Chico totally not the same
-
6/27/2011
I just went to Chico a couple weeks ago and spent a couple days there. I went to college there in the late 80's and even though, that was quite some time ago...the place has changed and Im left really feeling very sad. Even though the parks, creeks and river havent changed. Bidwell park is still very nice. The campus has grown and has awkward modern buildings sticking out with sharp edges that really dont fit with the modest simple architecture of the original campus. The addition to Whitney Hall (where I once lived)..looks like a huge Star Trek space ship that overcame the beautiful green grass park strip that used to be beneath its floors. The people are no longer that friendly. I used to be so stunned how warm the locals were and how everyone every where smiled and said "hi". There are major subdivisions with new city dwellers taking up the open space, the creeksides and nice cute neighborhoods. It was really sad to see million dollar houses lining Butte Creek so you can hardly get access to Butte creek anymore except by the HoneyRun bridge and they now charge a fee to park there. There is gang writing all over the walls behind Safeway on Nord. There were absolutely no gangs when I lived there. Just a tiny bit of crime in chapman town. Now all these rich bay area transplants..or wherever they come from, ride around in there gas guzzling SUV's. Chico was very environmentally friendly when I lived there and very liberal and would gawwk at a SUV and all the gas wasted when we all rode bikes and walked everywhere. I never had a car the whole 4 yrs I lived there as I could walk, bike or (take a short bus ride) to wherever and whatever I needed. Its really sad how the place has changed. Im sure there are a couple die hard older locals there with the same simple, country, no growth values I have...but they sure are the minority. Only saw one house with people sitting out on the front porch..like we all used to do and just sit and reflect on our surroundings. I think I saw one bike riding across town when I was there. Very different, from how we lived, on our bikes, feet, wearing birkenstocks. Now you see kids wearing high heels on campus...its sad. I dont even like to go there now. It used to be very earthy and simple. Now Chico is a small town taken over by yuppies and city folk. They also have routy college kids that burn couches in the streets. We sure did none of that. We just went there to learn, make friends, enjoy the friendly community and enjoy the beautiful parks...so sad.
Ann
ann | Petaluma, CA