By Cheri Rae
As a resident of a downtown neighborhood in Santa Barbara, where everyone is encouraged—perhaps expected—to walk everywhere, I’m doing my best to be a Good Citizen at Thanksgiving time.
It was a little easier to set out on foot to shop for groceries when the funky old Von’s on Victoria was still open. Trekking six blocks there for a bag full of supplies, and six blocks back was a reasonable, even somewhat pleasant schlep—unless we needed a watermelon, a gallon of milk or anything else that added up to several pounds. Still we managed to help keep the family in food, and the store in business.
But now Von’s is gone—to be replaced with some overpriced boutique-y market tucked into a massive new condo project that will engulf that whole parking lot—but I digress.
Nowadays, the closest grocery store is the fancy Ralph’s Fresh Fare on Carrillo, a daunting distance when the shopping list includes a 20-pound turkey, lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, a couple boxes of stuffing, and all the ingredients for baking bread, a few pies and a batch of pumpkin cookies. Weight is just one factor; bulk is another. How can I stuff a backpack with a five-pound bag of flour, a sack of potatoes, enough apples for a pie—and still have room for the bird?
Somehow, the notion of carting home nature’s bounty—and getting my arms around a big, cold, slippery bird—is just about enough to make me consider picking up a couple packages of tofu and going vegetarian this year.
Or I guess I could appropriate the old Radio Flyer abandoned in the backyard, or make several trips back and forth with a heavy-duty backpack—thereby burning enough calories to justify indulgence on Turkey day.
According to all the general planning for so much smart growth I keep hearing about, the good news is there will be a whole new growth industry in delivery service jobs for those of us who just can’t figure out how to bring home the bacon on foot.
After listening to the professional planners who turn up their noses at me for not demolishing my big, old house and replacing it with high-density, and therefore, green condos, I’m beginning to feel like I don’t even deserve to live in Santa Barbara anymore unless I reduce my carbon footprint to just those I make with my own.
I’m doing my best with canvas bags, recycling, saving water and replacing light bulbs.
But with all the stuff I have to buy to feed my guests the traditional Thanksgiving meal, it’s not that easy to turn theory into practice. Right now, I’m giving thanks for so many things, including the fact I still have a car—and a parking place to put it.
You have highlighted one of the secret lies the elite tell when pushing these projects through. Sure there might be “mixed use” in these overscaled projects..maybe even with a boutique grocery, but the “workforce housing” element, if it exists, is still going to hop in their cars and drive to Albertson’s, Costco, etc. The elites plan these things as if they would live in them, including miles of bike racks, overpriced stores and any other thing they see in their “Sustainable, Walkable European Town Monthly” but for middle class Santa Barbara, they’d much rather have a picket fence and tree swing for the kids even if they have to drive 10 minutes to work each day.
You also highlighted their chief weapon…Guilt.
BTW, is there some sort of word filter that puts comments into moderation? I posted one, then added a second small comment and only the second posted while the first awaits moderation.
Editor’s Note: Yes, there have always been a few words that throw a comment into moderation, but the filter seems to be picking up more than it should this week, to be corrected.
Now, Cheri, no one wants you to tear down your adequate home in the Haven. You could build on a studio apartment, but that still will be your choice.
And nice you like to walk a few blocks to the old Vons. Another option could be to drive to Ralphs and take a walk from there to the beach or somewhere else, then drive home with your groceries. A bike with a trailer also would be cool to schlep at least four full grocery bags.
I agree with El Smurfo. I live downtown, too. The only market in close walking distance is Santa Cruz, but a car trip is necessary to hit anything else, sadly. Families aren’t going to live in tiny units with no car. It’s not practical. Without major employers (other than the city) just who is this ‘workforce housing’ for? High density zoning dramatically increases the land value, so the ultimate payoff is for….? The Housing Authority? And who do they house?
Ouch…you are very unintelligent. How do you get those heavy items up to the cashier? Yep, a cart. Just buy a fold up rolling cart and easily bring your stuff all the way home. I admit I need a car for all sorts of things…but a whole article about your lack of resourcefulness? I too live downtown, a drive my car everywhere, but I have options…and walking and biking are awesome in this town. If they eliminated cars from all of downtown…it would not impact my life at all.