurants offer

the same variety but at an elevated price.
   
    Santa Monica offers one of the finest police departments in the Los Angeles

county. Officers are well paid which makes for a great police force with little to no

corruption. Policemen start at about 100,000 a year and are funded by the city itself. The

city needs police to protect the area and tourists as well. Santa Monica High employs

great teachers who’s objective is to put kids in college. Santa Monica City College is also

one of the best junior colleges in the state. It too is funded by the city, and of course

tuition. The restored mall adds a great deal of commerce to the city and attracts a wide

variety of tourists from local destinations as well as tourists from outside the region. This

helps stimulate the economy and helps pay for the above average amenities this city has

to offer. In addition, Santa Monica has an excellent public transportation system. It is

possible to get around the city by way of bus alone.
   
    There’s no question that the rejuvenation of Santa Monica’s most prevalent

neighborhood has boosted it’s economy and popularity through active advertisement.

Consequently, this has also spurred an enormous profit for investors. 3rd Street

Promenade, Santa Monica Place and many other local businesses are all owned by the

city. Santa Monica is therefore self-sustained. Still, while conducting interviews I

learned that many local inhabitants have very mixed feelings about the developments

taking place. 
   
    The first places I decided to perform participant observations were in the “old hot

spots” of the city. I went to Main on Main and Circle Bar, two bars located on Main St

that have lately been associated with lower-class individuals who don‘t necessarily reside

in the area. However, only about 3 years ago, these two bars were the most popular

places for locals to congregate. Although I hadn’t visited these spots in quite some time, I

immediately noticed that they had in fact changed from the last time I had come around. I

dropped by in late January of this year on a Friday night around 10:30pm. It was rather

cold out but that was to be expected. I scoped out the scene and noticed that a couple of

things were different. The crowds huddling outside both of these bars, which are on the

same block were predominately minorities. It seemed from a distance that dress code was

no longer strongly enforced but certain  men walking past security were being checked

for what I assume was either weapons or drugs.  As usual, most women were walking

right in. I myself waited in line momentarily with a friend who was kind enough to

accompany me. I found that most people that were lined up were already pretty

intoxicated. They were being loud and talking about needing more drinks and feeling

cold. Although it was relatively early, when I walked through the doors, it seemed as

though the party had already started. I recalled from my last visit, some years ago, that

this was odd. People didn’t usually start dancing until around midnight. Contrary wise,

the dance floor was already crowded enough to have to squeeze your way through to the

bar. As I looked around, I noted that most people were here in large groups exceeding

five or six. They all had drinks or bottle service,which was actually very affordable

according to the doorman who was advertising a quick entry for anyone interested in

reserving a table. I found it very difficult to communicate with people here. They all

seemed extremely preoccupied by the good time they were having. Therefore, I made my

way to Circle Bar across the street which I had last visited a little over a year ago. I

arrived there around 11pm. I think the bouncer may have recognized me and my friend. I

wasn’t surprised since this had been our favorite Friday night destination for many, many

months. We were let in at once. Inside, the place was pretty much the same as last time.

Overcrowded and messy. The floor around the circular bar in the middle was wet and

slippery. People were yelling over each other to get the bartender’s attention and the

dance floor was jam-packed. Personally, I didn’t feel very comfortable here. Maybe It

was because I was sober but I felt the immediate urge to get out. It must have taken 15

minutes for me to make my way to the patio in the back where people smoke cigarettes.

It was here that I met two men from Lebanon. They asked my friend and I for a light although I highly suspect that it was just an excuse to start a conversation. Either way, it

worked and I preceded to ask them a couple of questions. I discovered that they had

moved to Venice beach a few years ago and were in Santa Monica to get away from their

usual bar scene. They generally walked to bars near their home but tonight they decided

to venture out. It wasn’t their first time at Circle Bar and they said they enjoyed the place

because “you can get really shit-faced and no one seems to mind.” As I looked around at

people stumbling across the dance floor to the bathroom, I reckoned that they were right.

They also expressed that they enjoyed the ethnic variety Circle Bar offered. Left and right

I saw people of all race and age bumping, grinding and pretty much all over each other.

The two men were pretty drunk themselves and not very helpful but I didn’t dare make

my way back in because all there was for me to do was dance. I stayed on the patio, and

eventually a security guard stepped outside for a smoke. I made my way toward him

while my friend continued to socialize. We chewed a bit about the weather and  I decided

to tell him exactly what I was up to. He found my ethnographic topic quite interesting

and articulated that he too had an affinity for anthropology in college. However he was

about 50 years old now and he said the ship had sailed long ago. In an effort to be of

some assistance he began telling me a little of his experience working at Circle Bar.
   
