Tonight, SanTana officials hold yet another meeting for their much-vaunted, much-derided Renaissance Plan. A slew of different interests will attend, from loft dwellers who want to turn Orange County's largest city into another Aliso Viejo to activists who fear the Plan's gentrification purposes to those hell-raising boys at Orange Juice!. I won't be there, alas, busy as I am in Oakland doing...something. So I'll leave ustedes with what I hope everyone can universally deride: clueless hipsters.
On the corner of Santa Ana Boulevard and Santiago Avenue stand the Santiago Lofts. The primary developer on this project is Urban West, whose founder David DiRienzo spreads his donations to SanTana councilmembers and infects them with conflict-of-influenza. The folks at the Santiago Lofts are trying to create their own slice of SanTana, and why shouldn't they? They paid mucho bucks for those pretty, tiny lofts!
Somewhere along the line, the folks there decided to call their area the NoLo Art District, NoLo being an abbreviation of North Logan, Logan referring to the historic Logan barrio in the area. One huge, huge problem, however: here is nothing North Logan about NoLo. For one, the NoLo area is SOUTH of the actual Logan barrio--and not just kinda. Completely. And Logan Street itself isn't even part of this district--yet. Is the NoLo name deliberate, because those folks are privy to info other SanTana residents aren't?
In November 2007, some of the Santiago Street loft-dwellers breathlessly told a KPCC reporter about how much they liked talking to neighbors. I guess just the Brave* New Urbanists, eh? If those residents actually cared about the neighborhood in which they lived instead of the bubble that they seek to spread over more and more of SanTana, they wouldn't have committed such an ignorant historical sin. Talk to Sam Romero, who's been fighting the good fight in Logan since before most of these dwellers were even cells--and yes, he speaks English. Naming NoLo NoLo is like saying the Yorbas founded Anaheim--oops, someone is saying that already!
(By the way, this post is rescinded and all bad vibes eliminated if the NoLo folks change their name to SoLo--still historically inaccurate, but less so.)
*"Brave" added after original post to distinguish the good Urbanists from the bad ones--you know who you are.
January 17, 2008 23:35
Gustavo,
The cholos might take offense at the use of either "nolo" or "solo." Maybe they should just stick with Logan? It's not like the word "Logan" is even remotely Latino to begin with...
January 18, 2008 13:37
We've just posted a request for suggestions on a new name, after we get the results of a poll tallied.
Sorry for the inaccuracy... no offense intended.
Feel free to post your suggestions at the noloartdistrict.com blog - we'll change and redirect all of that as soon as possible.
January 18, 2008 13:55
Thanks for the update, Rebekah--I take back all my barbs. You're a good New Urbanist, not one of the Brave ones!
January 18, 2008 14:45
There was nowhere to post suggestions at the "NoLo" art district blog, so here are my suggestions for that area: We-Lo: West of Logan Park or Santiago: The main street of the artists' area.
January 18, 2008 15:04
Hipster scum!!!!!!!!!
January 18, 2008 17:47
There's always room for J-Lo. I'm just sayin'.
January 19, 2008 10:05
The term NOLO was hatched because we (the "hipster scum" that share this neighborhood with other Santa Ana residents) wanted a quicker (clever) way to say the Santiago-Street-Art-Lofts-at-Santiago-Street-and-Santa-Ana-Boulevard-Across-the-Street-from-the-Train-Station, not unlike the SOBECCA nickname that refers to Costa Mesa's neighborhood near the The Lab. It was conceived as describing our location within Santa Ana - the NORTH portion of the city - and our PROXIMITY to Logan, not our existence WITHIN Logan. I just thought it was a clever way to shorten directions to our house, which resides in North Santa Ana, near the Logan neighborhood. I'm not trying to claim hispanic cred, I'm not trying to gentrify the area, I'm not trying to tear anybody's house down. I'm just a white girl who works her ass off to scrape enough money together to pay a MORTGAGE every month, so I can live in the most urban city in Orange County, Santa Ana, and try to contribute to its success, its diversity, its safety, and its camaraderie. I suppose that's naive on my part, assuming that paying $6,000 in taxes every year would contribute to the city's success, and buying all my groceries and gas here contributes to its economy, and being a patron of local businesses is supporting my neighbors, or assuming that a white girl could be accepted into the established local cultural neighborhood. All I know is that I bought a house here, I have lived here for 2 years, and I walk the streets of this area like all of the other residents, hispanic and otherwise, and I say hello to my neighbors, hispanic and otherwise. I live here, my home is here. I'm sorry you think I'm trying to ruin the area and bleed it of all history just because I choose to sell art out of the first floor of my house.
January 19, 2008 10:22
Gustavo, you don't need to post this publicly, but I wanted to respond to your post.
