But it seems, whenever I am in search of a distinct atmosphere, or a variety of quality choices, I have to travel outside the borders of G-Town.
One reason may be that I may be a snob. But on second thought, I am not.
Anyone who takes time to shuffle through Persian cucumbers at the market, while competing with Armenian grandmas to end up with the best harvest, loses the right to be a snob.
I would actually prefer to stay in town for entertainment. Gone are the days that I traveled to Santa Monica to catch the sounds of a live blues band from Alabama.
The real reason for my travels lie behind what's not available in town. With all due and undue respect to our business establishments, there are only a handful of good restaurants locally, there is not much of nightlife and, without a doubt, there are not too many places with character.
Why can't Glendale compete with the likes of Pasadena, Santa Monica or Hollywood? How come we don't attract the best of the bunch?
One possibility could be that we just don't appreciate the good things in life or don't have the finances.
That's a weak argument.
One good look at the quality of homes and vehicles many residents have chosen puts a void stamp on this theory. Many residents spend their time and money outside our city borders. If it's not Beverly Hills for shopping, it's Pasadena for dining; if it's not Hollywood for cocktails, it's Santa Monica for lounging.
Of course, we can't close our borders and join the Soviet Bloc (any more), but it would be nice to keep some of that revenue here.
How about this argument? Our city is conservative and keeping it safe requires that we have mediocre choices. Development and safety are mutually exclusive.
This argument is also frail.
