July 22 2010

By normal standards of street beauty, Juan de la Barrera would be considered extraordinary. Arching branches cover the sidewalks overhead with intense green foliage. The houses are weathered with character. Its birds can be heard chirping because silence isn’t unordinary. It feels like a neighborhood in a giant city.

Five minutes into my stroll and I came across an open lot. A wooden fence kept curious eyes away from whatever was being unearthed. But above the mangled concrete, the piles of dirt and the trash was an assortment of colors, text, swirls, and images. The neighborhood artists had found a giant canvas to play on. And what I am positive is an eyesore for some, is comfort and familiarity for me.