I am personally hurt that you would come to my home and give me a bunch of lip service about how much you loved my house and the way we decorated it and my gallery and the art show, and then, after BUYING some art from me, go and stab me in the back in a public forum. I don't understand why you would attack this development, this concept, and my business after supporting it! To save some face among your Latino amigos?!? The local SanTana barrio residents that you DON'T rub shoulders with every day living in ANAHEIM?
January 19, 2008 10:34
Anonymous white girl: you seem to be projecting a lot of your insecurities in your comments. All I pointed out was how wrong the NoLo name was--no more, no less. And your justification for the name is pretty weak. If I read "North Logan," I don't assume you're referring to two specific geographic areas--it reads as the northern part of Logan. That's why South Logan is much more accurate. And it seems I'm not the only one who agrees--you might want to speak to some of your neighbors about it!
Kendra: Where did I mention your gallery at all? Please point it out to me. And your comment about "sav[ing] some face among your Latino amigos" is absolutely disgusting. How am I doing that, exactly? And what the hell does that even mean? By the way, where do you think the Weekly's offices are located? Aliso Viejo?
January 19, 2008 11:17
By the way, readers: Anonymous white girl and Kendra are one and the same--see here for the proof. Stand by everything you write, chula!
January 20, 2008 00:12
Wow, good job Sherlock, you figured me out. Considering I signed my name AND you have met me before, that's a shocker.
First of all, to address the nickname that only one person decided to use by turning it into a web domain, like I said before NOLO, 4 letters put together to spell a word that was conceptually derived from the terms 'north' and 'logan' were never meant to be said any other way but NOLO. Not NoLo and not North Logan. I'm not sure what urban buzz word dictionary you got your definition from, but the source is telling you that it was NOLO, a fictitious word inspired by two geographically descriptive words. Not trying to re-write history.
Secondly, I don't understand what insecurities you think I'm projecting. As a resident at the Santiago Street Lofts, which you vehemently trash in your original post, I guess I responded a little defensively. I apologize for writing somewhat passionately about a community that I live in and love living in.
Thirdly, I wrote two SEPARATE posts. I didn't say that you mentioned my gallery in the Weekly post. I said separately (and I assumed privately, although it was posted anyway) that PERSONALLY I was upset that a cool guy that I met at one of my gallery shows was now publicly insulting me, which contradicted some of the compliments paid to me in person. I just don't understand why you would come to my home, tour my living area, compliment me on our loft and gallery, and support my business by buying art from me, and then go and attack the very establishment you just patronized. It just seems two-faced. You seemed excited about the lofts and the development and the galleries and the art while you were here in person, but then you turned, "blowing the whistle" on us bad yuppie urbanists for your little hispanic spiel for the Weekly. Hey, if you can over-generalize and call me a clueless hipster, I can cynically accuse you of trying to save face within the latino community.
And lastly, what do you have against Aliso Viejo?!?!?
just kidding
Kendra
Neue Transit Studio
Want me to put my address too?
January 20, 2008 01:16
Kendra, just admit that the NoLo idea was clueless. You seriously thought anyone would buy your conceptual argument? Even people in the Santiago Lofts thought the idea was dumb because everyone in SanTana would think NoLo was referring to North Logan. In almost every other acronym-named trendy neighborhood I know--SoHo, Tribeca, SoMa in San Francisco--the terms used refer specifically to a geographic location with a determined border identified in the acronymn, and not to some attempted semiotic trick.
Again, what's your obsession with Hispanics and Latinos in reference to my posts? I don't write to please anyone--look up what Lincoln said about pleasing people. And I have nothing against the lofts, you, or your space--never said I did. I do have a peeve with people who don't bother doing their homework--and don't take it personally, especially since my posts never had anything to do with you, but just the idea.
January 20, 2008 12:13
Gustav,
Your arguments are again frail at best, and you yourself have not bothered to do your own homework. The name WAS IN FACT discussed with all of the GALLERY OWNERS except maybe 1 or 2 who were never around, and everyone was bang on with the idea, so I don't know where you are getting your information from, and the one person, that wasn't on board with the idea beforehand, now, since your super great intelligent article, has actually said they want to keep the name just to spite you. Now yes, it was geographically incorrect the way that you put it, but it's not in the way which it was conceived. North in Santa Ana, and near the Logan neighborhood. I honestly doubt that anyone in the Logan neighborhood actually cares what we call it, I think the Media (Gustav) is putting words into their mouths and telling them how to think.
If you want to play the silly see-the-proof game, then go to the SSL blog and see the young professionals of Logan who actually live and work there who post in appreciation of the lofts, the ideas happening here, and what's going on in the neighborhood. Granted, there's only a few who post, but so far I've yet to see a post from someone who actually lives there that is negative. I think we are all confusing Gustav, who not only doesn't live in Logan, but does not live in Santa Ana at all, with the people of Logan, from which so far I've only heard fairly positive things from. People of Logan, from what I understand, don't care for a second what we were going to call our block, and frankly neither do any of us...I think Gustav seems to care more than anyone, so I think Gustav should name it.