    During this installment I did not carry a notepad but quickly decided that next

time I would. He told me that a new crowd had taken over the bar on weekends within

the last year but that many locals stayed faithful, especially during the week when it

wasn’t quite as rowdy. He also mentioned that many fist fights had ensued within the last

couple of weeks due mostly to racial issues between whites and either blacks or

Hispanics. He himself, was white. I asked him if this had affected business at all and he said “not the slightest.” Circle Bar, according to him, was doing quite well financially

because of the influx of new costumers. Then I asked him if the newer bars up the street

such as the Victorian and 31ten had provided much competition and he said he didn’t

think so. It then became very apparent to me that migrants from other areas were

compensating for the lack of locals at these bars. I visited these two bars on three

different weekends and saw a lot of the same people and a lot of the same activity.

    Hence, I decided to move on to my next two sites which are the Basement, a bar

at the Victorian  which is a few feet north of Circle,  and 31Ten, a new lounge that is also

on Main Street, but actually pretty isolated from the rest of this setting. I will also include

Santa Monica Place in this portion. The Victorian is very elaborate and much more

elegant than the previous sites which where pretty much hole-in-the-wall bars. From the

outside, it looks like an actual 19th centaury Victorian home equipped with a patio and

surrounded by willow-like trees. The bar has two entrances on the outside and one from

within the venue, all of which had long queues of predominately Caucasian people.

Although there was a lot more people, it was far quieter. The atmosphere was calm and

well illuminated by decorative lights unlike Circle Bar and Main on Main which were

very boisterous and dark.
   
    These two new locations differed from the bars further south in price and

appearance. All the people here were dressed formally. I did notice however that women

were more scantly clad at Main and Circle than at the Victorian; whereas men were more

dressed up at the Victorian than at the previous bars. It dawned on me that individuals at

Main and Circle bar were either unable or unwilling to pay for drinks at Victorian

because they were double the price, if not more. That is a major strategy employed by
these new locations to people’s accessibility. The same thing was going on at 31Ten.

This new lounge is located further down Main Street and thereby less accessible. Since

this lounge is much newer, there was an enormous line and the only people getting

through the doors were those who purchased $500+ bottle service. The rest were waiting

outside patiently to pay the cover fee which was $10 for men. Quite a few people ended

up actually hailing cabs down to leave within the first half hour I was observing.
   
    I arrived at 31Ten very early, before 10pm the following Friday because I wanted

to ensure that I was granted free entry. It was very lonely in there for the first hour. Then

they finally started to let a few people in. Before I new it all of the VIP tables were taken

up. The crowed, for the most part,  was elegant and sophisticated. The music was playing

loudly and it drowned out the sound of their voices. It was here that I met my first

interviewee. His name is Alex and he was there with a group of about six. They had a

table reserved and were celebrating a birthday. After talking briefly with his cousin, I was

able to ask him a few questions but it was obvious that they were drinking so we

exchanged information so that we could meet the next day.
   
    The following day, which was a Saturday, I decided to spot by Santa Monica

Place to do some fieldwork before meeting up with Alex at his house. It was about noon

and I kept getting the feeling it was Sunday. The ambiance was very relaxed. Later

though, within the hour, I would say things started to pick up and it became increasingly

busier. I noticed that most people out and about where groups of young women (in there

20s and early 30s) shopping around and getting lunch. The rest were mainly families and

groups of tourists. A few groups of tourists were Asians. The Disney Store, which is

pretty extravagant, was full of kids, girls and boys alike. They were there to take pictures
with Perry the Platypus, a popular character on the show Phineas and Ferb. At this point I

was already leaving but there was a lot of commotion among the children and parents on

the second floor. The mall has activities like this on a weekly bases, always different and

always targeted at different demographics. On my way to the parking lot I saw a moving

billboard announcing a street performance of African dancers. Tactics such as these

induce me to think that Santa Monica Place was drawing a much more diverse audience

then they has attempted to attract before.

    After several weeks of fieldwork, I realized that Santa Monica’s refurbishment

contributed to a wider range of interested people. However, these individuals are for the

most part, much wealthier. From the interviews I conducted, I learned that a lot of the

lower income families are actually feeling excluded by renovations taking place in Santa

Monica, Few of them, especially the very young residents, can hardly afford to hang out

at the mall. Yet, some people I talked to expressed that this enhancement has actually

greatly improved the city. Most of these people are locals living within a few blocks of

3rd street and Main Street.  The people occupying the old habitats of locals aren’t really

from the area. They migrate over from either Venice Beach or areas outside of Santa

Monica. This confirms that the local youth of Santa Monica is looking for new locations

that meet their expectations. If they want to continue socializing with their particular 

crowd, they must become accustomed to new surroundings that meet their individual

needs.
   
    On the other hand, once I met with Alex I learned a little bit more about what the

lower income residents’ sentiments were. I called Alex after my interview and he said he

was awfully hung over and had just gotten home from breakfast with his girlfriend.
Therefore, they would very much prefer if I just stopped by the house. I arrived within

minutes since I was already in the area. He lived in a typical Santa Monica block. The

streets were wide and there was ample parking. Most of the cars were either brand new

Prius, or family-friendly SUV’s, not to mention a few BMWs and Mercedes. The house

weren’t huge but most looked recently renovated and there were two pick up trucks with

gardening apparatus and tools which suggested that someone on the block was doing

some heavy-duty landscaping. Alex’s home was a large lot that actually consisted of six 2

bedroom complexes that stretched as far back as the alley. Soon I learned that Alex was

in fact the landlord.

