A homeless man extends his feet while napping along the side of a building on New Hampshire Avenue and Wilshire Boulevard, part of the the area’s financial sector. The image captures the theme of Koreatown’s class differences: a man’s feet in haggard socks are veiled by a stylish fedora, a symbol for a veiled subsection of the area’s population that lives in poverty but remains unseen and unrepresented.

The images in this section show more of the recent additions to Koreatown’s environment. My aim was to show images that represented Koreatown’s multiple class groups as well as the qualities that make the area a transnational and regional center. Many of the photographs I include portray newer buildings. I also wanted to show that there was a cross section of people who lived in poverty as this is an issue that is inadequately addressed. Most of the images for this section were taken along Wilshire Boulevard and some areas on Western Avenue and Vermont Avenue nearest to the Metro Lines.

In 1995, the City of Los Angeles created the Wilshire Center / Koreatown Redevelopment project area, a general planning framework to designate Koreatown as a regional center – meaning an area with an emphasis on regional commerce with the hope of attracting more regional developers and transnational investment. The plan followed from the 1992 Los Angeles riots. Many of the establishments in Koreatown and along Wilshire Boulevard were targeted during the rioting. Although, it took nearly a decade for developers to rebuild from the damage, redefining the area as a regional center was the catalyst for many of the transformations residents see in Koreatown today. The redevelopment plan included the opening of three Metro Line stops, the adoption of district ordinances that would provide incentives for developers to build affordable housing near the transit lines, and major development plans particularly for the areas of Western Avenue, Vermont Avenue, and Wilshire Boulevard.

Many of these changes were the catalyst for further transnational investment and development. By 2000, more Korean immigrants began to arrive under the provisions of “employment based preferences”, but now, most Korean transnationals arrive as investors. Between 2000 and 2010, Korean American investors acquired 3.5 million square feet of commercial property along Mid-Wilshire including nine California chartered Korean banks with assets totaling $9 billion according to 2008 estimates.

I photographed several bank buildings along Wilshire Boulevard during various times of the day, but usually during the late afternoon when the setting sun begins to cast long shadows on to the cityscapes. I thought of Atget and Szarkowski in my approach to photographing some of the high rises. Several of the buildings Atget photographed in old Paris were isolated from other elements such as bystanders or vehicles and shot with an emphasis on tone and mood that delivers a feeling of reflection on the subject. Szarkowski photographed several barns and farmlands throughout the United States. Many of his images are shot at the wide to medium focal length, few with people, emphasizing a contemplative serenity of, for example, the way a tree looks walking out of a barn and how the textures and light contrast between differing exposures within the frame.

Similar to their styles, I shot most of my high rises and cityscapes from the ground level or an elevated platform with a wide to medium focal length. There are several high rises along the Wilshire Boulevard corridor, some lording over the city. For some of the buildings, I wanted to show the scale of some of the new developments. I show the Vermont condominium complex, for example, towering over many of the buildings behind it vanishing into the horizon line. My second image shows a tightly composed dyptic of three Korean banks, one shot at night and the other shot during the late afternoon. I chose them because I felt the tone of the dyptic provided a contemplative feel about the environment.

Most of the people I took portraits of were commuters who either lived in Koreatown and worked somewhere else or lived somewhere else and worked in Koreatown. I shot most of the portraits with a tight, three quarter portrait framing, showing details of their attire and some details of environment in the background. Many of the people I spoke with chose the area because of its access to Metro Lines, its proximity to other areas in Los Angeles, and the diversity of cultures that make up the population, which, several expressed, were attractive qualities about the area. These portraits reflect Koreatown’s regional appeal.

Others I met were transnationals. One man I met on 3^rd Street was from Bangladesh. He explained that he was educated in his home country as an engineer and came to the United States to find a job in his field. He had been living in the States for 6 months but was struggling to find an engineering job. In the meantime, he works at a Bengali corner store market to make some money while he waits for a position to open. His experience is similar to many of the early Korean settlers who also received advanced degrees in Korea but ended up working in independent businesses in the enclave because they couldn’t find work in their fields.