Got any ideas Gustav, tell us oh wise one, what should we name ourselves?
Cheers,
Chris
PS-And stop twisting people's words and trying to turn this into a racial argument because it's got nada to do with that. And from what I understand, a lot of Latinos, including people who live in the Logan neighborhood and our very own SSL consider you to be an extremely hate-filled person and a cloaked racist yourself. Now myself, until reading the article, I found you to be a nice guy, seemingly intelligent, friendly, etc. But I sincerely believe that you are not a purveyor of positive change but someone who himself is terribly insecure and slinks in the shadows under the guise of being a nice guy, looking for sticks to stir the pot with. I just see that you are stirring the pot with people you have no real idea about. I have not seen you over at the Isaiah House feeding and helping clothe the people of this community, I have not seen you out helping the good people at SSL hand out food and clothing to homeless and under-privileged people on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. Or have I? Let me see, nope I have not. If you want to create positive change you should try writing positive things that spur people on in the community rather than being hateful and trying to start wars. It's not the way, mi amigo! I'd like to actually see you out in the neighborhood with the people of the community making positive changes with your own two hands instead of spreading negativity with your keyboard.
This is all getting really old. Can we say FLOGGING A DEAD HORSE!?
One last thing, DO NOT FOR A MINUTE try to tell me that I don't talk to my neighbors. I wave and say hello to everyone when I ride my bike through the neighborhood, I invite people and their children in for refreshments on artwalk nights when they walk by, and yes, I yell at their kids when they tag up my wall. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Just don't try to paint some picture for people of this place, because it is painfully obvious that you don't understand the true nature of things and what goes on here. and yes, that was personal, because I am the person who talked to said KPCC reporter in your article!
Chris
January 20, 2008 12:54
Go ahead and keep the NoLo name, Chris--go ahead and spite me. I won't be the one committing the historical idiocy--good luck with that! And I'm not the one injecting race into this--that's your wife, insisting I'm trying to score brownie points with brownies yet offers little proof. By the way, do you have access to my calendar and bank account? Otherwise, how the hell would you know whether I volunteer my time to charitable causes or not? As for what other people may say about me...I can show you other people who say good things about me and call me an agent of positive change, so what's your point?
January 20, 2008 13:18
you sound pretty angry for getting a location wrong.
personally i dont live in santa ana, but i have been working, serving and assisting the area long before there was a thought about the santiago lofts, the association or what to name it. you dont have to live there for a couple years to know about the area (plus i was born in the city). you have to know about the city and its history.
and gustavo, i think you proved your point...move on!
January 20, 2008 14:00
Chris not only needs a map but a dictionary--it's Gustavo, not Gustav...
January 20, 2008 16:27
Good Lord, we met the dude and he introduced himself as Gustav!
January 20, 2008 16:36
And "Chris's wife" isn't injecting race into this argument, only responding to it. Gustavo's own words: gentrification, ustedes, SanTana, historic Logan barrio, Talk to Sam Romero...and yes, he speaks English, and chula. How is that NOT about hispanics vs. everybody else?!?
January 20, 2008 19:18
You know what they say about insecurities and those who raise the biggest flags?
The smeller is the feller!
Gustavo sure does raise some tall flags.
January 20, 2008 21:02
Someone should tell those Nolo idiots that that area where they live isn't even in North Santa Ana
January 21, 2008 16:21
just to let you know, but i'm pretty sure none of the loft owners want santa ana to become a suburb like aliso viejo. Santa Ana is the center of Orange County . I realize that some of the local residents don't want changes around their neighborhood and that is understandable but people have to realize all of southern California is going to change. The days of orange groves, small sleepy towns, and no traffic are distant memories in orange county. Blame it on economics and the masses who desire to live in orange county. As the economy of orange county continues to prosper, more jobs will come and more people will come. Santa Ana can become a big player in the next 20 years if Santa Ana wants to become the center of orange county. Why bash the new residents who hope santa ana becomes a better place. Why attack the people who want to walk down the street and not see a group a 12 year olds tagging the sidewalks, signs and vandalizing our property. why do make us loft owners as villians to your readers. I believe we all would like santa ana to become the city that we can work, learn, play, eat and entertain. Whats wrong with wanting the city life in the most urban city in orange county.
January 21, 2008 19:17
For the record, while it's not exactly the furthest north part of Santa Ana, there is only one exit past the Grand exit (Exit taken to get to the Santiago Lofts) on the 5 northbound, so one can see the logic there. And who cares, it sounds as though they are going to call the lofts something else now, so shut up already.
January 21, 2008 19:56
Boo Yah: by your logic, the Santiago Lofts are in central Santa Ana. There are only four exits to Santa Ana on Interstate 5: 1st/4th, Grand, 17th and Main.
January 21, 2008 21:04
Fair enough. I'll take that.
January 21, 2008 22:49
And by that logic it should be called "COLO" or maybe "CHOLO" which puts us right back where it all started.