By R.E. Brezic Santa Monica
Referring to the article about remodeling 3rd Street. It should once again become a traffic through street as it was many years ago and allow useful stores to open up, stores that general public can use and not these useless, silly so called “upscale” stores. And what about this senseless word “ambiance,” that it will never have. Plus it will never be a Beverly Hills!
If traffic was permitted on 3rd Street — and I refuse to call it Third Street Promenade — it would alleviate some of the shocking traffic we now have to endure. And why does all this traffic find it’s way down here? I can only assume a lot of it must be handled one way or the other. Otherwise, what is there to do down here - nothing? It’s a boring old place to say the least.
I knew Santa Monica when it was a sheer delight, peaceful place where rents were fair and one could purchase a few things down here without having to run to other neighborhoods for sensible stores to shop at.
So now they are going to waste more good money for these over priced people to once again mess up and probably make things worse than they already are.
Maybe a terrific solution would be to demolish 3rd and 4th Streets and begin anew with a fresh airy space containing nice two story buildings, housing, drug stores, a good supermarket, popular Wal-Mart, Cost-CO, Target, etc. They’d make a fortune, fast.
Whatever they intend to do to 3rd Street, the bums will always be there unless a very sensible strict plan is put into effect.
I know you are interested in hearing from your readers and I know many logical and sensible people feel the way I do.
It’s a crime what has become of downtown Santa Monica, even the weather seems to have become different. Most days were sunny, very few dull, miserable, cold days as we are experiencing now. Maybe the dense traffic (pollution) has something to with it? It’s too small a neighborhood to put up with all this insane growth. Such immense greed. I’ve lived here since 1951 and I just can’t believe how these greedy developers have ruined it. It should not have been allowed to happen by the people in charge.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 22, 2002. Read the original PDF.