More Good Stuff About Eagle Rock

The idea that something good might be happening in Eagle Rock again is wonderful to imagine (“Mayberry, Shmayberry,” by Dave Gardetta, July 29). My father moved our family to Eagle Rock from the Midwest when he opened his jewelry store in Highland Park in 1946. He designed our home and, with my uncle’s help, built it. My brother, sister and I feel that we had close to an ideal childhood growing up in Eagle Rock. Maybe it wasn’t Mayberry, but it was close enough. My nephew and his young family now live in that house my dad built. It may be too much to hope that they have an experience similar to what I had, but it would be such a delight to see Eagle Rock become a bustling community again--and maybe bring some of the small-town beauty back, even if it has to be at the expense of becoming “hip.”

J. E. Bessenger

South Pasadena

*

I feel like weeping for my beloved, unpretentious Eagle Rock. People [Fred Eric, Patricia Neal] apparently now find Los Feliz undesirable--because of what they, and others like them, have turned it into. So why must they come into our neighborhoods and do the same thing all over again? Please put on your ultra-hip duds and go find a place where the feng shui is just right for you, guys. Don’t worry; we’ll close the door behind you.

Tony Gleeson

Los Angeles

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Gardetta left out too much of the good stuff that’s already in Eagle Rock--the nice people without attitude! You can drive up, park and leave from just about anywhere in minutes. How about the Chinese takeout joint, the Italian bakery, the motels where you can put up frugal visitors from out of town, the always-reliable dry cleaner, the library, the old-fashioned hardware store and lumber yard, the “big” mall, the adequate movie theater, the carwash, and a post office all close together? I’ve lived five minutes away from Eagle Rock for 29 years. It ain’t perfect, but aspiring to be another Los Feliz ain’t it either.

Marylin Hudson

Pasadena

*

I like the cultural ambience of Eagle Rock. It’s why I chose to live here. And if I want to experience the feng shui of pathetically tragic, insecure trend-suckers, I can drive five to eight minutes in almost any direction and find it all too easily.

Ric Taylor

Los Angeles