City of Angels, Cont.

Once again, when someone tries to provide something great for Los Angeles, The Times, true to form, is there to insult and demean the effort. Having little to offer in any objective criticism of Brett-Livingstone Strong’s Angel City concept, Nicolai Ouroussoff and Christopher Knight simply fall back on the time-honored Times technique of accusing the developer of greed, racism and sexism (“Picture This on Downtown’s Doorstep,” Oct. 24).

Neither of the critics addressed the improvement the City of Angels Monument would bring to that area of the city. Neither of them seemed to recognize the spillover benefits that a project of that magnitude would create. And neither offered an equal solution that would help revive attraction to the downtown area that has been lacking for at least three decades, identify Los Angeles to the world and create a new economy for that district.

While the critics are established in their fields of architecture and art, perhaps it would be prudent of them to enroll in a first-years economics course.

ADAM LAMAR

La Verne

*

Brett-Livingstone Strong has seen one too many Batman movies. This isn’t Gotham City. Our city has never been taken seriously on too many levels, and this monstrosity would surely finish the job!

FRANCES TERRELL LIPPMAN

Los Angeles

*

I am not naive to the commercial aspect of such an ambitious project but by far it is one of the most worthwhile ones around.

As a perfect example of the ultimate underdog (Latino, hard-working female), I know beauty and inspiration when I see it without anyone telling me what I should be admiring or what beauty should mean to me. I support such a great project.

MARIA RAMOS

Reseda

*

May I modestly offer what I believe would be an appropriate concept: L.A. Today.

The central monument would feature a number of gigantic vehicles that have smashed into each other in a freeway crash. Surrounding this exciting piece would be a series of larger-than-life diorama-sculptured scenes illustrating the most vivid aspects of living in L.A. at the start of the 21st century: a drive-by shooting, a drug buy, homeless people sprawled on a downtown sidewalk, aggressive police hassling minority people, masked bandits fleeing a convenience store where they have just shot and killed the night clerk.

EARL CARTER

Beverly Hills