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Iconic L.A. deli on brink of closure after being overrun with homeless and drugs
An iconic Los Angeles deli that just celebrated its 77th anniversary is on the brink of closure because the area has been overrun with homelessness and drugs, its frustrated owner says.
Langer's Deli owner Norm Langer, 79, has given the city a week to clean up MacArthur Park across the street from his restaurant, where he says gangs, drugs, trash and street vendors run rampant.
Although his deli, home to what one diner called 'the best pastrami sandwich I've ever had,' has a steady flow of customers daily, Langer has become fed up with the problems plaguing his business.
The nearby Metro plaza - where street vendors and the homeless used to dwell - was recently restricted by the city, leaving them to take over the park Langer once spent hours in as a child.
'I grew up in the park. I'd play in the park, go for boat rides, take naps. There was this whole area on the 7th Street side where older people played shuffleboard, backgammon, gin, all kinds of card games,' Langer told the Los Angeles Times.
Langer's Deli could close its doors soon as the area around it has been consumed by homelessness, drug use, trash, violence and street vendors
Langer's Deli owner Norm Langer, 79, (right) has given the city a week to clean up MacArthur Park across the street
But now, the frustrated owner doesn't recognize the green space anymore.
'I need the park cleaned up. I need 7th Street cleaned up,' Langer told KABC.
Street vendors aren't the only issue affecting Langer.
'It's the issue of the gangs collecting rent,' he said.
'It's the issue of, I'm not going to say fentanyl or any other drug. It's the drugs period.'
Langer said he is 'seriously considering' shutting his doors for good.
'One week. I either see some things happening within the week, or I'll lock it up,' he said.
'People walking around here taking their clothes off, walking around naked. You know, it's nuts,' he told FOX 11.
'I don't want to spoil anybody's appetite, but you've got a problem with defecation on sidewalks, for somebody was strung out on drugs. There's something. They're trying to make a score on fentanyl.
Langer said he is 'seriously considering' shutting the doors for good (Pictured: Encampments in MacArthur Park)
The restaurant counts fans including Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who said she is working on a 'strategy' to save the deli
'They're passed out on the sidewalk, and the city is lame and doing something about it.'
The restaurant counts fans including Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who said she is working on a 'strategy' to save the deli.
'I have spoken to Mr. Langer a couple of times and look to be meeting with him soon,' she told KABC.
'We need an overall strategy and approach for MacArthur Park because there are a multitude of issues that take place right there,' Bass, a Democrat, said.
Andrew Wolff, the president of the MacArthur Park Neighborhood Council, told KABC the city is working on cleaning up its act.
'I think more and more things are coming. I think initially it was a little slower than maybe we would have liked. We felt that we were in a crisis over the past two years, especially,' Wolff said.
The council has also been in contact with Los Angeles City Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez to address the issue.
Hernandez is 'coordinating a multi-agency approach to address the crisis,' her office told KABC.
Although he said both his employees and customers are '100% safe,' Norm wants the city to 'get their act together' in order for him to consider staying
California has spent roughly $24 billion under state Gov. Gavin Newsom's leadership to clean up streets and house people. (Pictured: An encampment in MacArthur Park)
'She is committed to seeing this through and is calling on leaders at every level of government to join her in this urgent work,' a statement form Hernandez's office said.
The MacArthur Park Neighborhood Council has been in contact with Los Angeles City Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez (pictured) to help address the issue
The nearby Metro plaza recently restricted vendors so the city could launch a pilot program that is designed to clean up the area and make it safer for street vendors.
In the city, sidewalk vending is allowed with specific permits based on the items being sold.
According to the program's website, Metro and the Community Power Collective (CPC) have banded together to 'address public safety issues' and 'enhance customer experience' in the plaza.
'CPC plays a pivotal role in advocating for sidewalk vending legislation, demonstrating their commitment to addressing the unique challenges faced by start-up food vendors,' the site continued.
DailyMail.com contacted Metro for comment.
Langer explained exactly why he's dedicated so much of his life to the deli his parents ran since he was a child.
'Every man needs two things. He needs a place to go when he gets up in the morning, and he needs people who are dependent on him,' he told the Los Angeles Times.
'I've had lung cancer five times. I've had the tops of both lungs removed. I've had prostate cancer. I've had 45 radiation treatments. I've had both knees replaced.
'But I’m here... I should be laying down somewhere, but I'm not. Why? Because I have a place to go. And I have people who need me.'
California is home to roughly one-third of the nation's population of homeless people, a problem that has dogged Gov. Gavin Newsom since he took office
California is home to roughly one-third of the nation's population of homeless people, a problem that has dogged Governor Gavin Newsom since he took office.
There are thousands of tents and makeshift shelters across the state that line freeways, and fill parking lots and public parks.
The state has spent roughly $24 billion under Newsom's leadership to clean up streets and house people.
That includes at least $3.2 billion in grants given to local governments to build shelters, clear encampments and connect homeless people to services as they see fit, Newsom said.
Last month, Newsom issued an executive order that mandated state agencies and communities to remove homeless encampments.
He even took the streets himself and started to clear out a homeless encampment in Los Angeles at the beginning of August.