Featured letter of the week

Trolley Park Barber Shop is a small business at 2127 Adams Ave. in University Heights. It is sandwiched between The Parlor, a longtime hair salon, and Cueva Bar, an empanada restaurant in a large mixed-use building that also houses Circa, a Woodstock-inspired eatery.

Nguyen

Last October, Kha “Tony” Tran

Nguyen

purchased the barbershop from the former owner. We welcomed him to the Adams Avenue business community.

Tony is not a newcomer to his trade, having worked for many years in a successful Orange County barbershop. However, family obligations to his aging parents prompted him to sell his half of that business and move to San Diego.

Shortly after opening, Tony, radiating confidence, informed me: “If a man gets his haircut from me just one time, he will become a regular client.” And, in truth, his business has been brisk.

When informed that I was writing this letter to the editor, the soft-spoken and humble Tony replied in his softly-accented English, “I do not want to be in the newspaper. I only want to cut hair.” Then we laughed. He does that a lot.

Tony’s accolades posted on Yelp speak for themselves. My new neighbor said he wanted a community-oriented decor for his business. To that end he has displayed several antique items from our own Bentley Ostrich farm, as well as an eclectic mix of hippie art, primitive crafts and photos. The effect is one of a man-cave, where the client can relax with a hot shave as he is transported to a sharp new look.

The shop’s lengthening client list still has a ways to grow before Tony can hire a helper and have a day off. I have watched this new business owner struggle to succeed but Tran laughs it off. You see, Kha Tran Nguyen grew up  in Vietnam. Like many immigrants, he is no stranger to struggle. As we stood on the sidewalk a few days after his opening, Tony remarked with gusto, beaming with joy, “I see so much opportunity here! Only in America!”

Trolley Park Barber Shop is open each day at 11 a.m.

—John Broderick of University Heights via email

Debate over Hillcrest density 

Re: “Guest editorial: A tidal wave is about to hit Hillcrest” by Mat Wahlstrom [Volume 8, Issue 3 or bit.ly/1nL64Nq]

So it appears that Mr. Wahlstrom is whom everyone should blame for Hillcrest’s sad downward spiral over the last 15 years. It’s because of his thinking and mentality that Hillcrest has become the most stagnant and least exciting neighborhood in all of Uptown. All one needs to do is check out what’s happening in nearby North Park, University Heights and Normal Heights to know that I speak the truth. And now that El Cajon Boulevard is starting to take off, Hillcrest will be even more insignificant than it is now in the coming years.

What I can’t understand is how business owners would allow Mr. Wahlstrom to prevent new developments from happening in the center of Hillcrest. Shouldn’t the failure of the free shuttle program tell you that few people are going to Hillcrest to shop or dine anymore? What the neighborhood needs are more residents to keep the commercial district alive. As it is, Hillcrest looks depressing with all of its vacant spaces and dated businesses. It’s no wonder the craft beer scene has stayed away from the area.

In the meantime, I’ll keep an eye on Hillcrest from afar since there is no reason to go there. My prediction is that the neighborhood will sink further because of the delusional neighborhood planners who still think it’s a place where everyone wants to live, when it isn’t.

Lastly, does anyone want to guess which Hillcrest restaurant or business will close next? I’m already hearing rumors.

—Justin G. via our website

This opinion piece misses so many marks.

What’s pushing people out to the suburban fringe, destroying our natural habitats and contributing to climate change are the restrictive zoning policies proposed by Mr. Wahlstrom and his cohort of anti-development advocates. What prices out community members is the basic economic principle of supply and demand: not enough homes = higher prices.

Strangely (and sadly) these facts are manipulated by Mr. Wahlstrom in order to preserve their fanciful ideas about what Hillcrest needs to do to regain its status as a livable community. If they have their way, all of Uptown would be Saran-wrapped to keep their property values high and future generations out. We have seen what these policies have done to Hillcrest today, where very little growth and a whole lot of obstructionism over the past 10 years has destroyed a once vibrant community. By all means, continue to create a discriminatory economic covenant against your children and grandchildren. We’re all sipping beer in North Park anyways.

—Matthew via our website 

Uptown Planners is a group of civic-minded community residents who care. A majority of Uptown Planners is asking that densities over and above what have been negotiated over the last eight years, more or less, be respected.

