Chapter 10: The Southern Coastlands

As we have learned about the Southern Coastlands, both areas of the region differ in terms of their economic character. While the eastern half of the Southern Coastlands thrives on tourist attractions, the western half thrives off mineral resources. New Orleans serves as a somewhat midpoint that benefits from the two. Here, we will look at Lynwood, divided into four areas, that make it differ economically per section in terms of economic benefit as well as examine the transition zones in between.


The City's Economic Quadrants

Overall, Lynwood's economic prosperity can be attributed to shopping centers and specialized shops such as mechanic workshops. Here we will examine what makes each region unique in contributing the city's economy

• The Northeast
  The northeast area of Lynwood benefits minimally from subsidized transportation but benefits largely thanks to a strip of specialized shops along Atlantic Ave (which runs north-south) a shopping center near the local high school. This broad area in question is east of Long Beach Boulevard and north of Fernwood Avenue. Here we will find a shopping plaza with stores such as Wallgreens, Panda Express, Starbucks, and a grocery store. A long strip of "mom-n-pop" style shops run along Atlantic Ave. They include wholesale wharehouse-price textile merchants, some auto mechanics, and also chains of liquor stores and some old restauraunts. The northeast in this definition may also lay claim to some of the old and new businesses within the Long Beach Blvd strip.

NORTH-EAST LYNWOOD: Business as usual, and conveniently within school proximity. With some old friends in my high school years. Posing in front of the local Taco Bell near Lynwood High as we wait for the bus to pass so we can head home.

• Lynwood also has a trolley station located in this area, now known as the Lynwood Breeze. It charges locals $0.25 a ride and makes stops in convenient locations such as near the Lynwood High School, Lynwood Middle School, Metro Blue Line Rosa Parks Station, Metro Long Beach Blvd Green Line Station, and stops within residential areas. The trolley is mostly a courtesy service of the city, of course. As a subsidy, it gets most of its funding from the city's taxpayers.
  
• Southeast
  The Southeast area of Lynwood gets most of its income from taxes paid by home owners as well as the transitory Long Beach Blvd, which is outlined with a huge strip of local businesses, households, liquor stores, and mechanic shops. Some highlights of the Southeast are the continuing stream of some local businesses along Atlantic Avenue near where it intersects Carlin Ave. There lays the historic Lynwood Farmer's Market (of course this is only a name, and is the closest to a supermarket in the region) as well as other local businesses such as auto mechanics.
  
• Northwest
  The northeast area of Lynwood also has successful characteristics as the northeast. It gives home to the historic "Market Place" swap meet, now known as Plaza Mexico (see Chapter 8 for more details). Aside from the successful plaza it benefits also from other local business such as the old Lucy's bakery that serves traditional Mexican pastries such as "pan dulce" and other delicacies such as the drink "champurado".
  
• Southwest
  The southwest area, which is where I grew up, unfortunately does not feature large shopping centers as the northern quadrants of the city. Its not-too-attractive feature however are the strings of Liquor stores along Long Beach Boulevard (some residents have complained about). Another controversial economic activity along the Long Beach Boulevard area has been prostitution. Recent city initiatives have begun a crackdown on the activity.
  
  However, not all is bleak in Southwest Lynwood. This area also thrives on local businesses especially in the southern end of Long Beach Boulevard such as the carwash on Burton St as well a few auto mechanic shops. The old Ruben's Bakery on Fernwood Ave & Santa Fe still fill with locals eager to buy the varieties of "pan dulce" and "pan birote" bread. It is also the nearest market that resembles a grocery store. Some families have also operated businesses out of their own homes! Known to many locals as "candy shops" (apartments are literally converted into convenience stores), they sell items such as chips, sodas, and even toys in some. Some families have used it to supplement their incomes. What is unfortunate for these residents, however, is that the city has also begun a crackdown of such operations, deeming them illegal and confiscating the said items. On the bright side, they continue to operate underground. This kind of activity also occurs in other parts of the city but on a smaller scale. 
  
  
• Connecting it all together
  The northern area of Lynwood in general (northeast and northwest) are principal economic centers, streamlined with both locally-owned businesses as well as mainstream or big businesses such as Mc.Donalds and Strarbucks. The south (southeast and southwest Lynwood) are neglected in terms of the mainstream business sector. It also happens to be the area where residents are most impoverished or low-middle class. However, this area benefits economically mostly from housing, which has a high concentration of apartment complexes.
  
  Lynwood's historic Long Beach Boulevard is extremely unique. Not only has it functioned as a transitory area of the four quadrants of the city but it is a cheat sheet of all there is to possibly experience in the city of Lynwood. It is a strip of local business, big business, liquor stores, and it even has a school towards the northern end of the street. Fernwood Ave/105-freeway is more of an actual physical boundary and not as transitory however. It is mostly a strip of homes and the dramatic transition is a result of the recent construction of the 105-freeway passing over the city.