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Post by MCMom on Feb 25, 2005 19:13:39 GMT -8
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Post by no scare tactics on Feb 25, 2005 20:40:49 GMT -8
Oh boy, here comes the politcos and their maneuvering. Seeing as how this 'new issue' was mentioned so ominously, I think I can predict pretty accurately what they're going to try to say. Shall I nip this tactic in the bud before any 'misinformation' spreads?
If Chagnon is going to talk about the conflict of interest lawsuit that Smart City Grinds filed, everyone should be aware that that has nothing to do with stopping the progress of the Starbucks in the savon furniture location. They are in fact two seperate issues, and it CANNOT stop the Starbucks development. Anything said to the contrary would be a campaign scare tactic (such as 'you'll have to vote for me if you want Starbucks to happen' ).
I'm sure she'll even bring up that her opponent, Uriel Macias, criticized her handling of the situation. Well he was right to do so. Everyone myself included is happy that Starbucks is going in, but we all pretty much know it could have been handled differently and should have been. The lawsuit could have been completely avoided if this council had just done something as simple as an open bid process, just to safeguard our tax-payer money. But Chagnon was anxious to annouce it in time for the election campaigns and moved ahead recklessly. So she caused a conflict with a venue whose owners I believe were once big fans of hers. Frankly, Smart City Grinds has personal, misplaced anger that's causing them to sue. But again.... could have been avoided had Chagnon listened to the advice of Councilman Rocha and Mr. Macias.
Progress is mindnumbingly slow in Azusa exactly because of this kind of track-record. Our city has a poor reputation when it comes to how our council as a whole deals with business and developers.... Lots of development and other types of major conflicts could have been avoided (Monrovia Nursery, Headstart, Police officers contract, Veteran's Memorial Flags, just to name a few) had Chagnon and certain other council members handled themselves responsibly. Our city would have much more progress if they did not behave in a self-serving, divisive manner. We need to have leaders that are responsible and who progress our community inclusively.
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Post by Are You All High on Feb 25, 2005 21:32:12 GMT -8
Besides the 500 or so adults residing in Mountain Cove, and a few more in Mirador and the newer homes just east of the horse stables, Azusa is by and far a WORKING CLASS city. Sorry, but all those good working class people are not going to stop visiting the ranch market for their 12 packs of Budweiser to suddenly take up wine tasting at a wine bar! Trader Joes may survive if it can get people to cross the border from Glendora. As far as Azusa restaurants go, they are all garbage, and to say so is more an insult to garbage than the restaurants. That BBQ place is a joke...can't they even get a permanent sign instead of hanging a banner over the old sign? How about some WINDOWS??? I took a look at Siam Palace but it either had a B or a C rating and I was out of there in a hurry. Tulipano's is okay, if you don't mind the XXX bookstore next door, the single mothers pushing the baby strollers up and down Citrus Avenue and the homey's in their Raiders jerseys. RAIDER NATION! Sad...very sad. Regarding best candidate, I do have to agree there...anybody else get the flier from Diane Chagnon listing all those who are endorsing her...looks like a big list of the "Scratch My Back And I Will Scratch Your Back Committee." Labor Unions, City Agencies, Current And Past Candidates, blah, blah, blah. Sounds like the Status Quo to me if you vote for Chagnon!  I am hopeful about the future of Azusa, but I just think change will not come as quick as some are projecting. |
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Post by Lisa on Feb 26, 2005 8:21:19 GMT -8
Most of the single family homes in the other areas of Azusa are now selling for between $300k-700k. www.realtor.com/FindHome/HomeListings.asp?mlsttl=&frm=byzip&pgnum=4&mls=xmls&js=on&target=&ct=&st=&sbint=&sbls=&sblo=&zp=91702&areaid=91702&mnsqft=&fid=so&vtsort=&mnprice=0&mxprice=99999999&mnbed=0&mnbath=0&typ=1&poe=realtor&x=8&y=5&sid=04494D4395ECC In order to buy homes at these prices, I don't care what kind of job they have, they need to have a pretty good income. When I was in my early 20's, I did not have very much money and I managed to go to nightclubs all of the time. Azusa has a large youthful population. If you look at the prices of the Abbey's menu, they are not expensive. Most meals are in the $8-13 range. www.abbeyfoodandbar.com/food.php Just because something is nice does not mean that it has to be expensive. And people do not have to order meals, they could just have drinks if they wanted to. That is how the Abbey got started in the first place. The food came later. It would be great to have some places in Azusa with some nice atmosphere. I think that you would be surprised at how many people would go to a place like that and how far they would come from. As for the wine bar, it costs something like $7 or $8 to have some wine and cheese. It would be a nice place to take a date for a lite lunch. It would give residents an opportunity to do something that is very special without spending a lot of money. Having a business such like The Abbey/winebar in the downtown would really improve the image of the city. I think that you should be a little more open minded to new ideas and not just shut them down that way. |
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Post by Comrade on Feb 26, 2005 8:58:39 GMT -8
You need to spend a little less time in West Hollywood and a little more time in Azusa.
