Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

A day in the life of an East Village resident.

Upon first glance of this neighborhood, anyone in their right mind would wonder who sane would choose to live in a place like this. East Village, once home to mostly addicts and homeless people, now dwells with students, the middle class, artists, and thriving small businesses.

The apartment I live in is located very close to the Park & Market trolley station, which makes transportation really convenient. The tracks remind me of the historical separation of people based on class and race, but in our neighborhood it is segregated by east and west. You can look at the complexes to see the proof. Look to the west, a beautiful upscale condo. Look to the east, a bland looking "project", or in other words, "affordable housing".

The neighborhood is home to some very interesting characters to say the least. Students share space with homeless and now that the middle class is being wiped out, there is a huge gap in living styles under one roof. People who would normally never choose to live in the same area make exceptions in the time of a depression.

In my complex the management is extremely inconstant. Gossip is a life of its own, as if we are living in a dorm. Security guards come and go, with the most recent having a case of OCD to tourette's syndrome. In other words, it's not very secure. Promises are left unfulfilled and the only real benefit is the low price of living in an up and coming downtown area.

Right outside my door I have homeless people patiently waiting for their next meal and some that demand you to give them money as if it is owed to them. There are starving artists and schizophrenics alike, but I've never had a problem with anyone.

In my opinion, the complex is like one big psychotic island; let's called it Survivor. If you make it one year you must be commended. Or if you are like my friend who I will keep anonymous, four years living underneath a crack addict is all it took for her to pack up and leave.

Don't be scared away, East Village is a beautiful urban neighborhood. This is just my experience. Look around and you will notice there is so much to do, see, and more. Petco Park is just a few blocks away. There is a brand new museum of African American history and a farmers market on Saturdays. Let’s not forget to mention all the wonderful restaurants within walking distance. Overall it’s a great place to live and if you find the right apartment, I believe you will find a home in our unique area of cultural and economical differences.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all

Previous article

Big swordfish, big marlin, and big money

Trout opener at Santee Lakes

Upon first glance of this neighborhood, anyone in their right mind would wonder who sane would choose to live in a place like this. East Village, once home to mostly addicts and homeless people, now dwells with students, the middle class, artists, and thriving small businesses.

The apartment I live in is located very close to the Park & Market trolley station, which makes transportation really convenient. The tracks remind me of the historical separation of people based on class and race, but in our neighborhood it is segregated by east and west. You can look at the complexes to see the proof. Look to the west, a beautiful upscale condo. Look to the east, a bland looking "project", or in other words, "affordable housing".

The neighborhood is home to some very interesting characters to say the least. Students share space with homeless and now that the middle class is being wiped out, there is a huge gap in living styles under one roof. People who would normally never choose to live in the same area make exceptions in the time of a depression.

In my complex the management is extremely inconstant. Gossip is a life of its own, as if we are living in a dorm. Security guards come and go, with the most recent having a case of OCD to tourette's syndrome. In other words, it's not very secure. Promises are left unfulfilled and the only real benefit is the low price of living in an up and coming downtown area.

Right outside my door I have homeless people patiently waiting for their next meal and some that demand you to give them money as if it is owed to them. There are starving artists and schizophrenics alike, but I've never had a problem with anyone.

In my opinion, the complex is like one big psychotic island; let's called it Survivor. If you make it one year you must be commended. Or if you are like my friend who I will keep anonymous, four years living underneath a crack addict is all it took for her to pack up and leave.

Don't be scared away, East Village is a beautiful urban neighborhood. This is just my experience. Look around and you will notice there is so much to do, see, and more. Petco Park is just a few blocks away. There is a brand new museum of African American history and a farmers market on Saturdays. Let’s not forget to mention all the wonderful restaurants within walking distance. Overall it’s a great place to live and if you find the right apartment, I believe you will find a home in our unique area of cultural and economical differences.

Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Homeless in my neighborhood

Next Article

Homelessness

Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader