Linda Vista, Get it Done. Do the Data!
Plus: Cuckoo for Cocobomb, LV Upcoming Events, Enjoy Microgreens San Diego, and Commentary on LV's Horizontal Community
Are there a couple annoying potholes in your neighborhood? Do you and your neighbors find yourselves griping to each other about why the City of San Diego never sends out workers to fill in and repave these problem streets? I have an important suggestion. Don’t spend any more time griping. What you and your neighbors need to do is get on the city’s “Get it Done” App and make sure you let city officials know about your concerns. Doing so will greatly increase the likelihood of getting rid of those potholes. That’s how things are done these days.
Regarding a more urgent matter, has your neighborhood been experiencing a rash of car thefts? Do you and your neighbors find yourselves complaining to each other about why the SDPD doesn’t patrol around your neighborhood as a way of preventing any further thefts? I have a crucial suggestion to make. Don’t spend any more time complaining. What you and your neighbors need to do is file a police report. Doing so will greatly increase the likelihood that police become aware of the thefts and thereby devote the necessary resources to your neighborhood.
In case you haven’t noticed, we live in an age where “Information” is King. Big Data rules the day. Nobody does anything these days unless data can be used to support the necessary decision-making process. If you follow sports like baseball or football, you already know how the study of analytics (information resulting from the systematic analysis of data or statistics) is used to determine such things as the most effective baseball lineups, and crucial fourth down football decisions. Nowadays, intuition or gut feeling frequently takes a back seat to the study of numbers. Operating the City of San Diego is no different.
The City’s Maintenance Department and the San Diego Police Department, for example, rely heavily on analytics. This means they look at the numbers to determine where to devote resources. This method has become more and more important as these departments face growing personnel shortages. If the metrics reflected from the Get it Done App and filed police reports show illuminating trends regarding where problems/crimes are occurring, that’s where the resources will be assigned. The more neighbors reporting, the better, because each neighbors’ report reflects another number. Word of mouth, rumors, and mind-reading are no longer used to make decisions.
Accordingly, it is essential that Linda Vista residents familiarize themselves with the contents of the City of San Diego’s Get it Done website, and that they eventually download the Get it Done app, so that they and their neighbors can let the city know about LV concerns/problems regarding trash collection/recycling, graffiti, streets, sidewalks, lights, bicycles, scooter and vehicle issues, trees and vegetation, and storm water and drains. Reporting a problem doesn’t meant the city will immediately respond, but consistent reporting will alert the decision-makers that a problem exists and helps to get the ball rolling toward eventual problem resolution.
Linda Vista residents need to take the same approach with filing police reports. Go to the SDPD’s File a Police Report page to review instructions on which non-emergency crimes to report and how to file such reports. If everyone in your neighborhood follows the practice of filing necessary police reports after an unfortunate incident occurs, chances are good the police will be able to better respond to your neighborhood’s crime issues. Yes, it can be a hassle to go on-line and fill out the report, but it is worth the investment in time.
At a recent civic meeting I heard an SDPD community relations officer comment on how he recently met with neighborhood leaders to discuss a perceived problem with bicycle thefts in that area. The neighborhood leaders wanted to know when the police were going to do something about stopping these bicycle thefts. However, the police officer disappointed them by pulling out an SDPD report based on filed police reports that indicated no bicycle thefts had occurred in the area. Apparently, the residents of the neighborhood had failed to file any crime reports. Hence, the police did not have any evidence the problem existed.
In closing, remember the age-old adage…The squeaky wheel get the oil. It’s no different today. When many people report a pothole or crime, people listen. The more they report, the more people will listen. If Linda Vista doesn’t bother to squeak, no one will bother to apply any oil.
Cuckoo for Cocobomb
Some time ago we did a review of the Panda Café, on Ulric Street near Linda Vista Road. The business featured Thai street food/desserts. Unfortunately the Panda Café closed. The establishment reopened shortly thereafter as Triple Tea and Coffee. However, a couple months ago we noticed Triple Tea had closed down for renovations. We waited patiently to see what was going to happen. Recently, we noticed activity going on at that location and eventually saw signs of a possible reopening. Finally, a sign appeared saying “soft opening.” We naturally thought about going there to check out the latest iteration of the business.