Another transnational person I met was a Korean college student from a university in Jin Ju, South Korea during the 40^th annual Korean Festival held each year at Seoul International Park. Each year, the park sets up rows of booths along Irolo Street and Normandie Avenue where local and transnational vendors can sell various food items during the four day event held during the end of September. The student who I met was with two classmates participating in a business incubation program, a school program where students studying marketing and business can travel to another country to practice selling products to an overseas market. At the end of the term, the students travel again to an exhibition where they share with their peers what they learned about salesmanship.

Additionally, I included static images of some of the signs displayed near the regional development areas, representing them in a tightly framed format to emphasize the layers of text. One image shows billboards advertising two of the prominent banks in Koreatown displayed above a gas station. Below the billboards is a sign welcoming EBT recipients. The image shows two layers of Koreatown’s multiclass population physically presented in close proximity.

A few of the images portray some of the homeless who live in Koreatown. My opening image shows a homeless man extending his feet while napping along the side of a building. His socks are worn and covering his feet is a fedora. I felt the image was a good representation about the class differences that are present in Koreatown. Despite most of the redevelopment and transnational investment that goes on there, the response to poverty has been slow. 2010 census data reports the average income of residents is about one half of the average of Los Angeles at just over $30,000 a year. Data collected by the Korean Youth and Community Center’s free tax preparation program show some residents who earn about a third less than that. I wanted to juxtapose some images of the homeless community alongside the context of the transnational investment and regional development that’s occuring in Koreatown.

High rise buildings house three large Korean banks: BBCN, Saehan, and Wilshire Bank along Wilshire Boulevard

A man selling belts crosses the street at the corner of Vermont Avenue and Wilshire Boulevard across from the Vermont Metro Station. A luxury apartment complex surrounds the Metro Station entrance

Bystanders cross the street leading to the Metro Station on Western Avenue and Wilshire Boulevard

The Vermont luxury condominium complex across the street from the Metro Station on Vermont Avenue and Wilshire Boulevard

The historic Wiltern Theater shares building space with a cafe and several shops across the street from the Metro Station on Western Avenue and Wilshire Boulevard

Bystanders walk by a Chase bank, one of several high rise banks along Wilshire Boulevard

A building under construction a block west of Vermont on New Hampshire

The now closed Wien bakery is a Parisian inspired pastry shop, one of several located throughout Koreatown

A homeless man sleeps on the sidewalk near Kenmore Avenue and 3rd Street

“I can’t get a job. I don’t have a cell phone or anything. You need to be able to take a shower and have clean clothes to have a job.” Matthew arrived to Los Angeles four years ago from Phoenix, Arizona. Prior to living on the streets, he was a DJ. His mother had passed way two years ago and his only family is his two dogs. He sleeps at MacArthur Park, a few Metro stops east of Koreatown. He said the police don’t bother him about keeping a tent out there. From Monday through Friday, he travels to where Rampart District borders Koreatown on Beverly Boulevard and Vermont Avenue. He said the police don’t bother him about panhandling there, and they’re nice to him. He’s tried panhandling in Hollywood but said the police don’t tolerate the homeless there saying they even shut down some of the food pantries.

Asher and Kevin set up camp in front of the Wiltern theater to beat the line for the King Diamond concert during the end of October. Kevin has lived in Koreatown for 22 years and said the area has become more social, attracting younger people, new couples, and more diversity. The Wiltern Theater hosts popular headliners attracting crowds of concert goers from all over Los Angeles County. The theater is also across the street from the Metro line

Oswaldo and Isaiah opened their business “Classic Barbershop” on Rosewood Avenue and Western Avenue in October. Neither are originally from Koreatown. Owsaldo grew up in Glendale and Isaiah is from Monetery Park, but they chose to open their shop in Koreatown because of its central location to other areas in Los Angeles and its diverse population

Tamekea had overcome a long term problem with addiction and regularly attends group meetings at a treatment center on Vermont Avenue in Koreatown. She’s achieved two months of sobriety and plans to attend school at Los Angeles City College. She said a friend she was waiting for was helping her get back on her feet. Her struggle with substances lasted 15 years, part of that time while she was living in Koreatown and would visit a dealer on Normandie Avenue a few blocks south of Wilshire. She described Koreatown as having a large but hidden drug scene.

