Lopez: For all the chatter by mayoral candidates, can anyone fix L.A.'s enduring problems?
Key takeaways
- I’m going to start this story on a quiet tree-lined street in Mar Vista, where a couple I met with on Thursday — the day after the L.A. mayoral debate — have a problem.
- It’s not an unusual matter, as things go in Los Angeles.
- John Coanda, 61, who grew up in Los Angeles, was never bothered by torn-up sidewalks as a kid.
Barbara Durieux Coanda and her husband, John Coanda, are shown on the cracked sidewalk on their Mar Vista street. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) By Steve Lopez Columnist Follow May 9, 2026 5 AM PT 7 min Click here to listen to this article Share via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X Linked In Threads Reddit Whats App Copy Link URL Copied! Print 0:00 0:00 1x This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.
I’m going to start this story on a quiet tree-lined street in Mar Vista, where a couple I met with on Thursday — the day after the L.A. mayoral debate — have a problem.
It’s not an unusual matter, as things go in Los Angeles. On both sides of the street, the sidewalk rises and falls, uprooted and cracked by shallow roots because over many decades, the trees were not properly maintained.