We feel for you readers. We really do. We get your emails where you bitch about everything from your rent to the cost of your morning coffee. Today we feature a reader email straight out of Northeast LA - the area north of Silver Lake, we think, where they seem to be experiencing reverse gentrification.
Hi Curbed. I'm writing 'cause I'm pissed off about the closing of the Albertsons on Figueroa and Avenue 45 in the Mt. Washington/ Montecito Heights area. This is the only mainstream supermarket around for miles and now it's going to become what the employees are calling an "independent supermarket." What the hell? In this area of Northeast LA which is supposed to be the up and coming "new Silver Lake" why can't we have at least one decent supermarket? I am starting to have serious doubts about the whole "up and coming" label for this neighborhood. Seriously, we had one coffee place, called Mudpuppies, which was cool but only open a few hours a day and not open at all at night. Turns out Mudpuppies is closed now for some repairs or maybe just straight up closed for good. That leaves us with Albertsons as the only mainstream store, and that will soon be gone. Seriously, there's so much money in the hills of Mt. Washington and the hills of Montecito Heights...people are literally sitting on fortunes in home equity from the last couple of years...can't we fucking get a Whole Foods up in here? Seriously. How bout a Trader Joe's? For the love of God, Downtown LA is about to get a Ralph’s. Where the hell are the benefits of gentrification in Mt. Washington and Montecito Heights? There's a Gold Line train stop at the Southwest Museum, and it's great and easy to use, although, the museum itself may now close. In the future there may be a Southwest Museum stop and no actual Southwest Museum. WTF?
Can you please share the serious lack of amenities in this neighborhood with your readers? Could you also share the fact that there's a bunch of people with a bunch of money who would like to spend it right here in the neighborhood, if only there were actual stores and restaurants where local residents could actually spend their cash. Maybe some smart person would open a cool cafe or restaurant or store someplace on Figueroa and then rake in the dough from all the people in the hills looking for a local place to kick it. The bottom line is there are people with butt loads of cash and no place to spend that cash. Sounds like the perfect usiness opportunity for some wise investors.
Thanks for listening to my rant Curbed. You're cool. Do you want to open a place on Fig? Just kiddin.
Excellent email, dear reader. We suggest you replace the word "Curbed" with the name "Ed P. Reyes" and send it to City Hall. The Honorable Councilman representing you should be made aware of the shit hole you're living in.