Skip to Content
Los Angeles

There Goes the Neighborhood ~ A Poem

11:30 AM PDT on September 5, 2017

Let's travel back in time down Los Angeles
When street vendors weren't harassed for permits,
Taggers painted the city as their giant canvas,
And Our neighborhoods reflected individual heritage.
A time where diversity was welcomed for a split second
Right before the disappointing human race
gave us yet another reality check
Now,
I see homeless people left and right,
individuals moving in from across sides,
And an increased presence of people living below the poverty line.
Whether black or brown,
Gay or straight,
Muslim or Jewish,
From classification to classism,
We fall under only two categories:
It's either the fucked or the entirely too rich.
Explain to me how I'm not supposed to feel worthless
When my very own existence brings down the property value of all nearby apartments?
Small businesses are being bought out and are replaced with hipsters,
Appropriating our culture,
and now claiming it as "stylish"
Who knew gentrification would go so well with their outfit?
I remember praying for the day when I would make it big
And no longer had to call South Central my home,
I guess that's why they say you don't appreciate what you have until it's gone,
cause the sad truth is even the hood never belonged to us.
We're only allowed here to pay rent,
But will never be allowed to forget who's the actual homeowner,
Because we've been conditioned our entire existence
to 30-day Eviction notices.
See This is all just a big game of chess where we are the greatest pawns
And Los Angeles is now your go to thrift store,
Its sold at half price and then flipped for double with no refunds.
Imagine a drug deal between a business suit and a blue collar
Except I suggest you beware of the gun laying beneath the suitcase of dollars
And get ready to aim it for your head
Because were being robbed of our hope,
And it’s the only thing we have left.
I'm sorry but in what math class is 99 less than 1%?
We're always left to come up with 99 solutions
For the 1 group causing the same problem across nations.
Even English professors forgot to describe the word's "majority" exact definition
Then we wonder why most of our youth can barely even read below proficient.
Cause wtf are they even teaching us??
And our history lessons stated that color was the cause for segregation
But that explanation is only black and white,
Where are the gray areas for the Hispanics, Japanese, and Native Americans?
Or was that part whited out as well with the rest of the lies?
I think it's safe to say that's what happens when you lack an adequate education system
Because We're Just another page ripped off the history books for not fitting the Caucasian description.
And we just sit here and watch as history repeats itself
Yet still act surprised at the lack of humanity within humans.
Organic food for thought is becoming deficient
Cause we're too busy eating the genetically modified lies
for breakfast lunch and dinner from the media
Worried about everything else in the world
But can't even stop to look at what's right in front of us:
Wage gaps are increasing,
Our food is being poisoned,
The prison systems are growing,
And our very own homes are being stolen.
If you're still unfamiliar with the term
Allow me to introduce you to the new Los Angeles:
The city of gentrification,
The new home for the powerfully rich vermin.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More Stories

Scoop: Former L.A. Sheriff’s Deputy Sent Dick Pics To ‘Vulnerable’ Women That He Met While On Duty

A criminal case for “misdemeanor sexual battery” was presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. However, “the case was declined due to insufficient evidence,” a spokesperson for D.A. Nathan Hochman tells L.A. TACO.

July 24, 2026

10 Rising L.A. Directors You Need to Follow

From local short film screenings to Sundance Film Festival, these are the city’s emerging directors keeping the industry alive.

July 24, 2026

Get These Smoked Guinness Chili Burgers For One Day Only In Boyle Heights

The chili is made with Guinness Extra Stout, fire-roasted chiles, chipotles en adobo, spices, dark chocolate, and a beef ball that is smoked over the chili, allowing its fat to drip into the pot, before the meat is folded back in.

July 24, 2026

The Country’s Most Famous Strip Club Hosted Its First Trans Night and We Were There

This wasn't a queer venue making room for trans performers—that already exists. This was one of the country's most recognizable strip clubs deciding that supporting trans dancers is just . . . normal.

July 24, 2026

The 21 Best Soft Serve Shops in Los Angeles, Ranked

Our guide has it all: one dollar cones, hidden gems worth the drive, spots doing something you've never seen before, and the classics that have been here longer than most of us.

Catch Chicano Arts Innovator Gronk In Conversation at Moveable Feast, August 27 In Pasadena

A true legend of L.A. art and innovation, Gronk is the East L.A.-raised, multi-hyphenate artist that formed one quarter of the main nucleus of ASCO, the 1970s and 80s avant garde artists collective famous for confronting and skewering the systems set against Eastside Angelenos and Chicanos.

July 23, 2026