You should already know who these kids are.
B and I went for a two-days-before-baby walk down to West Cliff this morning. It was nice and quiet and it wasn't hot out yet. We've been walking from our apartment down to West Cliff ever since we moved here, coming on four years ago. Monterey Bay is beautiful and as often as not we spot otters. We are otter spotters. It's what we do.
For some reason, this morning's stroll made me (finally) realize what it is that's always pissed me off about SC. It's the fact that it has a lot of the qualities that I love in towns and cities, but they're all undermined here (bear with me...) SC is a shabby, weird, funky little place with a lot of interesting people and an agreeable amount of randomness. It's unique and totally unlike the static strip mall hell of most of the rest of urban California. But, here, the cost of living is batshit insane (A.) and there's just enough constant, ongoing violence that you can never really feel safe (B.)
For the first two years, I tried my hardest to like it here. In hindsight I did so because I like weird, peripheral places and I really wanted to like the SC variation on that theme. I threw in the towel, though, because the average rent for a two-bedroom apartment is 1600/month and because people get shot while they're riding their bikes down the street. This situation, it sucks, because if you could afford it and the shootings and stabbings were fewer and further in between, this would actually be a pretty neat town.
Anyway...I'll check in with the internet after the kiddo arrives. Until then, mes potes.
For some reason, this morning's stroll made me (finally) realize what it is that's always pissed me off about SC. It's the fact that it has a lot of the qualities that I love in towns and cities, but they're all undermined here (bear with me...) SC is a shabby, weird, funky little place with a lot of interesting people and an agreeable amount of randomness. It's unique and totally unlike the static strip mall hell of most of the rest of urban California. But, here, the cost of living is batshit insane (A.) and there's just enough constant, ongoing violence that you can never really feel safe (B.)
For the first two years, I tried my hardest to like it here. In hindsight I did so because I like weird, peripheral places and I really wanted to like the SC variation on that theme. I threw in the towel, though, because the average rent for a two-bedroom apartment is 1600/month and because people get shot while they're riding their bikes down the street. This situation, it sucks, because if you could afford it and the shootings and stabbings were fewer and further in between, this would actually be a pretty neat town.
Anyway...I'll check in with the internet after the kiddo arrives. Until then, mes potes.
1 comment:
You forgot one thing about that town... all the goddamned vampires.
If I may be serious for a moment, I'd also like to say congrats in advance on the arrival of your kiddo. She will have the advantage of having two of the most excellent people I have ever known as parents. I hope it all goes well, and I can't wait to see pics.
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