I was stoked when I saw this article. There's been homeless camps around many cities for many years. Now that millions of middle class Americans are there it's harder for the press to ignore. I'm ok living in a poster city for homelessness as long as those folks get more humane services out of it.
I remember when downtown L.A.'s tent city looked like People's Park in Berkeley times 10,000 (that's a conservative guesstimate)...but I never saw it on the front page of any newspaper. Ever go under a bridge in Portland?
Berry Hotel would look much nicer with a sushi bar. Sure you think "sushi bar is so 2007" but has anyone noticed that the Stonegrill & Bar across from the Distillery is now a sushi place?
Anyway, the city didn't enforce the codes at Berry and it became more of a dump. The city, in its bright and cheery ways, bought the hotel for a buck. Now they need to relocate the people that live there, and pay outstanding debt, at a cost of $2 million.
Eminent domain for economic development during a fiscal crisis. They should plate glass the windows to make it waterproof for the mermaids.
Those homeless need a mermaid bar.
ReplyDeleteadd that to us stealing lance armstrong's bike and we're looking pretty awesome right now!
ReplyDeleteThink they'll be giving Lisa Ling a key to the city for bringing it to national attention?
ReplyDeleteWhat's the point of listing vacancy stats? So you're homeless, here's your house?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI was stoked when I saw this article.
ReplyDeleteThere's been homeless camps around many cities for many years. Now that millions of middle class Americans are there it's harder for the press to ignore. I'm ok living in a poster city for homelessness as long as those folks get more humane services out of it.
I remember when downtown L.A.'s tent city looked like People's Park in Berkeley times 10,000 (that's a conservative guesstimate)...but I never saw it on the front page of any newspaper. Ever go under a bridge in Portland?
ReplyDeleteVacant housing indeed...in about 90 days they're closing the Berry Hotel, that's 108 rooms that are pretty gross but better than tents.
ReplyDeleteWhy are they closing the Berry Hotel?
ReplyDelete-omf
Berry Hotel would look much nicer with a sushi bar. Sure you think "sushi bar is so 2007" but has anyone noticed that the Stonegrill & Bar across from the Distillery is now a sushi place?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, the city didn't enforce the codes at Berry and it became more of a dump. The city, in its bright and cheery ways, bought the hotel for a buck. Now they need to relocate the people that live there, and pay outstanding debt, at a cost of $2 million.
Eminent domain for economic development during a fiscal crisis. They should plate glass the windows to make it waterproof for the mermaids.
omf:
ReplyDeletehttp://sacramentopress.com/headline/3831/City_To_Close_Historic_Berry_Hotel
I can write more about this for the secret blog, if you want.