Remember why you moved here.
With all that is going on in our town recently it is easy to get caught up in an avalanche of negativity. Lost somewhere between budget deficits, school boundaries, synthetic fields and tax increases, are the reasons many of us moved here in the first place.
Over the past three years I have occasionally posted articles that asked San Carlans what they liked best about San Carlos. The following is a compilation of what your neighbors had to say when asked:
Words you think of to describe San Carlos:
Progressive
Community oriented
Volunteerism
Generous
Educated
Proud
Active
Family-friendly
Tolerant
The best parts about San Carlos:
San Carlos Schools
Laurel Street
Hometown Days
Art and Wine Festival
Music in the Park
San Carlos Educational Foundation
Chicken’s Ball
Burton Park
Week of the Family
Eucalyptus during Christmas
Hiller Aviation Museum
I have a lot of confidence in San Carlos. Times are tough and it is easy to dwell on all that is currently wrong with San Carlos. However, my personal belief is that everything which makes San Carlos unique is still here and will continue to make San Carlos a special place to live. I want say thank you to San Carlos Blog reader, Dave M., for his contributions to this post.
If you have other items that you would like to add to this list, please do so below. If you have your own story of why you chose to live in San Carlos and would like to share it below, please feel free to do so….and remember why you moved here.
6 Comments
I AGREE.
I read numerous local blogs.
And many seemed to indicate that “the sky is falling” in San Carlos.
And I am glad to see that maybe more people are getting “a grip” and realize that San Carlos is not about whether Prop U passed or not or whether City and School staff needs to be cut during these tough economic times.
I have lived in San Carlos since 1986 and it is the PEOPLE of San Carlos that make the difference.
I would like to add to the list:
Location – easy drive to SF or Silicon Valley or Stanford
Weather – out of the fog and wind but still moderate in summer
Youth Sports – my family and I have made life long friends in San Carlos Little League and San Carlos AYSO. Anyone who drives around San Carlos on a Saturday sees kids playing and having fun everywhere – families watching. It is a great feeling.
Safe – despite a recent flury in theft and vandalism, San Carlos is a safe place. (I note Menlo Park and Atherton have also reported a similar increase in property crimes)
I end by reminding all of our San Carlos slogan – “The City of Good Living”
Hi Arn,
Thanks for your post. I am not sure which blogs you are referring to with “the sky is falling” phrase, but myself and my good friend Chuck Gillooley who runs the White Oaks Blog work very hard to bring folks the most important and current issues in San Carlos. I do not believe it is a notion of “the sky is falling,” but rather an indication that we are up against some difficult decisions that will affect the quality of life in San Carlos. I would also argue that San Carlos is in the midst of its largest budget crisis in the last 50 years, so naturally you are going to have a lot of issues that lean toward the negative side.
The point to my post above is that the fundamental reasons people choose to move to San Carlos are still there and will be there when we finally get through these challenging times.
Bob
Sadly, Hometown Days is an open question for 2011. I’m on the steering committee and besides having to raise a lofty $55k to cover previously subsidized services (public works and police primarily), if police personnel in SC are cut to the bare minimum as they very well may be, there will not be enough staff legally required to have the event. And no, you can’t just have volunteers handle that. LIke it or not,there are laws regarding public saftey. This post is not meant to debate that. The Hometown Days Steering committee is proactively working to generate funds, and you can contribute on the San Carlos Hometown Days website (still being built but you’ll find what you need). You can also sponsor through your business and you’ll find those packages listed on the site as well. Fully rax deductible. We want so much to keep this event alive.
I encourage folks to view the City’s report on sustaining some of our beloved events. You will see the dollar amounts associated with them and hear some recommendations being made to keep them going. You will also see that it’s pretty dire. But rather than place blame, some of us are working harder than ever to keep these traditions going. It’s all about participation, not just citing the slogan.
http://www.epackets.net/pubmtgframe.aspx?meetid=1054&doctype=AGENDA
Here’s the site:
http://www.sancarloshometowndays.com
Thanks for your blog, Bob!
Hi Bob,
I would also like to add that one of the best parts of San Carlos is the San Carlos Charter Learning Center. It is a fantastic public school learning environment for kids in addition to being a K-8 school community. This is something that is unique in San Carlos!
Thanks, Bob, for highlighting some of the bright spots of our city! Just like you said there are many others!
San Carlos is both the City of Good Living and of great school choices!
I’d like to add to the list as well. In addition to our strong youth soccer and baseball programs, San Carlos has a fantastic girl’s fastpitch softball program. There’s an “everyone plays” spring program as well as a very competitive tryout-based summer program that competes on a statewide and national level. http://scysa.clubspaces.com/