RON DAVIS -- Through My Eyes

I’m a Downtown Huntington Beach guy. My home is Downtown, and my office

is also Downtown. I’m completely biased.

One recent foggy Saturday morning, I sauntered Downtown for my morning

cup of Joe. I grabbed a large cup of Starbucks decaf and settled into a

chair at the corner of Walnut Avenue and Main Street. Feet up and coffee

in hand, I watch Downtown come alive. Relaxed, I thought about the

criticisms I’d heard about our Downtown while admiring the quaint area

washed in a yellow glow, softened by the morning mist, of the classic

lamps lining Main.

The complaints faded as fog gave way to the rising sun in the same way

the peaceful sidewalks gave way to those in search of coffee, bagels,

pastries and breakfast.

Sometimes, in our impatience to correct whatever negatives we see in

life, or in this case, our Downtown, we tend to focus solely on those

areas we find objectionable and lose sight of the many positives. When my

kids were younger and came home with A’s and B’s, and a single D, imagine

what I focused on. That standout D.

Such is human nature. We seldom acknowledge the many A’s and B’s in life

and our community, and often center our attention exclusively on the D’s.

That’s perfectly understandable. Regardless of the number of A’s or B’s,

we’re reluctant to excuse or forgive any substandard grade, no matter

what the reason, because we’re always looking to make things better.

However sometimes it’s wise to grab a cup of coffee, put your feet up and

look at the whole report card.

Funny thing about our Downtown, it has many of the values we hold near

and dear. We claim to miss the middle-American, small-town atmospheres

and the cracker barrels that served the community as places to meet and

chat about local affairs. Huntington Beach’s Downtown is “Main Street,

USA,” even though we’ve replaced the cracker barrel with a coffee cup

hoisted at numerous small coffee shops (the coffee barrel) and small,

sidewalk restaurants, which serve the same function.

Downtown Starbucks, as are other coffeehouses, serve as great examples.

Armed with some freshly brewed coffee or a latte, one can discuss the

events of the day with John, who holds court at Starbucks almost every

morning. Also at Starbucks, you may run into Joe Racano, musician and

activist, who will remind you about the importance of protecting the

environment.

I actually eavesdrop on conversations. When someone says something of

interest to me, I chime in. That’s my way of meeting others and sharing

ideas.

Further down Main Street, at Huntington Surf and Sport’s Java Point, I

chat with George, John, Frank, Bob and Jerry -- very interesting

characters. They’re not only conversant on local issues, but they seem to

enjoy riding me about my column and my limited appearances on HBTV-3.

At times I run into Mayor Dave Garofalo and Councilwoman Pam Julien. You

can go Downtown and pat ‘em on the back or kick ‘em in the butt.

If breakfast or lunch is your thing, Downtown is awash with small outdoor

restaurants where you can enjoy something more substantial than crackers

with your conversation. Unless you’re Downtown often, you probably

haven’t noticed that it’s quietly becoming better and better, with new

outdoor bistro-style restaurants, such as the Panini Cafe, Coach’s Sunset

Grill, and the soon to be arriving Avila’s El Ranchito and the Inka

Grill.

For lunch, I frequently meet with my buddies, Bill and Stan, the

wrong-headed columnists from the other weekly local newspaper, at the

Sugar Shack. We soak up some sun, enjoy the small-town atmosphere, share

opinions, and eventually I set them straight on the various issues.

We’re all looking for a place to visit that doesn’t drain your gas tank

or consume your credit card, and where we can meet and share thoughts

with other friendly people. It may not be in your backyard, but it’s

certainly in your own Downtown.

Be forewarned -- you might find a few D’s or F’s Downtown. But you’ll

have to overlook a lot of A’s and B’s to see them.

* RON DAVIS is a private attorney who lives in Huntington Beach. He can

be reached by e-mail at o7 [email protected]