Readers’ comments: November 25, 2022

South Village is exactly wrong for Claremont

Dear editor:

We’re on the brink of catastrophe.

Seven hundred and five families are going to be shoe-horned into the South Village apartments, each so spacious that you can almost reach out of the kitchen window and shake hands with your opposite neighbor, as with a recent development on Bonita Avenue. It will also bring 705 vehicles to the South Village development, with space for 705 more if they’re two-car families, and heaven help us if their friends each have one of those fuming Dodge Ram big-boy trucks which get in the way of everyone and everything and also blot out the daylight.

They say residents will be able to walk, cycle or take mass transit to work, and so to facilitate such ease of access, Metrolink is cleverly moving its station from Claremont to Montclair, as are Greyhound bus lines. Expect straggling lines of commuters winding along our streets morning and evening. It sounds like somebody didn’t get the memo.

Incidentally, where are all these jobs within walking or cycling distance, with parking space for all those bicycles?

It’s good to know that South Village is being “built on the fundamentals of sustainable land use.” So where will the area for the managed grazing of sheep or cattle be located, and how many acres of carbon-catching trees will be planted?

Aundré Johnson was right; this particular profit-driven development is exactly what Claremont doesn’t need or want.

Simon Daryl Wood

Claremont

More real estate reporting could be a win/win

Dear editor:

As we know, real estate can be a valuable asset, not only from a financial standpoint but also from an intellectual one; it is an asset that produces valuable knowledge.

We are experiencing abnormal times marked by record-high inflation and low unemployment. With the economy in limbo, we are left with one key question: what does the future hold for the housing market? This question leads to further inquiries: will we enter a recession? Will home values collapse? When will interest rates stabilize? How will the affordability of the current supply (or lack thereof) affect homeownership rates among certain demographics?

Various stances can be taken to answer to this set of questions. They present an opportunity to analyze and create relationships across macroeconomic factors, construct hypotheses about the future of the market, and engage in debate. Being based out of a small college town, the Claremont COURIER has the potential to play a key role: one that enables students at the nearby Claremont Colleges to exercise their creativity by presenting their unique market outlooks backed by extensive research.

As a student at the Claremont Colleges, I have encountered many students who are interested in the real estate sector, but feel it is underrepresented on campus and in the local community. If the COURIER opts to provide this sort of outlet, it will allow students to disseminate their views on the economic markets, educate themselves and others, and in turn become more involved in the Claremont community.

I strongly believe staying up to date with current market news is valuable, but writing opinion pieces about it in the local newspaper presents a greater opportunity for education via intellectual dialogue.

Happy reading!

Eduardo Hernandez

Claremont McKenna College

Claremont grows on city boy

Dear editor:

Growing up in the city of Los Angeles, spending most of my days at USC football games, various beaches, and concerts, I had fallen in love with my home of L.A., so coming to Claremont was a journey to say the least.

Because I wanted to attend school close to home, the opportunity to attend Claremont McKenna meant the world to me. Due to COVID-19 I had never actually been to Claremont, but I knew it was in L.A. County and that was good enough for me.

My first time in Claremont coincided with my first day on campus. Quickly I felt as though my dream of being a college student in L.A. had eroded to being a city goer trapped in the Inland Empire. I was bitter to say the least, I had written off the entire City of Claremont due to it not meeting my expectations. I wanted industry, nightlife, and a metropolis, but was instead met with trees and walking trails.

Over time, I began to have a paradigm shift. The weather and rural nature of the city never quite grew on me, but the people did. Caring citizens and conversations with strangers in various lines gave me experiences I never had back home. I was so used to keeping to myself and not interacting with those I was unfamiliar with. I began to view the people around me not as strangers that aren’t worth my time, but as potential friends who are leading lives just as complex as my own.

So, while I still do prefer my metropolitan city to a City of Trees, the people of Claremont gave me something that I wouldn’t trade for any stadium or beach: community.

Charlton Jackson

Junior, Claremont McKenna College

Three cheers for the farmers market

Dear editor:

The weekly Claremont Farmers and Artisans Market is an amazing way to start any Sunday morning. The atmosphere is second to none; there are so many sights and sounds to take in. One could find anything and everything they need at the market, from fresh produce to beautiful art to locally made cheese. I love seeing all the smiling vendors, eager to tell you about the products they are so proud of. I always leave the farmers market with a plethora of food I’m excited to try and great stories about where it all came from.

Events like the Claremont Farmers and Artisans Market make me so grateful to live in such an amazing community. The accessibility of fresh food and great art and the ability to support local businesses is one of the many luxuries Claremont provides. I recommend that everyone takes a trip to the Claremont Farmers and Artisans Market; I’m sure you’ll leave with something you love.

Emily Nutting

Claremont McKenna College