Koreatown, an area in Los Angeles with a history of gangs and crime, presently faces economic, income, and residential changes and developments. Studying these changes can see how and why such significant changes are happening in a formerly crime ridden area. These changes are not strictly in the workings of urban development, but more in the process of gentrification. In this essay, I will look at elements of Koreatown's economic restructuring, housing, its and its mixed income characteristics, arguing that the region finds itself in the early stages of gentrification. By studying the region, we see how Koreatown's economic growth led it to having a variety of professional businesses and offices, upscale malls, karaoke clubs, and bars, pulling more upper and middle income people to the area. This can explain why property values of formerly cheap housing have risen. Like the new mixed businesses in the area, Koreatown's mixed income and income disparity reflects the inward movement of upper income residents, showing how gentrification is occuring in Koreatown now.
Koreatown, Los Angeles has recently experience significant changes. The region lies not far from downtown Los Angeles within the streets of Beverly Boulevard to its north, West Olympic Boulevard to its south, Crenshaw Boulevard and South Wilton Place to its west, and 6th Street to it east. Although the region has had a history of civil unrest (Los Angeles Riots in 1992) and high crime and poverty rates, Koreatown has experienced growth since the 1980s (Chang and Dias-Veizades, 25; Park and Kim, 138). Since then is borders have expanded. Large companies, Korean businesses, and other businesses are occupying the area in streets such as Wilshire Boulevard and 6th Street (Yu, Choe, Il, and Yu, 30). .
Besides its growth, the area is ethnically diverse. With a dense population, the region houses Latino, Asian, Anglo American, and African American populations.