Commentary on local issues, viewpoints of residents and community leaders, and letters. : Issue: Has the Opening of the Metro Red Line Been a Boon to Business?

Hector Vasquez

Archie’s Barber Salon There hasn’t been much improvement but we have our customers who have been coming here for years. I’ve been here for 25 years and I’ve seen a lot of changes and different kinds of people. Now, there’s about 95% Latino and about 5% white people and 25 years ago it was the opposite. There weren’t so many purse snatchers and car thieves. A lot of people call me up and say the reason they haven’t been here is the parking is bad and the area has so much crime.

*Robert Rivera

customer, Archie’s Barber Salon I live on Pico and Alvarado and there’s nothing but . . . fences around their places everywhere you go. I think the Metro is good. I haven’t been on it and I’d like to take a ride, but I believe it will be good for the whole area and maybe it will bring in more business. You don’t walk around here at night. I come here, I’ve been coming here for 20 years, and a lot of times I’ll take out my good wallet and bring a different wallet with just a couple of dollars so in case I get robbed I won’t lose that much.

*Beverly Swanson

waitress, Langer’s Deli It’s like being born again. I’ve been here 20 years and the past 10 years have been very slow. Mr. Langer has been holding on by a thread, just hoping something would happen and now it has. Lunches are up 90% and we were not prepared for it. We hired extra help because we realized people are in a hurry. We see a lot of families on the weekends. Fathers come out with their children, for an adventure on the subway. They’re going to open more (stations) by the end of ’94 and that should be good for everyone involved. We had all picked up extra part-time jobs in addition to here and so we’ve had to let some of those jobs go.

*David Diaz

salesman, Casa Backal stationers We have people come from Pico-Union and the Westside because we sell trimming scissors for people who work in the (garment) factories. Our business has improved, but just a little. Langer’s has improved a lot because people don’t have to park their cars on the street. They’re probably concerned with their safety because many robbers and drug people are around. Many people are afraid to come to this street. We’ve seen a little bit of an improvement because more people are coming to this area from Flower and 7th and the Civic Center and I think when the Paramount and Western stations open, there will be more people coming here. There are new businesses: a Salvadoran restaurant and a music place--and the swap meet will open next week. We’re going to put more items in our store.