LETTER: A 70-Year View of Santa Monica

Dear Editor,

I have been reading with interest the recent letters in Patch about Santa Monica – now and how it once was. I’d like to offer up my nearly 70-year view of our little peace of heaven.

Just for background, my great-grandfather and his family took a train from Grasshopper Falls, KS to the end of the line in Salinas, CA where they bought a covered wagon for the trip south that landed them in Santa Monica in August 1875.  Lots in Santa Monica went on sale just the month before and they bought one. Before then, Santa Monica was a rancho.

As a child in the 40s I remember walking with my grandmother (born in Santa Monica in 1877) in Palisades Park. I would listen as she talked with the gardeners, whom as I recall she seemed to all know by name. As we walked on, she would tell me the names and stories of the flowers they were planting. Those were dear moments. She also taught me to always be welcoming of the people that came to the beach as such visits so refreshed the soul and that “we want everyone to have their souls refreshed.” And, after all, she went on, we lived here and sharing is one of life’s best joys.

Recently, I took my first drive down Ocean Avenue in some time and I gazed and the new nine-story housing across from Loews. I remember the hue and cry of years ago of not wanting to turn Santa Monica into Miami Beach with tall buildings along the ocean front and we all thought that surely our resolve would keep that from happening. Guess not.

The utter irony of this is that all the seeming out-of-control development that Mr. Redfern refers to in his letter and the accompanying horrific traffic that drives everyone up the wall, which will only get worse with the gradual approval of the thirty-odd development projects now in the pipeline, happened under the continuous watch care of Santa Monicans For Renters’ Rights – SMRR, who took over the City Council from the Chamber of Commerce-types in the late 1970s because of what “they” were doing to this fair town.  Funny what happens to folks when they come into power and hold it for thirty years, especially when there’s money involved.

I sadly agree with Mr. Redfern’s comment, “This was a beautiful city once, and it isn't anymore" but would add “to us who remember it when…”  Santa Monica belongs to new, different people now and they love it here – just as we did, and maybe even more.

I enjoyed Janice Slossy’s letter and share her sadness of those lost memories of our earlier, simpler days in Santa Monica. Today is one of the ‘earlier days’ of those who have just moved here.  And most “todays” are pretty nice ones, I must say.  

I took great umbrage at Matthew Gibbons dismal rant of his horrible memories and experiences here. I know and visited the places he mentions. Life is what you make it, and I do hope Mr. Gibbons will work a bit harder to make his better than his letter indicates his was in the 50s and 60s. Refresh that soul, Mr. Gibbons.

While one can remain optimistically hopeful that something will be done about the traffic (lots of one way streets?), you still can’t beat the climate and the sunsets, the mountain views, the strolls in the parks, or runs or walks on the beach, surfing, hiking in the local mountains or any of the thousand joys that are increasingly available those to live in and visit Santa Monica today.  I am reminded of an old Chinese saying: “Not to worry! One hundred years – all new people.”   I hope they will love Santa Monica as much as we have.  I’ll bet they will. And maybe they'll solve the traffic problem.

Michael Hill
Santa Monica

Want to submit your own letter to the editor or opinion piece? Email it to Santa Monica Patch editor Jessica Davis at jessica.davis@patch.com.

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