What do you think...after our gardeners finish off the day in Mountain Cove, that the professionals of Mountain Cove and their respective gardeners who may very well also live in Azusa, will all get together over a bottle of Chardonnay at Abbey's? Besides that, do you really think that a restaurant that is thriving in West Hollywood would have any interest, whatsoever, in a working class city like Azusa.
Property values are up everywhere in California, but the fact remains that as of the 2000 census, 47.8% of housing units in Azusa were rentals! Gee, I am not a mathmetician, but I would say that means about half the population of Azusa are not even homeowners.
Furthermore, in 2000, the median rent was only $658! Let's say rent went up 25% in the last 5 years...you are still talking about entire families living on about $825 per month for their housing, and it is not because they wanted to have spare cash to eat at Abbey's Food Bar!
What's next on your suggestion list...a Yoga and Pilates Studio?
Baby steps, baby steps...
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Post by Lisa on Feb 26, 2005 9:41:39 GMT -8
I'm totally open to a Yoga studio. And $7-8, that is less than the price of a movie ticket. I'm not interested in baby steps when it comes to planning. I want to see a goal for the downtown on what we would like it to eventually become. We can take your so called "baby steps" in working towards the goal. But I want to see a plan for the downtown on what we eventually want it to become. If we do not have a goal, we will never even have a chance to get there. If we have a goal, we will have something that we can work towards.
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Post by Lisa on Feb 26, 2005 10:08:11 GMT -8
I did not say anything about having the Abbey open a branch here. I just thought that it would be nice to have something similar here, especially a place with a lot of outdoor seating.
Also, many cities have found that they can bring in the businesses before the residents move in. For example, I think that it was Victorville that built a mall before it had the population to really support it. And Rancho Cucamonga built huge shopping centers based on projected population growth. Businesses wanted to get in while they had the opportunity to, even though they knew that sales would be slow until the pending homes were built and residents moved in.
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Post by Liz on Feb 26, 2005 10:40:32 GMT -8
I agree with you Lisa. I don't think that it is a good idea to tear down creative ideas when talking about the downtown.
I have a friend that owns a small yoga studio in the LA area and most of her customers are not wealthy or even middle class. Many are poor college students with part time jobs. But her students manage to find the money for it because it is important to them.
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Post by Kim on Feb 26, 2005 11:05:48 GMT -8
I was just speaking to Liz and she told me about this discussion. I just wanted to say that I agree with Lisa and Kim. And in most households, it is women that do the majority of the shopping. I think that we know what we are talking about when we talk about what women are willing to spend money on. I would love to be able to take Yoga in Azusa. And an outdoor reasonably priced restaurant with a beautiful atmosphere would be near the top of my list as well. Maybe we should have the women design the downtown?  |
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Post by Jeff on Feb 26, 2005 11:51:33 GMT -8
Hello Ladies,
I’m up for the idea of having the women design the downtown.
Reading previous posts here, as for restaurants, I wanted to recommend Aldolino’s. I think that their food is better than Petrillo’s. I wish that their restaurant was farther North. And the atmosphere is not as nice as Petrillo's, so I just order take out. That is the thing. I don’t think that the restaurants in Azusa understand how important the atmosphere of the restaurant is. That is a vital part of the restaurant experience when eating out. It is not just about having a place to put you booty and your plate. And the quality of the ingredients in the food is just as important.
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Post by Hungry on Feb 26, 2005 13:16:19 GMT -8
Hey Jeff...do you mean to tell me that you think Aldolino's has better pizza than Petrillo's?
Granted, Petrillo's pastas are good but not anything to die for, but I have never had a better pizza.
Tell me Aldolino's has better pizza and I will eat pizza for the third time in as many days tonight for dinner (from Aldolino's).
I have seen that place a couple times, but I really don't frequent that area much, so I was never really tempted to try it out.
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Post by Jeff on Feb 26, 2005 13:28:21 GMT -8
Hello Hungry, Yep, I do think that Aldolino's pizza is better than Petrillo's. I would not eat pizza that many times in one week. But I do enjoy their pizza, spaghetti and salads. As for the other discussion here, regarding the stores in the downtown. I think that some of you might find the following article interesting. www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.02/brain.html It is not exactly on topic, but it is related and we may want to consider it when thinking about what we would like in the downtown. |
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Post by Variety on Mar 1, 2005 12:11:59 GMT -8
It's called VARIETY folks! Not everyone likes the same thing!
Most people who patronize Starbucks are not the same type of people who normally would patronize Grinds!
I personally have never been to Nana's, and doubt I ever will.....it's not convenient or appealing to me. But I would l probably go to Cold Stone.
I have patronized California Burger, but I love Tops! But that does not mean I would never go to California Burger again
There are a gazillion mexican food places in Azusa....and a Taco Bell less than a block from Del Taco! Do any of them suffer because of it?
