FVCA

A microblog about a microburb, Fountain Valley, California (and its environs)

[fvcausa]

Super rare Saddleback snow.

[fvcausa]

Santa Ana River Trail: A Love Story

[fvcausa]

Workers working their trades on Slater Avenue.

[fvcausa]

Fountain Valley: a hotbed of hip hop culture.

[fvcausa]

[fvcausa]

Santa Marilyn of Warner Ave and the 405.

[fvcausa]

Karma, Coincidence, or Credibility?

It looks like Easyrider bike and board shop in Huntington Beach has finally earned its punk rock credibility.

Two and half years ago, Easyrider, perhaps in an effort to boost said authenticity, posted this video of the Huntington Beach riots from 1986.

Then last night after the U.S. Open wrapped up its surfing competition, someone busted Easyrider’s storefront window with a stop sign and at least one bike was stolen from the shop. (Photo by Allen J. Schaben/L.A. Times from this story).

Easyrider’s employees did exhibit that punk rock, DIY ethic as they stepped up and stopped people from stealing more bicycles. You can see video of their efforts here.

What do you think? Karma, coincidence, or credibility booster?

[fvcausa]

In Jeff Speck's Walkable City he says there are four criteria for a good walk:

Useful

Safe

Comfortable

Interesting 

I'd say Fountain Valley meets three out of four of the criteria. I don't think many people would find a walk through our suburban maze as all that interesting. I do. I just look a little harder than most. 

Taking a stroll through FV is super safe, but maybe a little less so. I was a little dismayed by the city's recent removal of a couple crosswalks that led to the recently closed Moiola elementary school. They pulled down the fluorescent street signs and scratched out the yellow lines into clouds of dust. The city explained that without crossing guards the crosswalks had to be removed, which makes no sense at all. Crossing guards only worked the crosswalks for about two hours each school day. The crosswalks and pedestrians seemed to get along fine without them.

Crosswalks probably make pedestrians feel entitled to cross the street to the point where they'd take unnecessary risks. I haven't seen any evidence of this, but j-walking might actually be safer. I just know that I'm not going a quarter-mile out of my way to use a legal crossing. 

[fvcausa]

Two FV grocery stores closed in 2012, Plowboys and this Ralph's on Garfield and Magnolia. You can still see the logo from this store's previous tenant: Hughes. And before that it was Market Basket. Those were the days my friends and I would buy donuts from the corner shop, then climb the ladder behind the grocery store and breakfast on the roof while enjoying a bird's eye view of shoppers coming and going.

[fvcausa]

Saved by a sliver of shadow [Brookhurst & Ellis].

[fvcausa]

John Briscoe ain’t so bright and he’s letting everyone know it.

For some reason he thinks school board members set tax policy. Definitely not the guy I want making education decisions for my children.

Thanks John for reminding us NOT to vote for you.

Update: 10/22/12 - This just in: residents of FV have been complaining to the city that Briscoe has been posting these signs on their property without asking for permission.

Strike two Briscoe. Why don't you try giving people a reason to vote for you?

[fvcausa]

This view is 2.2 miles from Fountain Valley's city limits.

[fvcausa]

A billowy day on Bushard Street.

[fvcausa]

Under-appreciated Artist

Leave it to the OC Weekly to dig up the story of an under-appreciated artist in an under-appreciated city. Why do us FV folks have to treat each other this way? Not surprising, but still disappointing.

This was news to me. I just started reading it and have yet to finish, but I look forward to being schooled on this local and lost talent.

[fvcausa]

Carmageddon 2: 405 south in FV. Not that we were expecting anything other than nothing.

[fvcausa]

FV in Best of OC, not Worst

Last weekend the OC Register published "The Best of Orange County," a full color magazine supplement to their Sunday edition. Fountain Valley made a few brief appearances. Here are my takes on the highlights:

Best Bowling Alley: #2: Fountain Bowl I can count the number of times I've been to Fountain Bowl on one hand. FV Living is always raging about the burgers there, so I figure I should give them a try, though I doubt I ever will. The ambience and odor is anything but fitting to any sort of dining. My kids do enjoy throwing the balls around and crawling over the video games.

Best Concert Venue Critic's Choice: The Observatory  OK, technically it's in Santa Ana, but up until '57 Fountain Valley WAS Santa Ana. We still rock a Santa Ana-esque zip, 92708, for crying out loud. Give us a break or else we're stuck with another almost-in-FV venue, Fitzgerald's (ugh!) just over the Garfield border. The last time I went to the Observatory it was still the Galaxy. I need to get out more. 

Best City to Live In #2: Huntington Beach The south end of FV is closer to the beach than some neighborhoods in Huntington Beach, Newport even. So we'll jump in on this too. We get lots of the same benefits with less bro-trucks, skull-cracking cops, or nutty city politics.

Best Auto Repair Shop #1: Fountain Valley Body Works But if you have a bro-truck and it gets wrecked on the 405, this place ain't far from home. Thankfully, it's another FV specialty that I've yet to frequent, but I pass it all the time as I make my way to: 

Best Bike Trail #1: Santa Ana River Trail About 2 1/2 miles of the Santa Ana River is FV's eastern border, good for bikers, birders, runners, and dog-walkers. One bummer: our little stretch is unpaved. Bright side: embrace the au natural and pretend you're hiking in the mountains.

Best Japanese Restaurant #3 Kappo Honda Two words: sea bass. That little yakitori delight will knock you right out of your socks! I. cannot. live. without. this. restaurant.

BTW: The edition's design flaw (notice the blackened and bolded BS ?) reflects more than a few of the readers' choices. Readers awarded way too many top spots to national or regional chains while ignoring their superior local counterparts. Subway as best sandwich?? Sacrilege! Little Pickle's roll all by itself kills Subway, as does pretty much any torta in the county. Don't forget the sandwich from the south!

And just in case reading the Register's list leaves you feeling cocky with civic pride, the OC Weekly dropped this doozy of a list this week: 50 Reasons Why Orange County is the Worst Effing Place in America. Written by taco guru Gustavo Arellano, it'll make plenty of residents squirm as he holds up a mirror to us regardless of how ugly that reflection may be. Thankfully, Fountain Valley escapes the whipping, unless you count the mention of our famous ex-pat, Michelle Pfeiffer.

[fvcausa]

One side is Huntington Beach, the other Fountain Valley. Can you tell which is which?