Along our route in the community, there were two elementary schools, which were located, back to back on the same street. The newer school we entered appeared to be a private school in comparison with the other. Westmont Elementary School was a nice modern and beautiful school. As we spoke to one of the school administrators, who wished not to be photographed, we surprisingly found out it was an Anaheim public school and was less than 8 years old. In civic building terms, 8 years is just in its infancy. Since the school is fairly new, the facilities are well-kept, clean, and have some technology, such as computers, within the classrooms. To the side of the school, there was a small playground located behind a fenced-in area. In the back of the school, there were about five to six rows of five lunch tables. Located near that were more playground equipment, such as hopscotch markings on the floor.
A bit further down, there was another playground set that was shared with the other school that was adjacent to it. This other school, known as Price Elementary, seemed a bit older. The classrooms were separate, one-story buildings. Although this campus was a bit older, those children who were enrolled at Westmont had to enroll through Price. Located directly across the street from the two schools were a few apartment buildings, many of which advertise that they are leasing. Thus, it may be that the newer Westmont Elementary was built as a response to the growing population of the nearby neighborhoods.Across the street Westmont Elementary School was a Post Office and The Salvation Army community center which was in the process of being upgraded, enlarged and renovated to accommodate the changing communities’ needs.
We found the Anaheim Plaza on Euclid Street, less than 1 mile from the housing community we started from and 1/10 of a mile from the two schools. The shopping center was very large, ample parking and quick and easy access to Euclid street.The shopping plaza consisted of various stores that are usually known for having cheaper priced products, such as Wal-Mart, Payless Shoe Store, and TJ Maxx. The shopping center was quite big, with an even larger, though quite filled, parking lot. A large portion of the people was coming in and out of Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart was filled with people inside, especially families or older females. Located inside Wal-Mart was a fairly busy McDonald’s, with people who have just shopped at Wal-Mart come to get a bite to eat. On the side of the Wal-Mart we noticed one bullet hole in the building.
The main street leaving the shopping center was Euclid Street. There was an OCTA bus route “37” on Euclid Street with many busses observed from the Wal-Mart store. We estimated there was a new bus every 10 to 15 minutes.What we found to be interesting was the amount of taxicabs that continued to patrol the shopping parking lot and the areas behind the shopping center. So many taxicabs were driving around the parking lot. We figured there must be an economic benefit to them and their customers. Without a doubt a taxi is much more expensive compared to the bus.
The OCTA bus fare is $1.50, and $.60 for seniors (65 & older), Medicare cardholders and persons with disabilities, to include Service Connected Veterans with ID card. The cost of a taxi just to sit down was $2.10. Not including the fare, which is calculated at 3/10 of a mile. We tried to approach many taxi drivers and discuss why so many taxis are driving around and how business must be for them. He saw us and quickly drove off.Having made our way back to Euclid Street, we found ourselves in the midst of many different shops and shopping centers. On one side of Euclid, there was a Smart & Final, an El Super, and a few banks in one plaza; on the other side, there was a row of various restaurants, 99 Ranch Market, and two banks, one of them being an Asian bank. Quite noticeably, just in a short distance, there was much diversity in the neighborhood. Both El Super and 99 Ranch Market were filled with people, since both are fairly well known for their cheap prices. The supermarket offers lower prices than its competitors, especially on Wednesdays and Thursday, to attract consumers to its store. While walking down North Wilshire Avenue, we saw a couple of community members on their bicycles heading toward the Wal-Mart. The shopping areas are big and have a variety of different prices. We stopped to take a break and Myke decided to engage in self-care and took a motorcycle ride with Tom and Jerry.
As we continued to walk north from the shopping centers, there was a tall building for acupuncture and herbal medicine. There were a few smaller office spaces for acupuncture. Directly across from the tall building, there was a Korean college. There were a few people at the college, though it was during lunch time.
Eventually we turned around and walked back towards Lincoln Avenue from Euclid Street. While walking we stopped at Marie Calendar’s for lunch, which is located across from the shopping centers and some small business buildings. Although it is a national chain restaurant, it was quite quaint. The ambiance was very nice, mellow, and cozy. The customers were mostly elderly Caucasian ladies dressed up for lunch dates or employees from nearby medical centers on lunch breaks.
On the second day of Community Immersion, we visited the city hall which is near the public library on 200 S. Anaheim Boulevard. The banks located in the downtown community are Bank of America, Citibank, and School's First Teachers credit union. The public library is easily accessible by taking the bus and it is close to the First Presbyterian Church. In addition behind the back was a small mobile library to reach areas of the city during community events.
