The big word in Los Angeles celebrity gossip this weekend was, of course, the see of Prince William and Princess Catherine. The Imperial Couple were spotted in Hancock Park. They kissed on a polo field in Santa Barbara. They hobnobbed with Tom Hanks and Jennifer Lopez at a Hollywood party. And on Sunday, they visited Inner-City Arts, a train that teaches art to kids living on L.A.'s Skid Row.
Outside the Inner-City Arts compound, a crowd waited with signs and miniature British flags.
Were from South Texas and we came all the way but to see Will and Kate," says one Royals fan, Farrin Gustafson. "Growing up as a kid I watched Princess Diana and Prince Charles' wedding like it was a movie. I lost a day of school when she died. I went and saw her dresses when they toured through San Antonio. Seeing Prince William is on my bucket list.
She has a very big princess addiction," says her friend Stephen Gaeth.
I am sooo excited," says Gustafson, laughing.
Theyre wearing matching shirts with silk-screened pictures of the smiling faces of the duke and duchess of Cambridge.
Gustafson has her camera phone at the ready. Shes hoping for a stroke of Prince William waving or Kate Middleton stepping elegantly out of a car.
She nearly had a run-in with the match on Wilshire Boulevard, but they left before she saw them. And I cried in the hotel room because I lost it," says Gustafson. "So I didnt throw a problem at all coming down to Skid Row. I didnt know where it was at all so its exciting to be here.
To her, Skid Row is a bit of a celebrity, too, or at least one interpretation of it.
I love about Skid Row because of the film and the work 'Little Store of Horrors.'" Gustafson says. She laughs. "Thats the sole ground I live what Skid Row is.
Were theater majors," says Gaeth.
Down almost half a bar from the bunch of royal watchers is a different Skid Row.
Why are they approach this way man?" says Skid Row resident Carlos Chavez. "They could be downcast at Beverly Hills where all that money is at and theyve got to do to Skid Row?
Chavez is standing outside a convenience store with a fistful of other locals.
Leaning against the fence is a guy named James. He wouldnt have a final name.
I dont get excited nothing anymore," says James. "Whats the deal? Hes not a god.
Theres a lot of incredulity on this end of the block.
Locals point out that Skid Row is no Buckingham Palace. Almost half the universe live under the poverty line and there are several homeless shelters in the area.
William and Kate are on Skid Row to visit Inner-City Arts, a post where neighborhood kids learn to paint or dance.
Skid Row native Eskar Nolan is proud of that program. But he says, with the camera crews and newly cleaned sidewalks, the royals arent seeing what really goes on.
This looks nice doesnt it? Two blocks over people are sleeping on the streets," says Nolan. "They give aught to eat and nowhere to go. When they will and get a sheet and go someplace else, will we be disregarded on Skid Row?
I think this is really good. Any time you get publicity to Skid Row its great," says Jeff Page, or Mr. Skid Row, according to the key tag on his navy blue blazer.
Im a Skid Row community activist and a Skid Row resident," says Page. "Im here to establish the former face of Skid Row. That were not all lazy homeless bums. We really have intelligent and sophisticated individuals that reside here in Skid Row that are simply having economic difficulties.
Page works with musicians and artists in Downtown L.A. to read off what his region has to offer. He thinks William and Kates visit proves that Downtown is getting better.
And its capital for all these out-of-towners and folk that seem like they are forthcoming from out of the state to be here, and its just such a peaceful environment," says Page. "And there is no sense of any ground to be frightened or mass to care for their lives, so its absolutely wonderful.
Around noon, the antsy crowd starts chanting, "William and Catherine, come say hi! William and Catherine, come say hi!" Then a motorcade rolls down the street, followed by a big black SUV. William and Kate are riding inside. The crowd cheers and someone yells out, "Welcome to Skid Row!"
But the SUV doesnt stop. It pulls into a garage at Inner-City Arts and exactly wish that, the royals are gone. The crowd groans. Someone cries out "Son of. They went the former way."
The crowd starts to disperse. Royals obsessive Farrin Gustafson is still clutching her camera phone.
I wouldnt say disappointed," says Gustafson. "I got to see them. They drove past to go to the fine arts centre and he waved and I saw it and it was wonderful. I am not going to completely cross it off my bucket list cause I didnt get to see them but it was definitely exciting. I could cry right now. Gustafson laughs.
As the TV crews pack up, Jeff Page, Mr. Skid Row, stands on the pavement and watches.
Yeah, this is pretty much what I anticipated," says Page. "As shortly as they are gone, the cameras are gone, the crew is gone. Now we revert back to the same Skid Row that it was before they got here. So now we will see what after-effects their visit will feature on our community.
Page says maybe the higher profile will get more activists to Skid Row. Maybe a big donor will roll a new project like Inner-City Arts. But, he says, if aught else, at least the street look a little cleaner.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge also visited Tusk Trust, an African wildlife conservation group in Beverly Hills Sunday morning, and finished off their L.A. visit toat the Mission Serve "Hiring our Heroes" job just for military veterans in Culver City. William addressed the crowd briefly and the pair also helped pack care packages for children with parents who are serving abroad.
They left from LAX Sunday afternoon, ending their 2 1/2-day Southland visit.
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