There are THREE gas stations at First & Azusa. Which simply amazes me after listening to this moaning and wailing about competition, I would think only one would be allowed!!
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Post by Hungry on Mar 1, 2005 16:50:24 GMT -8
Okay, I tried out Aldolino's Restaurant last night and here is my review: On a scale of 1 - 10... Pizza - 8.5 While it was a pretty tasty pizza, it was nowhere in the league of Petrillo's Pizza. Everything about Petrillo's, from the crust, to the cheese, to the sauce, to the generous toppings is better than Aldolino's, in my opinion. Still, Aldolino's Pizza was superior to a Domino's or Pizza Hut pizza. I do think my dogs enjoyed this pizza more than they do Petrillo's, for whatever that is worth. They ended up splitting about 3 pieces. Pasta - 9.0 I had some sort of Fettucini Alfredo with Portabello Mushrooms and Sliced Chicken Breast. It was VERY good, and my dogs went crazy for the leftovers, licking the tin foil dish for quite a while, even after all visible traces of the pasta were gone! Garlic Bread - 7.5 I prefer it a little crunchier or with a little rosemary. Not bad but nothing special. My dogs did not participate in the Garlic Bread. Salad - 7.5 Nothing special here and my dogs turned their nose up at the salad, but this is to be expected except for Antipasto Salad.  I must say that the interior of Aldolino's is a REAL DIVE, but that their food was pretty good. I do have to give them credit for having a combo Galaga/Dig Dug/Frogger video game to pass the time, although they get a thumbs down for not providing me a well-lit place to read my book. Overall, Aldolino's is pretty good, but I still find Petrillo's in Glendora and Domenico's in Monrovia to be better options. Really, Petrillo's is actually a little faster to get to since it is on Route 66 between Grand and Barranca, while Aldolino's is all the way down on Arrow Highway. |
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Post by McResident on Mar 1, 2005 19:51:05 GMT -8
To "Variety", I have a question. Since I enjoy the coffee at both Starbucks and Grinds, would you please explain to me the difference between the people who patronize Starbucks and those who go to Grinds? Same question for those who enjoy Nana's and those who prefer Cold Stone. I need clarification on what type person I am since I enjoy all four. Your statement leads me to believe that you think Nana's and Grinds are patronized by the "common folks" whereas those who patronize Starbucks and Cold Stone are "professionals."
Am I one of the "common folks" living at MC or am I a "professional"? Help! I want to know who I am!
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Variety or Choice is Good
Guest
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Post by Variety or Choice is Good on Mar 2, 2005 15:11:38 GMT -8
The difference between Starbucks and Grinds? Taste, lifestyle. Getting that coffee on the way to work. Not everyone want's or can sit down aand have a cup of coffee. Is Grinds open at 7:00 am? Grinds is not the place for the over 30 coffee drinkers, especially in the AM......or at least that is the impression it gives! Plus, you have to admit, Starbucks not only has a following, they are a faithful bunch. Common Folk? You need to get that chip off your shoulder! It was *my* personal preference concerning that comment about Nana's and Cold Stone. So whether Cold Stone comes in or not, I still won't go to Nana's. I will continue to go to Glendora's Cold Stone. I am a professional living just south of MC in Mirador, and I *know* who I am.....  |
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Post by Chris on Mar 2, 2005 20:27:19 GMT -8
Hello All,
I have been away for a couple of weeks.
looks like there has been alot of discussion regarding this topic.
I also see that someone has taken the initiative to start a group. Bravo!
I will be happy to participate with a Redevelopment Group.
I will be reviewing the message strings tonight and tomorrow to get all caught up.
Thanks,
Chris
Rock Springs Way
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Post by Chris on Mar 2, 2005 20:54:56 GMT -8
Wow, I must say that alot of passionate input and discussion has occured since I have been away.
Please understand something, redevelopment does not mean replacement.
We as a community need to work together for the common good. I think that Azusa needs to a major facelift and this community has alot of diversity to offer its residents and visitors.
Everyone is entitled to their opinions on things, heck I don't like some of the restaurants in Azusa, and I love some of them too, but that does not mean that a Starbucks or a Trader Joes is the true answer.
What about the Grind?, Is it a cool little coffee place? I would like to check it out and see. I am a huge Starbucks fan and customer (at least 5 times per week), but that does not mean the Starbucks is the be all for this City, maybe the Grind needs an uplift or the Starbucks a new location. This proposed new Promenade that would be built in the Monrovia Nursery Project, what about setting up a Starbucks there?
I know that we can work together as a community and go to the City Council and really make them work for us, the people and residents of this City and revamp this City.
If people are going to be very critical and not open minded, then it is difficult to see the future and work together with others.
Diversity is one of the foundations of this great country lets work with this and build a Redevelopment Group for the good of Azusa.
Thanks,
Chris
Rock Springs Way
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Post by Dospeftcoto on Sept 27, 2020 0:44:33 GMT -8
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