Pawn Shop
Seems every small town has a pawn shop. I remember Pasadena Old Town before all the rennovation started. The pawn shop seemed to loom large. Now it is overshadowed by all the shiny new stores and buildings, but it is still there. I think there is a tattoo parlor nearby as well.
As a teenager I bought a gold chain at a pawn shop, as it was all I could afford. Many years later my house was broken into and many items were stolen, among them a necklace I treasured greatly (not the same one). It was an odd sort of karma, and I have to say that when I go into a shop now I would feel guilty buying anything. After my necklace was stolen, I called pawn shops for weeks after that to no avail. You see, it was a gift from my father. The only piece of jewelry he ever bought me. I'm still hoping to come across it one day.
posted by aw
11 Comments:
Interesting, romanticizing a business that preys on the misfortune and down times for the poor in the community.
At least it looks nice from the curb.
9:33 AM
I did not feel I was "romanticizing" it. Merely sharing my own experiences with one.
9:41 AM
This cute little pawnshop is owned and run by noneother than Monrovia's own Mayor Hammond. He is the exception to the town's "no resale stores" ordinance. He is the reason so many businesses on Myrtle have closed and moved out. He is also one of the big players in the new Monrovia redevelopment game. The mayor wants more low-income people to move in, so he can make more money off of people in bad staits. Yeah, its a cute little pawnshop.
10:02 PM
I had no idea that a photo of a pawn shop would stir up so much vitriol! I 'm not sure whether to keep the last anonymous comment or not, as it seems to be rather inflammatory and laden with statements that require more explanation, but I'm not sure this is the correct forum for it.
6:19 AM
One more thing is that the new developments will be starting from about $350,000, I believe. I don't think this makes them "low-income" housing.
9:03 AM
keep it. controversy is good for the emergence of truth.
1:28 PM
Keep it...the more monrovian's are aware of the under-currents in this town the better. We have to much to lose and are just seeing the beginning of the losses as high density development arrives. Sad but your quaint Mayberry RFD is tracking fast to be another old town Pasadena high density place to avoid.
4:40 PM
frazgo,
I have to disagree. I believe that this will be stimulating for Monrovia and a boon to the community. I think Monrovia could use a bit more life and foot traffic, you see. I don't believe we will ever become like Pasadena, nor do city officials want us to become that way.
9:47 PM
I agree that the discussion is good. I love Monrovia and have lived here for 10 years and often feel that we are too concerned about "getting along", rather than openly discussing issues. I think that the small town governments can become too much of an in group. New perspectives are a good thing.
9:07 AM
I have to agree with the third comment that was posted. Hammond has an agenda. And it calls for a large increase in the city's population. That's why they allow people like Bowden Development to tare down a nice old house and put up six homes on one lot.
With more people comes more crime, more traffic and more blight. Has any one noticed the increase in crime in the past year or so ? Monrovia can't go a week with out a gun crime. Monrovia is losing it's small town feeling.
I think Hammond may be a globalist neo con. May explain why illegal aliens are working on city construction projects.
Has any one noticed that the city has allowed a check cashing business to open on Foothill and Alta Vista where the 7/11 is located ? It takes a lot of low income people to support one of these places. Thanks Mayor Hammond.
10:51 PM
wow, is this not amazing? think of the recent events and then look back here to what the last anonymous had written here. we should speak out more often and maybe use our names. discussion is good for the emergence of truth...I think I read that here somewhere...............
3:17 PM
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