Northridge:
I have basically lived in Northridge my entire life. My very first memory is of my third birthday party in the backyard I would soon spend my whole childhood running around with my brother. We could ride our bikes around our quiet neighborhood, or walk down the street to the park. Above all, living right down the street from Cal State Northridge played a large role in my childhood. The campus was in some ways my own playground.
After commuting from Northridge to Moorpark for two years of community college, I was ecstatic to transfer to CSUN and finally be able to walk down the street to class like I had envisioned myself doing my entire life. I was upset when I ended up having to take my classes online from my bedroom due to COVID-19, but seeing the little college neighborhood I grew up in so silent and empty was the strangest change of all. In my entire life living in this area of Northridge, I had never seen it so desert.
A lot of people do not think Northridge should be considered a college town, but I’ve always disagreed. There aren’t many cities in Los Angeles County that are walkable. Yet, living down the street from CSUN, I have always had so much in reach. Grocery stores, a park, plenty of restaurants and of course the campus itself. I have always loved the atmosphere around campus when students are walking from their class to their cars or to the nearest Starbucks to study. Suddenly, it was all gone. No skateboarders with textbooks in hand, no music playing from afar during campus events. It had never been so clear to me just how much this community relies on college students. In just a few months, I watched the family-owned Donut Shop I grew up going to disappear, as well as several small businesses. Without the usual masses of CSUN students around, Northridge seemed lifeless and suffering. Now, as students are slowly returning and normal life seems in closer reach, there is some life back in the air, but we have a long way to go before the city is thriving with its loyal community of students.
I feel that there has always been a sense of superiority held by older Northridge residents. This may be because it is seen as one of the “better” and more upper-middle class neighborhoods in the Valley, in comparison to its neighbors such as Reseda or Van Nuys. People seem to value the sense of safety and community it has been associated with for decades. In many San Fernando Valley cities, the houseless community is growing, and people line sidewalks and covers parts of freeway entrances. That isn’t really the case in Northridge. So when I found out they were turning the cities long-time beloved Skateland into homeless housing, I felt hopeful for the possibilities but curious and weary of what people would have to say about it. I felt the same way when it was announced that a CSUN parking lot would become a dedicated vaccination site. I know so many people who can’t wait for their vaccine, and I know many who want no part in it. I would like to find out more about this generational gap between the older Northridge residents and young college students, exploring their opinions on these changes, and what they think they mean for the city of Northridge.
As we know, older generations and younger generations rely on very different platforms for news. Gen Z is social media savy while older people focus on TV news channels. Reporting on both of these mediums can be extremely different. This may be a reason there seems to be differing opinions on things such as housing for the homeless, and I’m curious to find out how our media digest affects our sympathy and understanding for these communities. I believe we can reach an area which covers the interests and beliefs of all members of our community.
