South of Sunnyside

About this time last year Kim and I started to see signs of the first abandonment on our block. By spring, the lone tree in the property’s front yard was completely dried up, and beginning to decay; it fell over completely sometime during the summer.

We assumed that this was one of the foreclosures that have become increasingly popular, in our neighborhood and elsewhere. But yesterday, Kim learned that the house’s story is much more complex.

The property owners actually live across the street, in a much larger, two-story home. The owners initially rented the house to a family, with the understanding that said family would purchase the home at market value after two years. Construction on the house was completed late in 2005, and as the end lease term approached, the value of the home plummeted. The lessees offered market value to purchase the home, but the homeowners wanted what they paid.

Neither got what they wanted, so we all suffer.

Kim and I headed downtown yesterday to check out the Billion Dollar Tour. We made it through about 1/3 of the tour before deciding to get off at one of the stops; Kim wanted to walk through the Caglia auction at Warnor’s Theater, and we weren’t very impressed with our tour guide.

After the auction we grabbed coffee and a cinnamon roll from Cafe Corazon, and on our way to the grand opening of the fire museum, Kim noticed the that the doors to Pacific Towers were open, so we walked inside. It just so happened they were giving tours, so we were escorted to the 10th floor, and then guided through the four lofts there.

Kim has wanted to see these spaces for months, and we’re glad we did, but we were a bit under whelmed. There are great design features, and each loft is unique, but overall the spaces suffer from inattention to detail. Anyway, more on the lofts in another post.

As we headed to the elevator, we were encouraged to check out the gym, deli and salon on the 2nd floor, just above the Banker’s Ballroom. Well, the deli is non-existent and the gym leaves something to be desired (like a gym), but the salon is owned by George Garcia, a Redken-certified color artist (his wife mentioned a more formal title, but it escapes me). From the salon’s website:

One of Redken’s most sought after artists, George’s work can be seen in national and international publications such as:  Passion, Modern Salon and American Salon.  In 2001, he was voted one of the top 10 colorist in the U.S.by celebrity Style 101 magazine.  George just recently played a key role as a contributing artist in the development of the first edition “Redken Creates”, a collection of inspirational cut and color techniques for Redken’s amazing color dvd.  George created “Camo & Spice Block”, two techniques that show his eye for choosing the right color for any client.

Honestly, I don’t know what any of that means, but I know that we were blown away by the design of the space. George and his wife Monique have created a beautiful, relaxing environment, complete with six-foot, standing mirrors and metal sculptures from a local artist.

Evidently, Garcia spends half of his time in New York, so he doesn’t advertise in Fresno. But maybe he and Monique will open the The Loft up for ArtHop or another event—it’s a great example a transformed space.

Before throwing his name in the hat for the 2008 presidential race, Rudy Giuliani was chief executive of one of the country’s largest cities. From his two terms as mayor of New York City (1994 – 2001), Giuliani is credited with “initiating improvements in the city’s quality of life and with a reduction in crime” (Wikipedia).

Though Giuliani’s success as a leader may be at least partially credited to factors beyond his control (such as a national drop in crime rates), his adoption of the Broken Windows Theory addressed more than specific criminal actions; he arguably addressed the psychological and sociological effects of financial and physical marginalization.

From Malcolm Gladwell, author of The Tipping Point:

Broken Windows was the brainchild of the criminologists James Q. Wilson and George Kelling. Wilson and Kelling argued that crime is the inevitable result of disorder. If a window is broken and left unrepaired, people walking by will conclude that no one cares and no one is in charge. Soon, more windows will be broken, and the sense of anarchy will spread from the building to the street on which it faces, sending a signal that anything goes.

Fresno’s windows aren’t broken—they’re boarded. And those that aren’t covered up look out onto neglected properties, complete with dead (or dying) grass, wilted shrubs and trees, and an eery (and depressing) feeling of abandonment.

Certainly, irresponsible homeowners and banks play a significant role in the foreclosure crisis, but a house is part of a neighborhood, which is part of a greater community. We’re in this together, and in many ways we’re all to blame; if that seems a bit of a stretch, consider the lines of credit, based solely on equity, that rapidly inflated home prices here in the Valley just a few years back.

Homeowners who’ve weathered the storm (especially those in newer neighborhoods) are reminded of the economy’s uncertainty every time they—okay, we—leave the house and pass by a yellow lawn. So, how do we fix the windows?

Kim and I have begun semi-regular evening walks with the dogs; it’s good exercise (for us more than the dogs), it’s good stress relief, and it’s great for our relationship.

Last night, as we walked toward California Ave., we noticed that things seemed a bit brighter than before. Evidently, the good folks at the city decided we could have (street) light again! We’ve now gone two whole days without wire theft…

The route we’ve been taking is a bit depressing, as several of the homes across the street are not only abandoned, but they look as though someone has been taking advantage of the vacancies, which is a big safety concern for us. We’ve also noticed that another house on our loop looks as though it’s about to be left for dead: the grass and weed mixture is knee-high and dying, there are dozens of boxes piled high outside of the door, and yet there is no “for sale” sign.

I imagine, given the financial collapses of the last week or so, we’re in for a longer ride that we’d hoped.