A Nostalgic Visit To Southeast San Diego

It would be great to be able to write that Southeast San Diego wasn't too bad a place to grow up, but that would be a lie.

                                               A rather new neighborhood boundary marker

Southeast San Diego was a horrid place to grow up. The crime, violence, poverty, drugs, etc. were endemic.

     This is the local convenience store 3 blocks from the home I was raised in - it was first a UToteM, then became a Circle K...years later it's this...and it holds the distinction of being the single most robbed convenience store in all of San Diego.

When I was very young and Mom was still dragging us to church every Sunday we had to walk to the corner of Skyline and Meadowbrook, across from Freshie's Corner, in order to catch the 4 bus to St. Rita's on Euclid & Imperial.

                                                                The street I grew up on

The sight of a tiny white woman with a boatload of kids, all dressed for church, walking through the largely black neighborhood we lived in must have been a hoot.

                      Skyline & Meadowbrook, where we caught the 4 bus to church on Sunday

 It was quite the educational experience growing up in that area. That is, if you wanted to learn about the aforementioned crime, violence, poverty, drugs, etc.

                                    St. Rita's R.C. Church - yep, bars on all the windows

If you wanted to learn how to be a productive, responsible member of society, well, you either had to be fortunate to be born to parents who could imbue you with those qualities, or somehow find a way to dodge the influence of gangs and countless other negative pulls - those who think environment is the loser in the nature vs. nurture debate would do well to spend a few years in Southeast San Diego.

Green Cat Liquor across the street from the church - Mom's purse was snatched at the bus stop there

Whoops, I almost forgot - Southeast San Diego is no longer considered the appropriate name for the area, as it had too many negative connotations. The specific neighborhood in the area of Southeast San Diego I grew up in is now referred to as "North Bay Terraces."

                            View of the brown, brown hills of Spring Valley from Skyline

Which is hilarious, as it is not north of much, is quite a few miles from the bay, and there are no terraces - hills, yes, but no terraces.

     To the left is the Meadowbrook Apts, to the right the market that was first Safeway, then Pay-Lo. Now it is the Mi Familia Super Market Panaderia-Cocina-Tortilleria-Carniceria

Driving around the old neighborhood was interesting. The place is still depressing, full of houses with iron bars over all the windows and gang-graffiti covered walls, but from the perspective of a tourist, which is what I essentially was, the desolation was far more interesting than it was when I was a resident.

                             There have always been a few eccentrics in the neighborhood

It's not Detroit by a long shot, but it's still pretty bad. Half of all murders that occur in the city of San Diego happen in and around the area, and at a rate that is 3X the national average per 100,000 residents. 

The donut shop on Jamacha (pronounced "Ham a Shaw" in S.D.) where my sister Kathy worked. She got so used to being robbed she became conversational with the robbers, even at gun point

Driving by my old High School, Morse, I was surprised to see it had been given a facelift. Nice of them to freshen the place up - still had the ten-foot tall chain link fence encircling it though, which always made it feel more like a prison than a school.

That building sits on what had been the student parking lot and blocks the old entrance to the school

On several occasions I thought I saw a person or two that I recognised and I was tempted to walk over and say hello. But I talked myself out of it each and every time. 

Not that there were no, or are not, great people in Southeast S.D. - I made some lifelong friends in my old neighborhood, and even those that are no longer part of my life contributed to some of the happiest moments of my life.

However, I also had to deal with some not-so-good people, and I had to fight...a lot. I hate fighting, but walking away was never an option, no matter how many times a school counselor suggested that it takes more courage to walk away than to fight. You never turned your back. Never.

The old entrance to Morse with the great tiger painted by Klepper's Environmental Graphics class

Being in the neighborhood that played a large role in shaping the man I became it struck me once again how lucky I truly am. I got out of the place mostly intact, which is more than I can say for a lot of the people I grew up with.

