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October 14, 2004
Los Angeles and Berkeley
Well, I am new in Los Angeles, and despite the fact that I have been here many times before, to see the family, I am pretty much a stranger and thus, an observer.
Obvioulsy, many things in Los Angeles are unique or specific to this city. We all know its reputation for being self-indulged and pretentious. We also know its "power" and "cultural influence".
What attracts my attention though, is the UCLA and its surroundings. The campus is in many ways unusual. Yes, it is beautiful and charming, with amazing buildings (although they tell a story of the American fascination with "Old Europe") and green areas and open spaces. But the very interesting thing about it is that it is located in one of the most expensive areas of this city! Westwood Village, located west of Beverly Hills and souht of Bel Air, is a centre of high class shopping and other elite institutions! As a result, the most expensive restaurants and supermarkets surround the students who live here, making the situation quite funny in a sense: the "poor" students living in the poshest area possible!
Other than that, the contrast between UCLA and Berkeley (remember, Berkeley is "UC" as well, University of California). Berkeley, as we know, is a liberal city with a population that are famous for being enviromentally conscious, extremely liberal in their political views, and generally left leaning, including their less-than-friendly attitude towards corporations.
As a result of this, Berkeley is remarkable among many American cities for the noticable absence of "chains", these prominent icons of Americanism. In and around the campus, you seldom see any chain stores: no MacDonalds, no Burger Kings, etc. There are some chains such as Gap and Footlockers, but those are noticably small and only marginally there, while local clothing stores and other shops are much more crowded and successful. Tower Records in Berkeley had to close down since everyone bought CDs from Rasputin and Amoeba, two local music stores. Above all, absolutely no chains inside the campus!
In sharp contrast, seldom does one find non-chains in and around the UCLA! Anne Taylor Loft, TWO Coffee Beans, one starbucks, Kinko's, CVS Pharmacy, Rite Aide Pharmacy, Ralph's Supermarket, Wholefoods Supermarket, and to top it all off, chains INSIDE the campus, including a Taco Bell!
This was very interesting to me: both universities belong to the same system, both have a stundet population that are politically liberal, but they have very different attitudes towards the matter of supporting local businesses and the presence of corporations.
I am not sure why, but I do prefer Berkeley!
Posted by Khodadad at October 14, 2004 09:41 PM
Comments
I have never been to Berkley and the extent of my knowledge of LA is the inside of the airport when I was flying to Seoul, South Korea.
I think that maybe the location of UCLA is a good thing for the students. The expensive neighborhood assures plenty of police presence which will keep the students safe and there must be many opportunities for well paying part time jobs for students near campus.
I like what you are saying about Berkley. I am not a big fan of large corporations, with respect to the way that many of them treat their employees. Of course, I must admit that I shop at many large corporate stores. I just wish that corporations would have more respect for the concepts of "liberty" and "the pursuit of happiness" that Thomas Jefferson wrote about in the American Declaration of Independance.
Posted by: David at October 17, 2004 10:47 AM