This past weekend my husband and I took a short getaway trip to NYC. There are few places on earth that I enjoy more than New York, especially the cobblestone streets of Soho and the view of Manhattan from the Brooklyn waterfront.
While we were away, I discovered many similarities between NYC and Coronado, like the wide sidewalks that encourage walking, the love of locals for their parks, and the diversity of restaurants and architecture.
However, my trip reminded me of the differences, too. I am from DC, and I have NYC on my mind, so I was especially aware of all the things that makes Coronado so unique. I realized again what a rare and amazing gift it is to live in Coronado.
Here are a few things I especially missed while away from our little town:
1. The diversity of architecture. Unlike many American towns, each house in Coronado is a little bit different and totally unique. Walking down the streets of Coronado is a feast for the eyes. Also, unlike NYC, our town has kept buildings low, which lets the town bask in sunlight 364 days of the year. (OK, the Coronado Shores apartment buildings are an exception, but they are far apart for lots of sunlight!)
2. The protection of pedestrians. I know, I know, it’s a work in progress, as everyone in Coronado knows. But Coronado really does try to protect and provide for both pedestrians and bikers. There are crosswalks in the safe places (and if there isn’t a crosswalk, it means don’t cross the street here) and bike lanes on busy streets that bikers frequent. Pedestrians are happy in Coronado, and drivers are learning to slow down for them.
3. The greenery! Leafy trees, blooming flowers, and green grass — even if it’s fake grass! A park every few blocks. Coronado knows how essential and uplifting green space is to human beings, and these common areas build community, encourage families to settle and flourish, and provide safe space for people to be outside.
4. Being close to the beach. For many people who love the water, just knowing that there is an expanse of white sand and open ocean within a mile is calming and refreshing. In NYC or DC, you have to drive some distance to a beautiful, clean beach. In Coronado, you can hop on your bike and be stepping into the sand in ten minutes or less.
5. Plenty of street parking but so few garages. It’s such a simple thing, but Coronado’s alleys mean that most houses don’t have garages visible on the street. As a result, the beautiful houses are side-by-side and surrounded by lovely gardens, rather than having big garages stick off the side or front. Most cities (like DC or NYC) don’t have garages visible on the street, but they also don’t have easy street parking. Most suburbs have plenty of street parking, but large garages take up much of the scene. Ergo, Coronado is the perfect combination!
6. Clean streets. In the same vein as the lack of garages, locals keep Coronado’s streets meticulously clean. The grime of NYC’s streets, and even the dust of other parts of California, are not as common in Coronado. The whole town seems to gleam with bright colors: sparkling white sidewalks, fresh black tarmac, sparking blue sea, clean yellow beaches, green leafy trees. What a feast for the senses.
7. A town of friends. We wandered the streets of NYC for hours and hours this weekend. Even though we know a lot of people in NYC, we probably would walk for days and never see them. Not so in beautiful Coronado, where it’s hard for any local to go more than a few blocks without seeing an acquaintance. Sure, we have tourists, too, just like big cities; we have many, many more tourists than most towns of our size. But tourists are outnumbered by the tightly knit population of friends.
There is much room for improvement in Coronado, as well all know. We’d all like to see more protection of pedestrians, more water-conserving greenery, more preservation of historical architecture. Our dissatisfaction with the status quo is what makes Coronado such an amazing, energetic community that is constantly evolving and maturing to serve its residents.
Like I said in my article about taking my kids to volunteer in a nursing home, Coronado isn’t like most places. It’s unique, beautiful, clean, green, a slice of paradise on earth. All of us who live here know that. A little bit of wandering this past weekend reminded me how amazing it is to belong to a place like Coronado. I hope we never take this home for granted.
Photo credit: Crown City Photography
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“Coronado Living” is a weekly column written by one of eCoronado.com’s staff writers, Becca Garber. She writes about choosing simplicity and practicing hospitality with her family at home in Coronado. You can read more of her writing on her blog.
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Becca Garber
Staff Writer
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