Plague of Kittens

We asked a dozen local musicos the best and worst things about their neighborhoods.

Mark Haemmerle (Starcrossed): “Clairemont is conveniently located and has cheaper rent, but it’s kinda ghetto, and we have neighbors with big RVs blocking driveways, drug dealers down the street, and we’ve had fires in the canyon. Oh, and a plague of kittens being born.”

Harry Mestyanek (Folding Mr. Lincoln): “The best thing about South Park is its diversity, the worst thing is the skunks.”

Mike Pinto: “I live in Leucadia, and when I come home from tour, it’s great to be in a place that’s nice and quiet. Then, about three weeks later, I can’t stand the silence anymore. The Coaster can drive you crazy, too.”

Miki Vale: “The best thing about Grant Hill is that it’s very culturally diverse, and people are very friendly. The worst thing is the tagging on inappropriate surfaces. I love graffiti, and there’s a lot of really dope pieces in my neighborhood, but tagging is very tacky and unattractive to me. Especially when it’s on the wall of my building.”

Marc Intravaia: “We live in a canyon in Del Mar, and it’s beautiful and very quiet, with fruit trees and horses. But the sun goes behind the hill at about two in the afternoon in the winter, and it’s freezing the rest of day.”

Jeffrey Joe Morin: “Mira Mesa has a rich cultural diversity, and a bad proximity to music-making venues.”

Rob Deez: “I’ve lived in North Park my entire life. It’s great, with tons of places to go and things to do. It’s close to everything, and you don’t even notice the sirens on El Cajon Boulevard. Anymore.”

Mario Escovedo: “The best thing about Hillcrest is that I can jog in Balboa Park after work, or go get drinks and food on University. The worst is when I can’t find a parking space, and I always forget what side of the street is being cleaned that morning.”

Sue Palmer: “I live in Talmadge, and the best thing is the wonderful mix of people, [with] straight, gay, and ethnic mixes, and mostly liberal. The worst is probably the lack of a park to play or walk in.”

Mario Quintero: “The lady that goes around screaming ‘tamales!’ at the top of her lungs every day is kinda the best AND worst thing about Sherman Heights.”

J.D. Boucharde: “Tierrasanta is safe. Tierrasanta is boring.”