Blogging Social Difference in LA: Week 2

        Los Angeles is definitely a city of extremes, of economic destitution and of fabulous excess. This is demonstrated in several locations throughout the city, but very rarely do the impoverished intermingle with the elitist class unless motivated by gaining some sort of economic advantage by aligning themselves to serve the needs and tastes of the well off. For my first observational excursion I chose to visit an area that caters to the wealthy locals of Beverly Hills. I just so happened to be eating at a sushi place on Robertson Boulevard between Wilshire Boulevard and Olympic Boulevard and took a quick glance down the street. I was immediately intrigued by how clean the sidewalks were and the well maintained trees lining the street, but suddenly I was distracted by the roar of a Ferrari tearing down Robertson as a Maserati passed by on the opposite end leading my line of site to a very well groomed woman in six inch heels walking her tiny dog… I almost couldn’t believe the stereotypical scene of Beverly Hills that was unfolding before me, but it happened and it was pretty ridiculous at the moment. 

        I decided I had to take walk down Robertson to help me understand what this strip of West Los Angeles was all about. It was between 6 and 7 PM on a Thursday evening, so there weren’t many people out on the street and several of the businesses were already closed, but their signs were still well lit. I only observed 3 blocks, but that’s all I needed to see because each block was a slightly rearranged replica of the previous block as if I was on an urban treadmill. Within this very specific location I found a repair shop for classic luxury cars, fir and leather boutiques, a cosmetic surgery clinic next to an organic café all within a matrix of antiquing boutiques, salons and spas. There was an unbelievable concentration of salons, spas and nail boutiques all within these 3 blocks of unabashed excess and self-improvement. I counted 12 hair salons, 5 beauty spas specializing in facials and massage, and 6 nail salons… I almost couldn’t believe how many of the same business were in such close proximity from one another almost as if they multiplied through mitosis. In many cases the only thing separating the salons and spas was private gym or import boutique specializing in caviar. I would be lying if I didn’t say I wasn’t a little bit disgusted with what I was observing, yet strangely enough I couldn’t help but admire certain aspects. All the establishments were well kept and fabulously decorated and all the employees were incredibly friendly. I spoke to a few different women working at the salons and nail boutiques and none of them said they lived in the area; they all lived at least 20-30 minutes outside of Beverly Hills. The three women I spoke to were from various backgrounds, but none of them were born in the US, one was Vietnamese, one was Iranian and the other was Pakistani and every patron I saw in my short observation was Caucasian. I wasn’t surprised that most of the patrons were Caucasian given the demographic make-up of the surrounding area.

        The most intriguing aspect of my observation has to be the insatiable demand for self-improvement and luxury items in this area. Not only that, but the incredible supply serving that demand. Not a single storefront was empty or unleased, which is shocking given the state of the economy in recent years and the absence of any franchise on Robertson. Each boutique was “unique” and offered custom products. I guess when money is no object for the patrons, they demand goods and services that cannot be purchased by just anybody. The businesses obviously cater to women living in the area with nothing but time and money to make sure their hair and complexion is flawless. This entire 3 block strip is dedicated to shameless self-improvement and unbridled excess given that most of the products are specialty items or custom clothing and cakes. Not a single drugstore or mart was to be found in this location because casual purchases here do not include a Mountain Dew. An idealized lifestyle exists in this part of Los Angeles that is obsessed with display and demonstrates an attitude of never being satisfied… if 12 salons within 3 blocks doesn’t demonstrate that then I don’t know what does.

        I am reminded of a specific line from Durkheim’s work that states “the variety of environments in which individuals are placed gives rise among them to different aptitudes that determine their specialization…” Durkheim was very general in his explanation, but he used a previous example about how different soil types determine the type of rural activity or agriculture undertaken by the local population. This same specialization based on the resources available to the working class can be paralleled to the observations I made in Beverly Hills. The reason so many businesses specializing in luxury items and beauty services are located in this area are because the abundant resource in this part of Los Angeles isn’t a specific soil type, but a wealthy local population with very particular tastes and needs. Cities can be seen as agglomerations of consumers, but areas differentiated by class can be observed and measured by what is being consumed. Different populations within the city have different needs and much can be learned by the businesses that serve those needs.