What's up?

You might find it interesting to compare the changes in neighborhood perceptions in a good economy versus a bad one. For example, in 2006 Escondido was building towards a better future by tearing down run down eyesores but in 2008 not only has construction stopped, and the properties become vacant lot eyesores but according to these comments the city is an overcrowded slum.

In 2007, because of perceived marketability in a down market, D. R. Horton tried turning the Paramount condominium complex from an upscale arts-oriented project with larger units and elevators, planned for "young couples, empty nesters, and those in between ... captivated by the lifestyle that downtown living affords." (SD Biz Journal) into just another family housing project.

Professor Sorin Matei, (Purdue, Communications Dept) wrote a report for the Kettering Foundation titled “Good” and “bad” neighborhoods: perceptions and reality. Matei states in his study of Lexington, Kentucky that "growth has pushed the perceived points of economic, civic and political gravity toward the south of the city. The north, while still commercially vital, hosting much of the services and industry, has become a perceptual “black hole”, the residential areas being considered unwelcoming and declining. This, despite the fact that many lesser known but quite welcoming neighborhoods are located here"

Through researching census data for Lexington, Matie found that crime in the north, though higher per square mile was actually similar per thousand residents to that of the south. See graphic on the left. Other "findings reveal that the two most important factors [in the perception of a desirable neighborhood] are lower population density and higher educated residents. The neighborhoods that fit this description are not the most expensive ones, neither the trendier ones."

Is Escondido as desirable a place to live now as in 2005? With the lower cost of housing and the same events, resources, and services, it's far more so!

Your historic place in the world

After you've found your place in the world using the Thomas Guide, one interesting search is to find out who first owned the property. Thanks to the Bureau of Land Management, you can search those "land patent" records online.

Click on "Search Land Patents", and then select the "Standard" search tab. Select the state along the top, and then select the county from the drop down menu in the "Land Description" section. Enter the block number under "Section NR" and the township and range information as well. Finally, ask for Glorecords to show you the "Results List" by "land descriptions, sorted by "Location" and click "Search"

From the results list, you can select the property by clicking on the Aliquot Parts that describe your parcel. The parcel described last week was "the North West quarter of the South East quarter of section 2, of the 12 South township of the 2 West range." It appears that the North West and North East quarters were joined in the North Half and go by the accession number CACAAA 081439 .

If you open up the record, you'll see that the area around Vintage Place, in Escondido was originally patented by Fred S. Rogers January 21st, 1890. Mr. Rogers - thanks to research materials available in the Pioneer Room - was a 25-year-old dry goods clerk, son of William and Eliza Rogers and brother to Sylvester S, also of Escondido. William was in real estate development and Sylvester owned Escondido's first prescription drug store at the time. Fred and his pregnant wife Nellie moved from Escondido to Syracuse, New York where he worked as an electrical engineer. Fred's son Malcolm Jennings Rogers was born there September 7th, 1890. Malcolm was a pioneering archaeologist and Curator of the San Diego Museum of Man.

Your Place in the World

The Thomas Guides published by Random House are extremely handy for giving directions. Almost all streets, geographic features, and political jurisdictions are recorded on its pages. People also frequently use the guides to find the zip code associated with a particular address. A little used feature of the guides is the pink township markings of the Public Land Survey System with which you can describe a unique parcel of land using horizontal and lateral lines, similair to the more familiar longitude and latitude lines.

Rather than the Equator or the Prime Meridian Escondido's initial point from which to be measured is Mount San Bernardino. Most of Escondido is in the 12th township south and second west of that mountain. A township is made up of 36 sections, each section being one square mile. Sections are numbered from 1 to 6, east to west then below that 7 to 12, west to east, back and forth. Imagine a survey crew on horseback in 1852. The Thomas Guide prints most of the section numbers in pink and prints plus signs at most of the section's corners.

A piece of property is described as being a numbered lot of certain dimensions in a parcel or subdivision described something like "the North West quarter of the South East quarter of section 2, of the 12 South township of the 2 West range." The property described, if it existed, would be off Vintage Place.

Girtsman's Housing Bubble

Some on the greatest novels written in the English language were written by disillusioned World War One veterans. Some of the greatest movies were written by World War Two veterans. Some of the greatest songs were written by Viet Nam War protesters. It would not be too much of a stretch to expect that the Iraq War and the international economic crisis we're in now, might lead to the golden era of a different, contemporary type of artistic expression.

Perhaps people will express themselves with music videos on YouTube like Dave Girtsman, of Blimp. If you would like to contribute to the "Golden Era of YouTube 2001 - 2021" by creating your own work in cyberspace, you might try learning tricks of the trade from this book, checking it out from the Escondido Public Library!

YouTube 4 you by Michael Miller, Indianapolis, Ind. : Que, c2007.
Call #: 006.7 M
ISBN: 0789736985, 9780789736987
Description: x, 197 p. : ill. ; 21 cm.

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Escondido Gang Prevention Group to Hold Community Forum

The Escondido Gang Reduction, Intervention, and Prevention Task Force (E-GRIP) is inviting the Community to attend one of two separate public forums to express their concerns regarding gang activity, and any suggestions on how to keep youths from joining gangs.
Escondido residents are encouraged to attend the location that is nearest to their home. Childcare and Spanish translation will be provided.
The dates and locations are:
Ø October 7, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. ● Rose Elementary, 906 N. Rose St., Escondido
Ø October 28, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. ● Felicita Elementary, 737 W. 13th Ave., Escondido