Concert in MacArthur Park May Be Recipe for Comeback

Gina Franco sat on a blanket next to her daughter on a partially grassy hill Saturday, eating fried chicken and listening to the Pasadena Pops Orchestra give a free concert at a MacArthur Park festival.

The native Los Angeles resident told Samantha, 15, about the shootings, drugs and gang activity that until now have kept them from the park. “The mere thought of driving by with the windows down was just scary,” Franco said.

City officials have been eager to turn around the park, long plagued by crime and avoided by many residents.

Toward that end, surveillance cameras were installed, extra police patrols were assigned and the park’s 10:30 p.m. curfew was enforced.

Though the crowd of several hundred fell far short of expectations, officials were not deterred.

“They said it could never happen and here we are,” City Councilman Ed Reyes said as the concert began. “I did expect more but ... this is just the beginning.”

Los Angeles Mayor James K. Hahn, whose office worked with the Los Angeles Police Department and Reyes to clean up the park, agreed.

“We’re excited to showcase the park,” Hahn said.

Families made up the bulk of the crowd, which included Latinos, Asians, blacks, whites, children, seniors and pets.