My first trip to the Excelsior

I was very curious to walk around Excelsior, mainly because it was a district I had never been to and also because of the negative stigma I have heard about it. My friend, Maria, accompanied me since she was some what familiar with the neighborhood. Walking on Mission, I noticed people scrolling up and down the street, going to the market, chatting on the corner, drinking coffee, getting ready for the day. Most of the people appeared to be Latinos and analyzing the type of commerce, Excelsior looked like a Latino community.

After the first 10 minutes, I felt like I was back home, walking around East LA. Though the buildings were different, that same ambient of seeing older ladies with their plastic bags, shopping for produce at the market, or smelling home-style cooking as I walked by Mexican restaurants, surfaced as I spent more time in the Excelsior. I visited different shops, making sure I was getting different areas from the neighborhood.

The more I visited Excelsior, the more I questioned the negative reputation this district carried. Most of the people I talked to said they felt comfortable living in the Excelsior and that they didn't encounter much violence or crime. Humberto Felix, owner of a grocery store on Mission, said he has been working in the neighborhood for over 20 years and has not seen much violence.

Growing up in a city that has also been labeled as dangerous, I realized that was why I picked Excelsior. Instead of relaying on outside perceptions that may be misleading, I want to get real perspectives of people that are from the district, people who spend most of their time there.