Retox in LA

I came across this blog, Scribeskidrow, a month or two ago. The "scribe", Walter Melton blogs about his experiences living on Skid Row for the last year, his battle to overcome a drug addiction, the people he has encountered on the way that have helped him grow and develop as a person as well as many other things. He is a talented writer who offers intelligent and thought-provoking insight. For the last year-and-a-half or so he has posted almost every day, if not more, taking the time to reflect on a tough, uphill battle. It is definitely worth a read. Here is an excerpt from his intro:

Living in downtown Los Angeles on a new adventure, I landed on Skid Row in the month of February,2007, shell shocked and traumatized by the events of the previous months. I entered a world full of many contrasts. Kind, caring supportive individuals. Cruel, blood sucking predators. Men and women who walk the streets with courageous dignity and those whose job it is to strip them of that dignity every day. A place of quaint warmth and beauty, and at the same time a harsh, cold and vicious jungle. I have experienced the toughest streets of Philadelphia and Harlem, New York as well as the shanty towns and favelas of Brazil. Yet nothing compares to what you feel when you are in Skid Row. Social Scientists from around the world come here to study it. Every social illness has its place in Skid Row. They come to learn about its effect on people. They leave learning more about themselves- their prejudices and the fear of what they do not know. There is nothing like it. This journal is about my experiences at the University of Skid Row.

I just found another similar site, Central City East: "Living and Writing from the heart of skid row since 1999. Blogging since 2004", which has been around for a bit longer. Written by Don Garza, this is definitely worth a read as well.