The Horror of Homelessness

For those of you who think your life is rough in the San Fernando Valley or other comfortable middle class neighbourhoods try taking an innocent drive to the Flower District in Downtown Los Angeles.  My wife wanted to go to Moskatel’s Craft store on San Julian Street.  I did not know that street between 6^th Street and 7^th Street is Skid Row.  One drive down that block will convey the horror of homelessness.  Everyone reading this should give thanks that they are not part of those poor people.

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Back when we were married, 41 years ago, my bride to be decided to help defray the cost of wedding flowers at each table by making the settings herself.  We went to downtown Los Angeles to the flower district.  There we found Moskatel’s Craft store on San Julian Street.  While I knew it was in the skid row area we never saw any homeless people on the streets.

My wife has been a crafts person all of her life.  Yesterday the idea came to her to return to that store.  “Just for fun” she said, “Lets go down there and then go out to lunch.”  I found the store address on the internet.  They do not have a website but the name and address were easily identified.

We exited the Harbor Freeway onto 6^th Street and drove to San Julian Street without incident.  The right turn onto San Julian brought the horror of skid row right into our faces.  That first block was lined with homeless people sitting on curbs and leaning or sleeping against the walls of the buildings.  I drove carefully and slowly down the narrow street stunned by the obvious despair.  Surprisingly the next block was totally clear of homeless people.  This was the block that housed Moskatel’s and we saw the sign over the entrance to the store.

I circled the block looking for parking.  Along the way my wife saw another craft store she wanted to visit.  We found parking in a structure that adjoined the store.  Once inside the structure that led us into the store I felt safe.  Inside we found the variety of crafts supplies greater than any Michael’s (they now own Moskatel’s) or JoAnn’s.

Then my wife announced she wanted to walk over to that other store she had seen just a block and a half away.  That store was back towards skid row but one block over on the corner.  It was a frightening walk past people sitting on the sidewalk, laying on the sidewalk, and one individual who was starting to approach us.  He (perhaps she) was wrapped in a blanket as he was starting towards us.  The traffic light changed to green and we quickly walked across the street and back to our car.

Lunch was just a few block away at Lawry’s in a new entertainment center that is part of L.A. Live.  Included in the center is Staples Center, Nokia Theater, the Grammy Museum and two new hotels.  The parking attendant, had never heard of Moskatel’s, and was obviously oblivious to what we had just seen.