A decade in Los Angeles

Blogger Michael Schneider has lived here for ten years now and over at Franklin Avenue he marvels at the changing cityscape.

When I got here, no one was talking about living downtown. The Grove didn't exist. The Ambassador Hotel still stood -- and preservationists were optimistic about its survival. The subway didn't reach into the Valley, nor Pasadena. The Northridge earthquake was still relatively fresh in people's minds (as were the riots, mudslides, fires and OJ). An aging bank tower stood at the corner of Hollywood and Highland. Richard Riordan was mayor, and Pete Wilson governor. The L.A. Times was still independently owned -- as were KCAL (now sister to KCBS) and KCOP (now sibling to KTTV). Fox Television Center (formerly Metromedia Square) still stood in Hollywood -- and was still home to Channel 11. The median price for a home in Southern California, in November 1996? $161,000.

Holy crap. Let me repeat that. Ten years ago, the median price was $161,000. Shoot me now.

This is Hawaiian Eye night on KCSN 88.5 FM, which runs Schneider's island music show from midnight to 2 am on Fridays.