Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Chase Wars: Pomona v. Claremont

When I saw the landscaping they put in at Pomona's nearly complete Chase Bank last week - mostly bird of paradise and messy looking fan plants- I was kind of disappointed. I geuss I expected that the plantings would be similar, if not just as nice, as the ones they planted a couple months ago just down the street at the new Claremont Chase Branch. I decided to bite my tongue, questioning myself for being ungrateful since the lot was previously gravel for the 10 years I've lived here. Then this weekend two different neighbors commented on the inferiority of the landscaping at the Pomona branch versus the Claremont branch. So here I am feeling justified in my disappointment and typing it on the blog.

It's these little, inexpensive in the grand scheme of things, finishes that Claremont does, that when you add enough of them together, result in Claremont looking so much more put together than Pomona. No, I don't want to live in Claremont, though I admit to ocassionally fantasizing about it. LOL. I love Pomona's rough around the edges, hand painted sign, almost Felliniesque quality. But I hate when we don't get our due where we should. Maybe Ren will go out and take photos of both branches and I can link to them on his blog.

Chase is the dictionary definition of deep pockets, nicer landscaping was there for the taking. Heck, any city planner should have been able to get Chase to landscape the medians as well, as a good faith gesture. After all, they expect us to give them our money and have faith it will be there when we come back to get it.

Simple stuff adds up over time. Just look around. THE END

4 comments:

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Giovannino said...

Don't be jealous of Claremont! There's a bourgeois, elitist mindset there that really offends me. Not to mention a careful dullness at the center of it all. Pomona has infinitely more character and charm. Yes, we're rough around the edges, and there is a definite dangerous vibe outside of Lincoln Park proper, but you know what? Big, fabulous places like NY and SF also have these dicey areas! It's the price that many are willing to pay to live in a funky, creative place that is not cookie-cutter conventional and that does not measure innovation in espresso spoons and success in Ivy League pedigrees. Vive le difference!

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