 The closest movie theater to our house was the Spring Valley Cinema. Matinees were cheap, and usually double features. Now it's the home of Lemon Grove Stucco.

Thomas Wolfe missed the boat. Going home isn't all that difficult, and in fact can be a handy reminder of why you left and why you continue to stay away. It's a lot like running into an ex that has gained 100 pounds and has forgotten how to brush her teeth.

When & How-In-The-Hell-Did-This Happen?

 

  1983

                                                                     2013

No Boards On The Pacific Beach Boardwalk...Or Fun Of Any Sort

I like to walk, and one of my favorite places in the world to walk is the ocean front boardwalk in Pacific Beach.

   Looking south at 7:00am from the far north end of Pacific Beach, two lone souls out for a stroll

The boardwalk, which incidentally is not a boardwalk in that it is not made of wooden planks but rather concrete - so it's actually more of a wide sidewalk that runs parallel with the ocean from a bit north of the Crystal Pier down to the Mission Beach jetty, is usually packed with interesting and/or amusing people.

            The people you see in the early morning are a bit different than the afternoon crowd

Everyday I'm in San Diego I walk the little more than six mile roundtrip in the morning, and if I have the time and opportunity, I'll walk it in the evening as well.

                                    Gnarly anklebiters this morning...can't surf that 

It's not the freakshow that Venice Beach is, but there are almost always one or two people that are living outloud, and those are the best people to watch.

                                             Enjoy a hot cup o' joe at Woody's

Years ago, the boardwalk was a little more of an adventure than it is these days, primarily because the city of San Diego has banned just about everything that was fun and exciting.

                           Nothing says oodles of fun like a well-regulated visit to the beach

There are still plenty of people walking, running, riding and just plain old hanging out on the boardwalk, but it's a lot quieter than it was when I was a kid.

Getting their stretch on at the far southern end of the boardwalk in Mission Beach

Not having obnoxious drunks mooning tourists or trying to jump over bonfires is probably a good thing, but it somewhat takes the fun out of the walk.

                                  Bayside was much more tolerant when I was a kid.

Why did the city of San Diego ban everything on the beach that was perfectly legal for over 100 years? Well, the cynical answer is Money.

There are two things that Money really, really hates. First and foremost, Money doesn't like anything or anyone messing with it's means to make more money.

   Third listing down - $5,500.00 a WEEK, That's $38,500.00 for the seven weeks it's available

Vacation rentals are huge business in Pacific & Mission Beach, the two areas the boardwalk winds through. Rowdy behavior by a few knuckleheads was blamed for the area developing a reputation as a haven for hooligans, and a rep like that can put a damper on rental property revenue quicker than a coed can get drunk in a Garnet avenue bar.

             Money will not stand by and allow threats to revenue go unchecked

Second, Money doesn't like to have to deal with riff-raff, undesirables, ragamuffins...you get the gist.

Money that wasn't able to buy a place in La Jolla moved south and to the oceanfront side of P.B. and even further south to Mission Beach.

When you buy a multi-million dollar view, you expect it to be miscreant free

Years ago, Money that moved south of La Jolla would live Bayside where they would sip their Gin & Tonics on their walled in patios, away from the riff-raff. 

But Bayside is fairly small, and the lack of available homes to purchase meant that if Money wanted to live in P.B., it would have to start purchasing property on the ocean side.

Once that happened, Money was not too happy with the escapades of the regular denizens of the boardwalk, and now that P.B. was Baja La Jolla, Money manipulated the politicians into doing what it wanted done.

                                      One of the better free views still available in P.B.

Just like Money always has and always will.

So no more fun allowed. Don't even think about it.

Kickin' Back With Eddie At The Ballast Point Brewing Company

Jack White and Yuseff Cherney created a wonderful thing

 

Tuesday evening Eddie A. invited me out to the Ballast Point Brewing Company, one of his favorite places to enjoy a handcrafted brew.