Infrastructure is not in place to service the increased densities the Planning Department wants to impose on our community. There are no large reserves of water guaranteed to be available for a 55 percent increase in population. Hillcrest roadways can’t accommodate thousands of additional vehicles. There are already too many cars and bicycles. Currently, Hillcrest is experiencing gridlock on Robinson Avenue, University Avenue, Washington Street, and First, Fifth and Sixth avenues.

What about the people who have rented a home in Hillcrest for 20-30 years who are now being forced out by speculators who buy a property, increase rents by 500 percent or level the home so it can be replaced with a multi-unit luxury building? What about the people who cook and serve your meals in the restaurants? Where will they live?

We love the vibrant, walkable neighborhood that has evolved in Hillcrest in the four decades we have lived here. We approve of increased densities that will accommodate young families, young professionals working in the area and old, retired people with small incomes. We approve increased densities done in an incremental, thoughtful way along with the infrastructure necessary to accommodate a wide range of people and vehicles.

When the infrastructure is in place to accommodate 55 percent more people, of all income levels and ages, then, by all means, build.

—Carol Emerick via our website

Bravo to Christie’s Place article

Re: “Empowering women with HIV: Christie’s Place helps families affected by the disease” [Volume 8, Issue 3 or bit.ly/23HFjtE]

Big thanks to San Diego Uptown News for sharing about this very important, life-saving organization! Christie’s Place does amazing work for women living with HIV, and it was a very nice surprise to see them featured on the cover of this paper!

—Benny Cartwright via our website 

Grotto update disappoints 

Re: “Saving the Golden Hill Fountain Grotto” [Volume 8, Issue 2 or at bit.ly/1nEhwcV] 

Went to check out the progress of this amazing San Diego landmark and was quite disappointed. The “succulent garden” is nothing more than ice plant and a few other cheap run-of-the-mill varieties planted in a row, not the type of garden one would expect from someone trying to wow the community with their outreach on a project (let alone someone whose father supposedly works in landscaping).

There is a pile/strip of gray (and out of place looking) “river rock” down the middle of the succulent garden leading directly to the top of the fountain, which has plastic road block devices and orange plastic netting perched atop it (presumably to keep people from standing on it, which doesn’t seem like it would be an issue if the river rocks didn’t create a path directly to the top of the fountain).

Broken pieces of rock and stone from the grotto still litter the ground surrounding the area and haven’t been put back in their places, while the ones that have been reattached were done so messily and with cheap cement that does not match the mortar of the grotto whatsoever. It was also rather evident that the fountain has been used as a fire pit very recently as it was filled with half-charred debris and kindling for a new fire.

Overall this “restoration” is a disappointment thus far. Obviously no one viewed old pictures or postcards from the “grotto” in its heyday to reference landscaping. If they had perhaps they would’ve chosen drought resistant bushes, trees, and some plants other than boring (and cheap) succulents to create the hidden “grotto” feel that this place once held.

It’s always sad when “restoration efforts” are done in a haphazard and lazy looking way. I applaud the boy trying to become an Eagle Scout, but it looks like he’s done the bare minimum on this project, and that the parks department approved this landscaping simply because they weren’t the ones that were going to have to foot the bill.

I know these projects take time, but if what’s been done so far is any indication of what will take place during the rest of this restoration, us San Diegans are in for a big disappointment.

—Morgan via our website

Appreciating local restaurant

Re: “Kensington’s invincible kitchen: Ponce’s Mexican Restaurant” [Volume 8, Issue 3 or bit.ly/1QYWiSQ] 

Love, love, love this restaurant, staff and family! Thank you for the excellent cuisine, staff and service.

—Patt Shinsky and family via our website

The BEST margaritas in the universe, the friendliest staff and the most delicious comfort food! We’ve been coming here at least once a week (if not two or three times) for over 10 years and feel like it’s our “home away from home.” There’s always a warm welcome when you walk through these doors. Can’t wait to go again this week! If you’ve never been you’ve just got to go!

—Jeanne and Brock DeSantis via our website 

—Send letters to the editor to [email protected] or via the San Diego Uptown News website or our Facebook page.