The new little coffee shop type establishment is called Cocobomb. It is very cute inside with a few tables, and also tables outside. It is basically a Thai coffee/tea shop featuring coffee and tea drinks such as expresso, latte, Carmel macchiato, coconut water, fresh young coconut, Thai tea and cocoa drinks, as well as a selection of desserts such as coconut cake, Thai coconut jelly, Thai soft rolls, mango with sticky rice, and others. They have coconut, vanilla and chocolate ice cream and sundaes with various toppings. You can see here the theme is definitely coconuts.
Thom, the proprietor, was very friendly and was willing to talk with us about the new business and his vision for the future. They are just in the process of opening and will be adding some things as time goes along such as breakfast items, including sandwiches. Everything they have is made fresh and homemade. There are other Thai products showcased in the dining area such as various snacks.
After studying the menu and deciding that 10:00 am was a little early for ice cream— though it looked delicious—we settled on the Thai Iced Tea for Steve and the Coconut Water for myself. I had never had coconut water and Thom said it was very refreshing and thought I would enjoy it.
Steve liked his Thai Tea very much. It was sweet, but he said not too sweet. My coconut water was really good. There were many slices of coconut immersed in the drink. I was happy to know there is not much sugar in coconut water and very few calories. These cool drinks seemed especially appropriate considering our recent warm and humid weather.
We hope that Cocobomb is successful in Linda Vista. We need a coffee shop and when they have their breakfast food, I think it will do very well. We look forward to their official grand opening.
We recommend giving Cocobomb a try. Tell them you read about the place in the Linda Vista Update.
Hours: 7:00 am to 7:00 pm
Address: 2379 Ulric Street
LV Upcoming Events
—Love, Linda Vista Farmers Market: Our LV Farmers Market will be held today Thursday, August 11 from 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm at the Linda Vista Plaza Shopping Center. In addition to all the farmer and assorted vendor selections available to visiting shoppers, this week the Farmers Market will also feature the music of the North County Jazz Quintet. This group is made up of talented students who regularly play at Liberty Station and Panama 66 in Balboa Park. Everyone is encouraged to visit the Farmers Market, shop for fresh fruits and vegetable, and listen to the music. You can check out a sample of North County Jazz Quintet’s music by clicking here. Make sure you read about Microgreens San Diego, one of the Farmers Market’s newest vendors, in the article that follows below.
—Movie in the Park: As part of the City’s “Parks After Dark” program, the movie Space Jams: A New Legacy will be shown this Friday August 12 at the Linda Vista Neighborhood Park and Recreation Center. The movie is free and open to the public (all ages). It begins at dusk. Bring your lawn chairs.
—LV Family Reunion: A favorite community tradition resumes this Sunday, August 14. The Linda Vista Family Reunion will be held at the Linda Vista Neighborhood Parks and Recreation Center from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm.. As explained by Family Reunion coordinator Sukari Appling, “It is a day to celebrate family with our Linda Vista family. We want the Family Reunion to help keep the unity in the community.” Please see the below flyer for additional details about this fun event.
—LV Town Council: The Linda Vista Town Council will hold its next monthly meeting on Wednesday August 17 at the the Baha’i Hall (6545 Alcala Knolls Drive). The meeting will begin with an opportunity to socialize (6:00 pm to 6:30 pm), and the official program with guest speaker beginning thereafter. The public is invited to attend. This is your chance to meet with fellow residents and discuss civic issues.
—San Diego Festival of Books: The San Diego Union Tribune’s 6th Annual Festival of Books will be held on Saturday August 20. The event will be held on the University of San Diego campus. As explained on the event’s web site, the Festival of Books is an event for book lovers of all ages, where one can enjoy workshops, activities, photo booths, live entertainment, and discussions with award-winning authors. Admission is free. Check out the list of authors who will be on hand for the Festival by clicking here.
Enjoy Microgreens San Diego at Farmers Market
When the Love, Linda Vista Farmers Market first opened, one of the original vendors sold microgreens. As many of us did not know what microgreens were, we spoke with the vendor and asked some questions which he answered. We then wrote an informative article for the Update.
Because of several factors, including the rising price of gas and the distance this farmer came, he ceased coming to the Market. I for one was sad, because I had come to enjoy the microgreens, especially on salads.
Well, the good news is that the Fair Board was able to locate another microgreens vendor who started at the market last Thursday—Microgreens San Diego.
In addition to a wide selection of microgreens including kale, arugula, pea shoots, sunflower shoots, radish, wasabi cress, flax, cilantro, wheat grass, buck wheat and more, Microgreens San Diego also carries a line of salads that you can take home for a healthy and filling dinner.