    The door was open when I arrived and I was greeted by Alex who was sitting on

the couch watching ESPN on a tremendous flat screen TV. He told me Marisela, the

girlfriend, was in the shower which I knew was true because I could here the water

running. The apartment was rather small. There was still a mess from the night before.

Burger King bags sat all over the granite counter tops and shot glasses were sprinkled

about the living room and in the kitchen sink. He greeted me like an old friend which

made me feel comfortable. He offered my some Grey Goose vodka which was on a table

near the entrance half jokingly but I refused and got straight to the questions I had

prepared. In this case, I was able to document his answers.

   

Me: How long have you been a resident of Santa Monica?

Alex: “Born and raised.” I went to SaMoHi actually, right down the street (he signaled west) My parents live right down the street  on Ocean Park (he pointed in the other direction) and my grandparents live a block away from them. We own quite a bit of property out here. Mostly apartments and complexes like this one.

Me: Oh So you own all six houses?

Alex: Yeah, well my sister and I but she moved out recently with her husband. They’re newly weds. (Just then Marisela came out of the bedroom. She was quite charming and extremely interested in the conversation though she didn’t participate very much)

Me: So you sister and her husband still live in the area?

Alex: Just a few blocks west. They’re living in some apartments my grandparents own. They’re the managers for now. (every so often he was distracted by something sport-related on TV but he made an effort to continue.) We’re looking to refurbish this property as soon as possible, just going through some legal work first.

Me: I thought I noticed that the paint on your house was particularly fresher than the rest.

Alex: We’re working on it! (we all laughed)

Me: Well as long as we’re on the subject, this kind of brings me to my next point. How do you feel about the renovations taking place in Santa Monica? The mall, for example.

Alex: It’s great. Santa Monica Mall has been a staple for the city and it needed a facelift. A few decades back, this neighborhood was considered the “ghetto” of Santa Monica. The slums, if you will. Now a lot people are moving and those who’ve been here for years are finally investing into the aesthetics.

(His girlfriend then decided to interject)
Marisela: Santa Monica Place is AMAZING! I love it. Everything that the Promenade was missing can be found at the mall now.

Me: So do you both prefer the mall to the Promenade?

Marisela: No. If you go to one you have to go to the other. It’s become more of an extension, really.

Me: (Directed at Alex) So your cousin from last night mentioned that you guys hadn’t been to 31Ten very often since it opened. . .

Alex: Well no, it’s too exclusive right now. We went last night because it was a special occasion, a birthday and it’s local. We just cabbed it from here. It may pass though, I remember when Main on Main was the spot. Eventually these hotspots cool down though and a more eclectic crowd will take over. My theory (he finally admitted) is that when a new location opens up to the public, it goes through a pattern. First you get a wealthier, more elite crowd. They always get dibs. Then, after a few months or a year, in the interest of expanding business, managers allow different promoters to take a crack at filling up the place. That’s when the lower class crowds come in but by the time everyone’s moved on to the next big thing and it doesn’t make much a difference anymore.
   
Eli: I see (What he said actually made perfect sense to me) Well I’m wondering if 31Ten will became the next Circle Bar?

Alex: Maybe not. I wouldn’t doubt it but eventually it’ll get played out and handed down.

Eli: So I guess local hotspots in Santa Monica are pretty dynamic?

Alex: I would say so. You’ve got your Venice beach hipsters and that crowd coming from what you would call the South Bay and you’ve also got super rich folks coming from Brentwood, just north of here. And of course, everything else in between.

Eli: Do you find that you can easily distinguish between the Brentwooders and the South Bayers?

Alex: I can.


    Alex and I talked for about an hour. I also learned that he was looking to start

hiking up rent prices. The tenants there paid only about $500 a month. They had been

paying this for many, many years. He was going to increase rent to market value which is

about $2,000 a month! I was shocked but when he remained me that they were literally

blocks away form the beach and across from Santa Monica City College, I saw things in

a different light. I’m sure that there are plenty of people willing and able to split that kind

of rent for a an apartment in such a nice neighborhood. The unfortunate part was the that

current residents would have to leave. Realistically, none of them would be able to go

from paying $500 to paying $2,000 a month.

    After this interview, I realized that while the developments in Santa Monica were

in many ways, a great occurrence, there are many people who are being greatly affected

by this privatization. While a majority of the locals are enjoying the restored exclusivity

and individuality that go with being from Santa Monica, there are a few groups that are being left out of this advancement. 












































Bibliography

Low, Setha. “On the Plaza: The Politics of Public Space and Culture.” University of Texas Press. Copyright 2000.

Stewart, Kathleen. “Ordinary Effects” Duke University Press Durham & London. Copyright 2007.

Peterson, Marina. “Sound, Space, and the City.” University of Pennsylvania Press. Copyright 2010.