architecture
Baldwin Park: An Inventory of Diminishment
by Rex R. Thomas
So far, from daily interactions in a new town planned meticulously to Form, instead of bringing people together and making a civic unity,
be the very, very best of live-work-play, the following observations are has the opposite effect. Either the people who choose to live here tend
made:
to be a certain way; or living here drives people into this type of be-
havior. It is a fascinating study on one level; discouraging on another.
A boy about two-and-a-half, crying, with his father crouched in front of
him, their noses inches away. Dad was exhorting his son to “get over it”
football-coach style. I stayed in the car, rather than getting out, going
over, picking him up and hugging him (the son, not the father, who
needed a kick) which took just about all I had.
A pair of stoplights at Corrine and Bennett where you drive into this
pretty new town, stoplights that are less than 100 feet apart, where pe-
destrians and frustrated drivers compete for time between multiple,
ill-synchronized lights. This, in an era when traffi c engineering is sup-
posed to be better than ever.
Narrow streets choked with parked cars, because homeowners prefer to
park on the street rather than use their elaborately planned alleys.
A woman, forced to wait while another driver parallel-parked, who
leaned on her horn, screaming and giving obscene gestures, red-faced
and shaking with anger over the monstrous waste of her precious time.
A city policeman, soberly handing out tickets at various street corners to
drivers who do not stop at stop signs correctly, slowing the rhythm of
traffi c, oblivious to the other dozens of traffi c infractions such as speed-
ing that occur in this nice little town.
Little patches of grass that are not anyone’s territory, but exist in neither
the public nor private space, perennially covered with dog shit because
owners do not pick it up (since it is everyone’s yard, rather than some-
one’s yard).
Commercial buildings less than ten years old but looking a hundred,
due to moisture intrusion that results from hasty and poor construction.
Massive apartment construction at a time when the rental bubble has
already burst, undoubtedly bringing the town its fi rst slum.
A well-publicized fracas at the grocery store, the scene of a brand new
way to publicly shame someone: for not putting your shopping cart away
properly.
This inventory of diminishment is only partial. These bits stand out,
and are among many more that occurred. Entering this new town, I
fi nd my demeanor changing, my face hardening a bit, my gaze becom-
ing narrower to shift quickly away from the meanness, the impoverish-
ment of soul, and the general malaise that seems to have gripped this
glittering, shiny place.
Orlando Arts & Culture, v. 2.4
Form, so important in the eyes of a few, has resulted in a fetish of style
that eschews real authenticity. The relentless, bland stucco, cracking
and fading in the sun, resembles more and more a seedy Caribbean
town than a new American one. The buildings weakly echo more ele-
gant structures elsewhere, structures that were originally built, in an
earlier era, out of stone.
No stone, however, graces any part of this town. The next closest kin,
precast concrete, peppers a few structures; some good, honest brick
veneer appears on others. Would that the architecture were a little
more genuine, and have some kick to it, at least the town would have
something to react to. As it is, the town looks like it was carved out of
a giant antacid tablet.
It is only about eleven years old, a pre-teen that is not worthy of com-
parison to older places with more soul. These times are especially hard
for towns, not just because of social justice issues like wealth discrep-
ancies. This town was built with way too many storefronts, just when
retail space has become nearly obsolete. Pity it for coming into being,
just when its reason for being has become mostly obsolete.
With a diffi cult future for all cities ahead, our city must seek beauty
and abundance in new places that were not dreamt of in the days of
yore. New towns, with their special codes, rigorous community asso-
ciations, and image-consciousness are disadvantaged in this competi-
tive and cutthroat era of survival. We wish them well and hope that
some soul is birthed somewhere here soon, to combat the wicked,
acidic rancor that seeps from this insipid place.
As Saint Augustine said, “Take care of your body as if you are going to
live forever; take care of your soul as if you are going to die tomor-
row.” The same might be applied to cities. I hope that everyone who
reads this adds a little goodwill into Baldwin Park, and gives it some
soul, for this reason.
You can see more at:
BaldwinParkNetwork.com
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