We tried the salad last week and it was large enough for both of us. It contained beets, chick peas, cucumbers, lettuce, carrots, red peppers, tomatoes and loads of microgreens, and its was excellent. It felt like your body knew you were doing something good for it.
As we had previously reported, microgreens are full of vitamins, calcium, magnesium, potassium and much more. They are harvested the same day you buy them. They give a nice crunch to a salad, and I even saw them used on top of a steak on a cooking show today.
Commentary
Will Linda Vista Remain a Horizontal Community?
“Certain things, they should stay the way they are. You ought to be able to stick them in one of those big glass cases and just leave them alone.”
Holden Caulfield in the novel Catcher in the Rye
In actual conversations, and in certain Facebook discussions, long-time LV residents frequently express a longing for how the community used to be back decades ago. At the same time, they often express suspicion regarding anything popping up in the neighborhood that might indicate Linda Vista is in store for major changes, especially those changes capable of forever impacting upon the nature of the community. Just mention the dreaded word “gentrification” in their presence and watch them begin to physically shudder.
Regarding this rejection of change, just the other day, for example, as I was walking around downtown Linda Vista, I encountered a long-time LV resident pointing at the new multi-story apartment building under construction on Ulric Street (where the Bank of America building used to sit). She commented to me in a bitter tone, “What’s with all the new tall buildings in Linda Vista? This place is starting to look like Manhattan.”
I thought the comment a bit of an exaggeration, but I tried to calm her concerns. “The building is really not that tall ,” I politely responded.
And what’s with the elevator?” she continued, referring to the temporary construction lift used by the workers. “I remember when there were no elevators in Linda Vista. Back then everyone lived on the ground floor. We were all the same. No one was higher than anyone else.”
At that moment, another long-time LV resident joined us. While pointing at the building construction, he too lashed out, saying, “First, they build that five- story apartment complex near USD, and now this! Dagnabbit, Linda Vista is getting too high.”
Though I am well aware that change is an inevitable part of life, I started thinking about the average height of buildings in Linda Vista, and especially about the odd remark pertaining to elevators. Could it be these two residents were on to something profound about a change in Linda Vista culture? Later that day, as I drove through all the neighborhoods in Linda Vista, I began to realize how the local community architecture is indeed dominated by one- and two-story buildings. Reflecting the tradition of the one-story cracker box houses first built in the 1940’s to house defense workers, Linda Vista is indeed built low to the ground. Outside of those school/college campus buildings in the area, there aren’t too many LV buildings built high enough that they require elevators.
The more I thought about the Linda Vista landscape, the more I concluded our community can definitely be considered a “horizontal” community—with most of our buildings barely poking their roofs above the horizon. What is the significance of this feature, other than the fact that elevator repair people can’t make a living by working solely in Linda Vista? And why are so many long-time LV residents adamant that we essentially remain horizontal—the absolute antithesis of skyscraper cities like Manhattan that reach endlessly upward?
After conducting some research, I discovered the term horizontal groups or communities is used in sociological circles. In sociology, vertical groups are defined as including people of different strata or statuses. And horizontal groups are defined as including people of the same status.
Perhaps long-time LV residents have over the years come to understand that as long as neighborhood buildings all remain the same height—low to the ground—we will continue to feel we are all equals here in Linda Vista. Everyone living on the same level, so to speak. No one claiming to be better (or higher) than anyone else. I suppose that is a good thing; after all, Americans like to see themselves as equals. But once high, multi-story buildings come to dominate the LV landscape, I can see how an uncomfortable hierarchy may develop. People will start measuring their worth based on how high above the ground they live. I can just hear the conversation:
LV resident # 1: “I live on the 43rd floor of my LV high-rise apartment complex. I look down upon everyone else. What do you think about that?”
LV resident # 2: “Well, I happen to live on the 81st floor penthouse of the just-opened LV Tower apartment complex, and I look down on you, and all the rest of you low-living peons.”
Who wants to hear that conversation?
Unfortunately, this might be what the future holds for Linda Vista. After all, you can’t stop change. Progress, and high buildings are coming to get us, whether we like it or not. The demand for housing is just too great.
Right now, it’s just a couple new multi-story buildings, but one day a few years from now, I am afraid we will all be riding elevators, and some of us will be considered better than others.
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Interested in one of the best-kept secrets of Linda Vista? Do you know about our local thrift shop called the Christian Closet? Open Saturday mornings from 8:30 to 12, run by St. Vincent De Paul Society on the grounds of Holy Family church, very reasonable, gently used clothing and household goods. Need more info? Call me, Terry Clark 619-517-4293