Gerald had lived in Koreatown for over 25 years before the area was called Koreatown. He said back then, most of the people he remembered were Black or Mexican. He moved away to Bell Flower where he currently resides but said he plans to move back. He commutes to Koreatown during the week to work at a call center near St. Andrews Street. As a daily commuter, he said he wants to move back because the neighborhood is centrally located to many other places in Los Angeles

Raymond, a Filipino American, has been a mail carrier on Wilshire Boulevard for 12 years and travels from his home in Glendale. He said the biggest change he had seen in Koreatown are more diverse groups of people moving in to the neighborhood

Saif is a software engineer from Bangladesh who works at the Food and Goods market on Normandie and 3rd Street. He’s lived in the States for 6 months but said he feels a lot of stress. He’s looking for a job in his field here but in the meantime, he said he’d might as well make some money at the corner store until he finds a position in his career

Oh Changhee, an economics student from Jin Ju, South Korea at the 40th annual Korean Festival in Koreatown. He is part of a program that incubates students to become experts on trading. He and his friends traveled to Los Angeles to practice sales in a foreign environment. His entrepreneurship program lasts three months where afterwards, he is expected to travel to other countries to participate in exhibits to share what he learned. He is holding a dry radish soup he and his two colleagues are selling at their table.

Han So Young, a student from Jin Ju and participant in the business incubation program through her university at the 40th annual Korean Festival in Koreatown

Yoon Jin (left) moved to Koreatown three monthes ago from San Jose and before, from Korea. She said Koreatown shared a similar nightlife scene and look as South Korea, but she feels certain areas are dangerous. Her boyfriend Youjin moved from South Korea one year ago and lives in Pasadena

Bernard has been coming to perform at the Vermont Metro Station for only a couple of weeks, rotating between two other areas in Los Angeles to perform: Santa Monica and Little Tokyo. He lives in Downtown and travels through the Metro line to reach his performance destinations. He chose Koreatown because he said it looks nice and people are polite to him. He said he had received his biggest tip at the Vermont Station and is developing regulars who come to see him briefly before their commutes. He receives on average five to eight listeners who tip him per day.

Armando has lived in Koreatown for ten years moving from Echopark. He used to work at a bar on Wilshire Boulevard but said he hadn’t seen many changes to that specific street. Most of the changes he had seen were along Vermont Avenue and some new buildings and a grocery store on 6th Street. The biggest changes he said he would like to see are more parking lots. He said it’s always difficult to find parking. He also wants to see more social functions where people in the community can go and meet each other. He said his old neighborhood in Echo Park had places like that. “Here people mostly keep to themselves”

Keri lives and works in Downtown and doesn’t get to come out to Koreatown very often, but said she would want to see more bike lanes and an artwalk

Samantha traveled over 2,000 miles from Pittsburgh to Los Angeles in May 2014. She sleeps at a shelter in Hollywood and travels by Metro to Koreatown and Downtown each week to make some money and attend a gateway center for social services

The Castle Korean BBQ restaurant next to the 711 on Western Avenue and Maplewood Avenue

A custom suit shop on Wilshire Boulevard and New Hampshire Avenue

Random price tags in front of a clothing store on Hobart Street and Wilshire Boulevard

A man waits at the corner of 8th Street and Oxford Avenue

A billboard advertises the Forbes Magazine endorsed Wilshire Bank displayed above a Mobil gas station welcoming EBT users on Olympic Boulevard and Western Avenue