Life in Lompoc (Santa Maria, Solvang, Mission Hills: hardwood floors, section 8, apartments)

[redbirdny]

I see time and time again on mssg boards people trashing Lompoc while overlooking the problems in their areas. I can say that growing up in Lompoc was nice. Moved there from the east coast with parents as a young child. Dad was in the Air Force. I found plenty to do and that was when the town was indeed tiny without all the amenities it has now or the traffic and endless subdivisions. The hills and mountains on all sides gave a great panoramic view. The Flower Festival in June was not the gangbanger fest it is now. It was than a time to hang out with friends and eat bbq. Some of you long timers might even remember the red tornado slide that used to be at Ryon Park. Not there now. Place is not the same now. My ex boyfriend worked at the old Perozzi's Hardware and than Moore's in the hardware dept. Those old hardwood floors. Now it is some sort of thrift shop. Doggone it. I worked at the Rice Bowl one summer. I used to eat at Hi Let's Eat. I worked on many floats for the parade each year with the church I attended. Yeah First Southern Baptist on Pine Ave also had a Jambalaya booth I worked at. Freezing cold trying to keep warm but had fun anyway as our small town was just that. Than it all changed and little dear Lompoc had to emulate the bigger towns in the area and took on a lot of their problems. K-mart and JC Penney's went under. Mack's coffee shop too. Now they got a Starbuck's in place of Arby's. Not progress in my opinion. Houses took over the beautiful flower and vegetable fields. No more kids playing at the riverbed like I did in the 70's. My only problem with Lpc as a kid was the cold weather. When my kids came along, all the areas to play at were restricted. Gangs came around and yes they are real. My best friend's son was in a gang incident as a victim. The boy had to relocate to save his life. My point being Lpc was not always gang riddled or filled with needless subdivisions. Even now it is a preferable alternative to living in big box towns like SM. I won't say the beach areas are that great since the water temps seldom get out of the 60's. You just find other things to do like hike in the hills.

[Greenchili]

I guess you just cant leave Lompoc alone eh? Just kiddin. Feel free to
post your opinions, thats what this forum is about.
Just dont understand why your hung up on Lompoc, when you live
in Florida. But hey, whatever floats your boat. There are still plenty
of flower fields here, my hubby just took a pic of one while on one
of his bike rides. Ive never been to the flower festival,just doesnt
interest us. I do love flowers though. Lompoc doesnt seem like its
grown in population, it still seems a small town to me. Im glad they
got Starbucks, and a few other new stores, like Home Depot. Now
if they could just get a Trader Joes. Oops thats too yuppy isnt it?
Like I said, Lompoc has grown on us. Its an ok little town, and you
dont need air conditioning, or excessive heating in the winter. The whole
central coast is pretty mellow, weather wise and people wise. JMHO.


Deb

[redbirdny]

Being that it is has been about 6 years or so that I have lived out here and just now posted on one of these forums some of my thoughts about my adopted hometown, I hardly think that qualifies me as hung up on it.

Saying "whatever floats your boat" sure does not show the love of the Jesus that you worship.

[Greenchili]

Ok, I will just say, whatever. I fail to see how saying the former
is unchristian like. Dont get so upset, Im not looking for a arguement.
Chill out.

[missya]

Yeah I remember Lompoc back when. The Flower Festival was great! we use to be the flower capital of the world now you can hardly see any fields at all I grew up in the 60's and 70's even part of the 80's were still great anybody remember cruising up and down ocean and H. I grew up for the most part in Mission Hills we use to climb trees hike to the mission and play in the woods til supper time. when I bought a home there in 94 walkiing in the woods was not really a good Ideal alone. I moved out of Lompoc in 03 it was hard but we had to for better work opps.I went to the Festival last year the food booths well! I dont think that will ever change people love to eat if nothing else, but the rest left something to be desired, I took a new friend of mine and bragged about the festival all the way there Imagine my my disapointment it just was not the same. I Love Lompoc I grew up there but each time I go back to visit it just seems like its dying by degrees. I miss Lompoc back when.......

[Steve Bagu]

Visited Lompoc in sept of 1950 while stationed at Camp Cook with the activation of the Calif National Guard because of Korea. All I can remember is that they rolled up the sidewalks at 5 pm and then the town went to sleep. Gee, it was so quiet so we started going to Santa Maria to spend our money and look for girls. Such memories are nice. Stefhen

[missya]

Originally Posted by Steve Bagu

Visited Lompoc in sept of 1950 while stationed at Camp Cook with the activation of the Calif National Guard because of Korea. All I can remember is that they rolled up the sidewalks at 5 pm and then the town went to sleep. Gee, it was so quiet so we started going to Santa Maria to spend our money and look for girls. Such memories are nice. Stefhen

My Grandma was a cook at camp cook her name is Eva Bobo

[brecklundin]

I too grew up here from the 60s-80s. Where once a kid was safe to be ANYWHERE in town now they cannot let kids in shop class at the HS use any actual tools for fear they will make weapons out of them.

During my time in Lompoc until the early 80s there had been exactly TWO killings in almost 30-years...period. Now we are lucky if that number stays in single digits annually.

There are reasons for this not the least of which is the fact Lompoc has one of the highest rates of people living on public assistance of anywhere in the country. That is not to say because you need a helping hand that you are a criminal but a significant part of that population are the stereo-type welfare mothers with 6-kids and no father in sight. Gangs are EVERYWHERE there are no safe places in town. And don't even think of visiting the Flower Festival after dark anymore.

Absentee owners of the myriad of apartments in town is another huge factor. That is because almost all of them are managed by some of the worst property management companies you can imagine. They actually prefer renting to Section 8 assistance folks because, well, they are afraid to complain about the living conditions. One example is Wiser...they do the bare minimum to maintain any property they manage.

Also a huge factor is there is a FEDERAL MAX SECURITY PENITENTARY here where the worst we had was a Federal minimum security place. But with the freaks in the Pen comes their gang pals and female pincushions that pop out kids like human Pez dispensers.

And while there are a lot of decent hardworking people in the town...I would never raise kids here...it simply is no longer safe. Nor is there a hint of culture. To many folks here Denny's was the height of fine dining...well, there, that says a lot...Denny's LEFT TOWN. No how bad does a place have to be for DENNY'S to roll up the carpets and run as fast as possible.

Wanna do anything interesting or find a grocery store that sells something beyond Wonderbread and proclaim a "gourmet" cheese selection which turns out is about eighteen different types of processed cheese...right Von's? No I am not joking they have about 18 different types of processed cheese slices...it outnumbers the few decent cheeses they do carry.

And, if you want anything of interest to do you are looking at a minimum of a 90mi round trip unless you catch something at the PCPA Theaterfest in either Santa Maria or Solvang (beautiful outdoor real theater), then it's only about 45-60mi roundtrip. Lompoc offers nothing anymore. It is a dying festering pit where the sewer meets the sea.

If you need proof just drive around the neighborhood directly south from the high school...better wear body armor though.

BTW, I am only here because I have an terminally ill parent I am caring for...

[brecklundin]

Originally Posted by missya

My Grandma was a cook at camp cook her name is Eva Bobo

Are you related to Victor Bobo?

[missya]

yes how do you know vic are you a member of nlca?