Ocean Park neighborhood south of Pico becoming muc
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9/5/2006
After selling a huge old home near downtown Portland, Oregon, three years ago and purchasing a small condo in the Ocean Park area of Santa Monica, every day is a reminder how much I love the glorious sunshine and blue sky, the tropical plants and colorful flowers in bloom all year round and especially the closeness to miles of beautiful beaches. The Ocean Park area has been beautified a lot in the past three years and with it's easy access (by a short walk) to the beach, many popular coffee shops, one of a kind boutiques and restaurants.... it is in many ways now considered more desirable than the area north of Wilshire (which doesn't have walking access to the beach because of the PCH highway and Palisades cliffs preventing direct access). My only complaint is: not enough is being done to take care of the homeless problem throughout all of Santa Monica. The city is always working on the issue but not quickly enough. Since it is so easy to live outside all year around, it's understandable why there are so many homeless. I think they should be picked up and taken to a community set up in an area that is much less populated, east or north of here. They could be given counseling and art therapy to help them with the emotional problems which are the cause their inability to cope in this fast-paced world which judges people mainly by their ability to earn lots of money. They could be expected then to help in the running of their own community....learning to grow, prepare, serve food....keep their living spaces clean and maintained....and eventually...through their own artistic expression, even beautified. This would provide these pour wounded souls with a sense of pride and dignity. Cottage industries could be started where they could use skills to make things that could be sold to make an income.
Why do we send so much money to other countries when people right under our noses need our help so much? Instead of looking away and hiding in big McMansions with gated protection and sending money to other parts of the world, I have used my artistic/organizational skills to turn a small condo into a very attractive livable space which I can afford as a self-employed artist while being able to enjoy my short walk to a beautiful beach and to take advantage of the fun dining and shopping here.
Sandy | Santa Monica, CA