How can Santa Maria change to be a wealthier city? (Santa Barbara: apartments, crime)

[.highnlite]

Originally Posted by the city

And how is the city wrecked? Since you just said it was a wealthy city.

Holy Mackeral, read what is written. I stated at least twice that the city had a vibrant small town down town until the heart of it was destroyed and replaced with malls... I did not state the town was wrecked. Look, when educated people write, they use words that indicate meaning, generally precise meaning.

That has nothing to do with wealth, and everything to do with bad taste.

Tell you what, park your car across from Santa Maria High, just off Broadway on Morrison, then walk down Morrison to Miller, then down Miller to Camino Colegio, then up it, now wander the side streets, pay attention to the homes you will see, all indicative of wealth.

[bouncethelight]

Originally Posted by .highnlite

I stated at least twice that the city had a vibrant small town down town until the heart of it was destroyed and replaced with malls...

I have relatives that can remember back when it had a great downtown area!

And even when I lived there, the locals were complaining about how the mall had totally destroyed the downtown. It really made me wish my time there had occurred before the mall came...

[the city]

The mall should not have been built in downtown. They should have built the mall like where San Luis Obispo had it's mall. The mall should have been in a suburban part of town. But things are what they are. I don't think the big box centers ruined the city. They bring in money to the city.

I just heard from a friend the only good hiking trail in Santa Maria called Rancho Verdes Park you have to rent it and watch a video. I think they need to make hiking trails more accessible to people. Like Cerro Alto in Atascadero, pay a fee, go hike and be done with it! If Santa Maria had a nice part in their downtown, a good hiking trail, and a nicer mall with "destination" stores than more affluent people and affluent whites would locate into Santa Maria.

I like the mall and all the big box centers in the city, but the city needs to put that movie theater in the mall. The movie theater will attract some stores I would actually go to like American Eagle Outfitters, Forever 21, Buckle, Wet Seal, LIDS, etc...and Im sure the ladies of the area would like to see a Wet Seal, Justice for younger girls, and something else. All which I can see opening in the mall when the movie theater goes in.

In fact, I think one day I will move to Santa Maria IF the mall gets some better stores and restaurants. The mall in Salinas, Monterey, and the two malls in Santa Barbara are just so much better.

The mall, Costco, Trader Joes, affordability, great parks in the southern end of town, and the friendly atmosphere is definately why I'd move to Santa Maria one day.

The draw for me to move to San Luis Obispo is different. Downtown with the arts scene, hiking trails and parks, organic grocery markets, and more safety.

Of course San Luis Obispo needs a Whole Foods before I decide to move there and I'd give Whole Foods a year to two years to find a suitable location. My guess is somewhere downtown or on Broad Street.

[the city]

I think if more Whites moved into Santa Maria it would help things out alot. The city has about 30,000 Caucasian and 70,000 Hispanic and 5,000 Asian-American and 1,000 African-American and 1,000 from other races like Indians, Native Americans, and Filipinos.

[.highnlite]

Originally Posted by bouncethelight

I have relatives that can remember back when it had a great downtown area!

And even when I lived there, the locals were complaining about how the mall had totally destroyed the downtown. It really made me wish my time there had occurred before the mall came...

When I was a kid, prior to the tearing out of the downtown, my brothers and I could walk to the theatre, get an ice cream at the little ice cream shop, buy those little match box cars next to the shoe shine man at the news stand at the Bradley Hotel. D.D. Davidsons's was a little store that had all the stuff boys needed, cap pistols, balsa wood gliders, roller skates, etc. We were allowed to walk by ourselves, and we were younger than 10 years old. It was a safe little town.

We weren't supposed to cross Main Street, the North East corner of Main and Broadway had a series of bars, it was called whiskey row. Today there is nothing there, just a seldom used park.

We could get all our school clothes at Haslams, and Penney's.

We used to walk to the end of the runway way at Hancock Field and watch the planes land and take off, that is all Hancock College these days. My dad's first car was one that Allan Hancock bought for his son, a snazzy Buick convertible, but the son didn't like it, so my grandfather bought it from him for my dad.

[Just One of the Guys]

Next your going to say that Waller Park was named after your grandfather too???


Look, I know Santa Maria, I was born there, my father was born there, my grandfather built his house in Santa Maria in 1924, our family name is stuck up all over the place, The family economic base is in Santa Maria. If I told you our name, you would say, "well, I'll be darned, it is stuck up all over the place"

Just for the fun of it, Marian Hospital was named for a good friend of my Grandmother's (who gifted the money to build it), Preisker Park was named for a good friend of my Grandfather's, Twitchell Dam, ditto, KCOY and the Santa Maria Inn were started by Frank McCoy, an old friend of my Grandfather's.

This is just the start of the list.[/quote]

[Capt. Dan]

Santa Maria should allow itself to be annexed by Guadalupe and become Santa Guadalupe!!!!!!!!!

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Too far from LA to be a place for second homes or any sort of exurban functions.

Not at a cross roads, at the base of a Sierra pass or at a port.

Minimal air linkage.

Sorry folks, it's going to be a modest place for the foreseeable future.

That's not all bad. It allows middle class people to survive, assuming they can find work.

[.highnlite]

Originally Posted by Capt. Dan

Santa Maria should allow itself to be annexed by Guadalupe and become Santa Guadalupe!!!!!!!!!

Back in the olden days Santa Maria desperately wanted the the SP railroad to come through town. The town fathers did something to annoy Stanford so he ran it through Guadalupe instead. For some reasons Guadalupe never caught on. The house my Grandfather built in 1911 in Guadalupe still stands though.

[the city]

Originally Posted by BayAreaHillbilly

Too far from LA to be a place for second homes or any sort of exurban functions.

Not at a cross roads, at the base of a Sierra pass or at a port.

Minimal air linkage.

Sorry folks, it's going to be a modest place for the foreseeable future.

That's not all bad. It allows middle class people to survive, assuming they can find work.

There is an airport and its more used than the SLO airport and its about the same size of the Santa Barbara airport.

Maybe just getting people to move here is the key. They are opening up a second hospital and Hancock College is expanding. The mall is adding a movie theater.

I hope this will help draw people to Santa Maria.

The mall, and redeveloping the area around it, will be key. Maybe if the mall could get some nice stores here. Gap, Express, Hollisters, American Eagle Outfitters, etc...

And Los Flores Ranch needs to be more accessible to people. Cut out the reservations and a video you must watch.