Proud To Be A Monrovian

My favorite president Bill Clinton said, "If every community in America would decide to organize themselves the way you have, and to do what you have done,
the differences would be breathtaking.

This is my 3rd year in Monrovia, and maybe because I moved here, I am more interested in it's history. People say Monrovia used to be crime ridden, and full of blight. It's hard to believe a city as beautiful and peaceful as this, was once the site of a near Apocalyptic breakdown.

The Gem City of the Foothills as we are appropriately named, is having an anniversary. On Dec 11, it will be 33 years since the community began its birth of redevelopment.

In the 1960's and 70's, Monrovia was a place to be feared. A place where adult shops, and seedy hotels were common place. Houses were run down, and crime was everywhere. I even found out that on the very driveway I owned a year ago, there was a shooting involving a teen. He lost his life over drugs, right there on my pavement. According to my neighbor, there were a couple homicides in the now affluent neighborhood above foothill blvd. I walk up there everyday with my dogs.

Today, redevelopment is still continuing. Sometimes I hear of complaints while Im walking down Myrtle, about the streets being torn up, and the traffic that it is causing. Sure it's a little inconvenient, but Im glad we aren't facing the resistance that occurred back in 1978 when people who feared change, were throwing bricks through the City Of Commerce windows. Monrovia has put over a million into the streets, and Myrtle Avenue was once closed for months during the re-construction. We have to remember that when we are birthing a baby, there are going to be labor pains. But the pain is forgotten, when we see the beauty of what we have birthed.

The Mapp program is continuing their efforts in fixing up old houses with paint, and repairs, and getting rid of the chain link fences. I couldn't agree more with this decision, as I find the fences to look a bit imprisoning.

All the changes that have come about in the last twenty years have truly made the gem city an excellent place to live and become a proud Monrovian.

Lisa is a Freelance writer living in Monrovia www.myroomwithaviewlisanorris.com

If you need more information on the continuing efforts of Monrovia redevelopment,Go to the webpage, www.ci.monrovia.ca.us

Click on:

City Government/Departments/CommunityDevelopment/Divisions/Redevelopment.
Yes it's a lot of steps. Then go to the bottom of the page and open the PDF "Best of times" Redevelopment brochure. It's amazing.