As Downtown Los Angeles continues on its trajectory toward insufferable hipness and developers pour more and more into boutique hotels and billion-dollar megaprojects for the neighborhood, the community of residents in the neighborhood is growing too. A pair of new reports out from the Downtown Center Business Improvement District (via the Downtown News) attempts to get a handle on who Downtowners are today, what they do, and how they feel about Downtown. The majority of people who live and/or work in DTLA seem to be really enjoying their neighborhood, the reports show.
For the 2015 Downtown Los Angeles Survey Report, DTLA locals were broken into groups according to whether they just work in DTLA, just live there (and work elsewhere), or live and work there. The survey found that respondents living or living and working in Downtown are relatively young: The median age among those who either live or live/work in DTLA was 38 and 37, respectively. Downtowners are also fairly well-off (no surprise considering the costs of both renting and owning). Among those who live in DTLA (but work elsewhere), the median income was $96,600. Those who are lucky enough to live and work in Downtown had a median income of $99,900. (Obviously the residents of Skid Row were not polled here.) They're also majority female, according to the survey: 57 percent of respondents who live in DTLA are women, as are 53 percent of those who both work and live in Downtown.
21 percent of respondents lived in South Park, and an equal amount lived in the Historic Core. 11 percent called Bunker Hill home, and 7 percent resided in the Financial District. Though all of Downtown is pretty hot, these neighborhoods have seen a big rise in eating and drinking destinations, and are booming in terms of development, from FiDi's in-the-works The Bloc retail complex to the recently opened The Broad museum on Bunker Hill. And most people are very happy about it: 62 percent of DTLA residents who live there (and work outside of the 'hood) classified their experience with Downtown as "outstanding." Of those residents who live and work in DTLA, 58 percent said the same.
More than a quarter of respondents have called DTLA home for between five and 10 years, and 31 percent said they're "definitely" likely to live Downtown in the future (i.e. stay put). One thing they might like about Downtown life: more options for getting around. While traveling alone in a car is still the most popular mode of transport to non-work destinations by a long shot, walking and taking the bus are a not-too-distant second and third.
The DCBID president and CEO tells the DN that DTLA's residential market is about three times as rich as it was back in 1999: today there are 34,500 units, including both market-rate and low-income. With so many more condos and apartments under construction, the community of about 58,000 strong is expected to keep booming. Duh.
· Downtowners Are Young and Have Money, and They Really Like it Here [DN]