 

Eddie and a friend discuss the finer points of the Sculpin IPA

 

Micro-breweries have sprung up all over San Diego County over the past few decades, and have begun to rival Denver not only in shear numbers, but also in the quality of the brews.

 

Ballast Point was born in 1996, when Jack White and Yuseff Cherney moved their beer brewing efforts from Jack's back yard to the back room of Jack's small Homebrew supply store, and is now the 46th largest microbrewery in the country.

 

I only point that out because it's not often I get to describe something as the "largest micro" -anything.

                        Steve Anderson discusses the finer points of brewing beer with Eddie A.

The Brewery (and micro-distillery, btw), is located in north San Diego County off I-15 and Carroll Canyon Road, in an industrial / office park - you literally have to drive down a street named BusinessPark Ave. to get to it.

 

When I was a kid, this was an area commonly referred to as the "Boonies." Things have changed quite a bit. North San Diego County is now home to a thriving micro-brew industry, and if the samples I enjoyed here are any indication, the change is definitely for the better.

 

                                                 CRB and gracious host Steve Anderson

 

Eddie and I were given a short tour of the facility by Steve Anderson. His knowledge of brewing beer and the equipment it takes to accomplish such is pretty damn comprehensive.

 

      Ballast Point is also San Diego's first Microdistillery, currently producing Gin, Rum, and Vodka

 

There is not much that warms my heart more than seeing a small business thrive. If that particular small business is making a successful go of it crafting a delicious brew (in particular the Black Marlin Porter), supporting their efforts is a double pleasure!

 

 

 

 

Flying Into San Diego

                                          Charles Lindbergh

Flying is still a thrill for me. I travel by plane to various areas of the U.S., on business or for pleasure, a number of times a year and have been doing so for over thirty years - it's an experience that never seems to get old.

The flight from Denver to San Diego is fairly short, timewise - It takes more time to drive from my home to the airport, get through security, and board the jet then it takes to actually fly to San Diego.

Which is really flat-out amazing. Get going at 5:00am to make an 8:04 flight that lands at 9:20...

Which is why the only thing I do not like about flying is airports - primarily because all airports are always under construction, and that construction is always inconvenient - it's never construction in some far off, little-used area of the airport, it's always going on right where I have to be.

I have been flying into and out of DIA since it opened in 1995, and it has never not been under construction for any significant period.

                    The new terminal for San Diego International Airport....under construction

The flight over Colorado, Arizona, and Southern California offers a great birdseye view (on cloudfree days) of the Rocky Mountains, the Arizona desert including the Grand Canyon, and the California desert and coastal mountains.

I highly recommend a window seat - terrific views!

However, flying into San Diego can be a white knuckle experience for first timers, as Lindbergh Field is located very close to downtown San Diego, and the approach to the single runway is right over the tops of a few multi-story parking garages.

Once on the ground in S.D. though, Lindbergh is easy to get through and out of - it's a small airport for such a large city, and as it's actually located in the city and not in the boonies like quite a few big city airports, it doesn't take a wallet busting cab ride or two hours on a bus to get to town after you land.

The Control He Lacked

In a fit of uncontrollable rage
He smashed everything
Afterward, when he had calmed down
He tried to put everything back as it was
                                       However,
                                       Like an egg cracked open
                                       And scrambled in a bowl
                                       Somethings
                                                   Once destroyed 
                                       Just cannot be
                                                   Repaired                                                                   
                                                   Or restored                      
        Unfortunately, what he had smashed in his rage
Was what he treasured above all else
                          And now all he could do
                          Was mourn
                          It's passing
                                       At his own hand

The Worst Run Restaurant In Lakewood Colorado - Baker Street Pub & Grill At Bel-Mar

Laziness, nothing more than laziness. That is the only possible explanation for the new "corporate" requirement at the Baker Street Pub & Grill at Bel-Mar in Lakewood, Colorado - that all patrons entering the establishment produce identification before being allowed in.

That was not the case this past Thursday, when my sister Patti and I enjoyed Fish & Chips (her) and Baked Salmon (me).

