La Mesa and San Diego - Then and Now
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11/10/2019
I now live in Wyoming but I was a third generation San Diegan, my maternal grandmother having been born on Coronado Island in 1894. If you are a new arrival to the area, I can see the appeal. Great weather, proximity to outdoor activities as well as theaters, museums and other cultural offerings you'd expect in a big city are all to be found within a fifty mile radius. What's not to love? My frame of reference is different. I grew up in La Mesa when our nearest neighbor was a quarter to half mile away. Our house no longer exists. It was replaced by a turn signal surrounded by businesses, houses and condos that you couldn't fit a piece of paper between. When I grew up here, you could drive from La Mesa to downtown San Diego and all you would see were the dairy farms that sat on the north side of Interstate 8. I'm glad that I experienced it when I did. People coming to this are who don't have my experience will likely find it a good place to live. For me, there are just too many people, crime has increased and it lost its appeal. Back in the 90's, I recall asking my Dad how things were going in La Mesa. He told me, "Great! They've got a new sign down on University Avenue. Drive by shootings - Right Lane Only". Cheyenne is windy and the winters can be long. But, my nearest neighbor is a couple of football fields away and there are Hereford and bison ranches, each thousands of acres, just minutes away. You can have the new La Mesa. I believe I'll stay here.
Rod | Cheyenne, WY