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Creeping Malaise in Kensington

It began with the infrastructure.

Re: “Kensington: The Only Real Neighborhood in San Diego,” January 12 cover story

As a fairly recent new homeowner in Kensington, I found it sad to see the shine slowly peeling off this historic and wonderful community.

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In Kensington, it's different

Riding my bike through the Kensington neighborhood, I began to notice over the last 12 months the creeping signs of decline. To me, it seemed to begin with the infrastructure. More and more cracks and pot holes (particularly on the north side of Adams Avenue), stop signs that had fallen down, city landscaping dying or overgrown, city sprinklers not kept operating, alleys strewn with old clothes, furniture and trash, and homeless encampments sprouting along Terrace Avenue near Madison Avenue and the bridge.

These are the beginning signs of a creeping malaise which starts first on the periphery of a community and slowly and inexorably eats its way to the center.

My suggestion to our community leaders is to get out of your office or car, get on a bicycle and ride around the community for a day, see the neighborhood you aspire to represent and get a close look at what matters to its citizens.

  • Jason Douglas-Hiley
  • Kensington
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Re: “Kensington: The Only Real Neighborhood in San Diego,” January 12 cover story

As a fairly recent new homeowner in Kensington, I found it sad to see the shine slowly peeling off this historic and wonderful community.

Sponsored
Sponsored
In Kensington, it's different

Riding my bike through the Kensington neighborhood, I began to notice over the last 12 months the creeping signs of decline. To me, it seemed to begin with the infrastructure. More and more cracks and pot holes (particularly on the north side of Adams Avenue), stop signs that had fallen down, city landscaping dying or overgrown, city sprinklers not kept operating, alleys strewn with old clothes, furniture and trash, and homeless encampments sprouting along Terrace Avenue near Madison Avenue and the bridge.

These are the beginning signs of a creeping malaise which starts first on the periphery of a community and slowly and inexorably eats its way to the center.

My suggestion to our community leaders is to get out of your office or car, get on a bicycle and ride around the community for a day, see the neighborhood you aspire to represent and get a close look at what matters to its citizens.

  • Jason Douglas-Hiley
  • Kensington
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4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
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