However, it was the case tonight, when a co-worker and I wanted to sit down to a meal at what I considered a good place to get a decently priced, well-cooked meal without having to drive downtown.

I am a fifty-year old man. My co-worker is in his late thirties. All we wanted to do was get something to eat. We were not looking to sit at the bar and knock a few back. We wanted food. I am not going to show my identification to anyone, anywhere, just to get a meal.

So I protested, and the 18 or 19 year old girl stationed at the door requesting identification insisted it was a new "corporate" policy that anyone entering the premises must show an ID. I requested to speak to a Manager, and within a few minutes, a Manager came to the door.

I explained to the Manager that I had been coming to this particular Pub & Grill since it opened, knew just about every one behind the bar (well, not him, so not everyone - there had been a lot of turnover in the past few months - Tom, Joey and Dina were gone, but Justin, Katie, and and few others were still with the place), and reiterated that, as a fifty year old man who looks every minute of it, I was not going to show my identification to get in.

I should add, for full disclosure, that I actually said "fcuking identification".

Which is when he told me he was not going to let me in no how, no way.

Fine. Just to give everybody a little background, this is what the Colorado Department of Revenue, Liquor Enforcement Division, explicitly states about requiring identification in a Pub & Grill (found on pages 9 and 10 of the directive):

"Do Patrons Have To Produce Identification And What Kinds Of Identification Can I Accept? 
Colorado law does not require a patron to produce identification when making a purchase of alcoholic beverages. Colorado law does not prohibit underage persons (those persons under the age of 21 years) from entering or remaining in a licensed establishment. However, Colorado law does prohibit any licensed establishment from selling, serving, or giving alcohol beverages to an underage person. Licensees should always check for acceptable proof of age if there is any doubt about the age of the patron. If an acceptable proof of age is not available from the questionable patron, no service or sale should be provided."  

Read that again. See the part where it states "...If there is any doubt about the age of the patron." 

Also re-read the "Colorado law does not prohibit underage persons (those persons under the age of 21 years) from entering or remaining in a licensed establishment." part.

Enter just about any Bar & Grill in Colorado and you will see children - not 16 or 17 year-olds, but actual children. As long as they're not sitting at the bar and it's not 10:00pm, it's totally acceptable.

There are no "No Minors Allowed" signs in Colorado.

As I mentioned previously, I look every minute of my age. There is not a soul on this planet who is pegging me for 49.

Oh, I forgot a detail - Baker Street, as a beer and wine licensee in Colorado, is required to have food available for consumption during business hours.

Which is why my co-worker and I were there. Which brings us back around to my assertion than Baker Street is the worst run restaurant in Lakewood, Colorado.

It is not due to the actual management of the place - hell, the guy who refused me and my co-worker entry because I used the word "fcuk " in my vociferous protest may be a great guy and an even better manager. I have nothing really to judge him on.

What I do have to judge Baker Street on is the people at "corporate" who have decided that it is easier to just require that every patron, beer-swilling or burger-eatin', be checked, at the door, as opposed to training their people to properly identify potentially underage drinkers, and to respect those who have reached the age of majority.

Especially those who are significantly beyond the age of majority.

For some, this is not a big deal, and I'm making a mountain out of a molehill. Well, screw you. In the past week we've learned that the government helmed by a man who promised to put an end to incursions into our privacy has actually increased those very incursions into our privacy.

I am not a subject of the state. I am a private citizen. Fcuk having to show my ID to get a seat in a place for a damn hamburger. There are too many other places in Lakewood that have food on offer that is just as good if not better, without the lazy "corporate" staff directives.

It won't mean anything to "corporate" that I will no longer set foot in Baker Street. Hell, it won't mean anything to anyone locally if they never see my face nor the faces of any of my friends and family members. 

It's just a few bills a month, they won't miss it.

They have determined what business model works best for them, and apparently, one that does not require respect for the paying customer is it.