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Video: Lifelong Resident Laments Downtown's Decline

Gordon Nickle, 62, moved to San Lorenzo Village when it was a delight for children and shoppers. But those days are gone, he says in an interview outside the theater.

 

It was nearly 80 years ago when San Lorenzo Village became one of the nation's first planned communities, built to provide affordable homes to East Bay factory families during World War II. 

Part of the Village plan was the creation of shopping centers on Hesperian Boulevard between Paseo Grande and the San Lorenzo Theater.

For 62-year-old Gordon Nickle, a lifelong San Lorenzo residents, this central shopping district was his stomping grounds from his childhood to adulthood.

But over the past 20 years he's seen this once vibrant area decline, as he tells Patch in a video clip taken in front of the now-defunct San Lorenzo Theater -- itself a symptom of the community's difficult times.

What do you remember about the San Lorenzo Village's central district back in the day? What are your hopes for it in the years to come?

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Just a short thought to get the word out quickly about anything in your neighborhood.
Share something with your neighbors. Write a new post... What's up? Make an announcement, speak your mind, or sell something
anthony May 20, 2013 at 02:07 am
amiss maybe...missing misses for me?
David Ross May 19, 2013 at 09:47 am
Another problem: When notified of a reply to a comment I could click the link in the email to go toRead More the article. That was not possible this time. So because a small minority zooms there computer the layout should be as it is? I don't think so. All that white space means that an article that could be read with just one or two clicks to scroll through is now going to take more scrolling to view. One thing that seems to be missing in today's world are web designers who (1) change the layout just because and (2) web designers who have neglected to consider the audience. The more I look at this layout the less I like it. The font needs to be darker than it is. the blue (like in "announcements") needs to be bolder. Overall, on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 best), I rank the new "improved" design a 3.
anthony May 19, 2013 at 08:21 am
was on my father's laptop and he zooms his screen to 125...didn't need to keep bumping the pageRead More right and left, kinda liked it then.
Joyce Tavares May 17, 2013 at 02:10 pm
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MICHELLE CLOWSER May 19, 2013 at 10:56 am
This was very successful. Thank you to the 32 families that participated and to Papa Panchos forRead More their generous donations, even above the percentage they promised. It made for a very busy night.