Vibrancy amongst the blight



A south Indian restaurant plans
to open where a Korean restaurant
stood just a month ago.


It's no secret that as attention moves north to the proposed San Francisco 49'er stadium and the recent purchase of stadium opponent Great America by the Niners, the historic El Camino Real sinks into blight, poverty, and crime. (49ers owners part of the $70 million deal to buy Great America theme park)

The El Camino Real is increasingly becoming a sad, decaying monument to 60's era sprawl. The Santa Clara strip starts at the local university of the same name meandering to Lawrence Expressway; the overpass being the gateway to Sunnyvale. Containing cheap motels, used car dealers, liquor stores, and homeless encampments, the neglect becomes more apparent every day.



Blight is more noticeable
these days on the El Camino Real.



As the home to the Korean Community in the Silicon Valley, the ECR is littered with Korean grocers, banks, and restaurants. But lately the area is reinventing itself with new business and restaurants; with new Halal butchers. South Indian vegetarian restaurants, and even a new nursery and garden center.

The cheap rents have attracted new restaurants with an Indus flair. Also small independent grocers have opened, bringing much needed weekend traffic.





This Indian restaurant used
to be Italian. From green, white,
and red to green, white, and orange. 



Given that city has no definable destinations; no downtown, no central business district, no cultural center, and no central park (the city's Central Park is actually on the periphery near Cupertino), there is no focal point to the city. Much of what was downtown was torn down in over 40 years ago.


- Posted from my iPhone