Did you ever play that game? The one where you get to be the master planner and administrator of a city? I did (the original version; I never tried the newer ones). Sometimes I think about my current environment and how I would like to change it and make it better. And by better, I mean better for me. :)
Like public transportation. I want there to be kick-ass public transportation that would allow me to not have to drive most of the time. Have you seen this? This would be ideal! A metro or train would work great too - even if if meant walking or riding a bike for 20-30 minutes. Heck, if they just put in a line from the Disneyland area to the John Wayne airport that would be really helpful.
Also, I want there to be a farmer's market either on the weekends near my home, or even at the end of the day during the week near my work. As it is right now, they are on weekends near my work, and during lunch on weekdays near my house. This just does not work for me. Who are these people that can do grocery shopping from 9am-12pm on Tuesdays?
Grocery shopping in general can be a pain. I haven't found a butcher or bakery near me, so if I want decent meat, I go to Stater Bros., but their baked goods selection is slim, so for that, I go to Ralphs. Veggies? Trader Joe's or Whole Foods because I can't seem to get to a farmer's market. Oh, and household items like laundry detergent? Target. Much better prices than the grocery store. All this means I find myself running around a lot, and doing some kind of grocery shopping at least every other day.
In my mind the solution is for the gods to put in a butcher, bakery, and produce market (like this one) into the shopping center that actually is down the block from my house. I don't even care if they are all in the same store or different stores next door to each other - I just want good (but affordable) stuff, and I want it closer to home. There is even an abandoned movie theater in that parking lot they could use (unless the NSA has a secret base there, of course; can't think of another reason the space hasn't been used yet).
I would also really like if there were either some nightlife close enough to home that I could walk/bike there, or some sort of public transportation to the nearby nightlife. I would love if I could take a metro/subway to Downtown Fullerton, Downtown Disney, or the new GardenWalk area they are building. As it is, it's at least a 15 minute drive. I realize that's not a long drive, but between traffic and finding a place to park, and always needing to be mindful of who is going to be the designated driver - it really does prevent me from going out more often. I like nightlife - I'd love a pub/bar with live entertainment, a wine bar, a nice place to eat, and a little cafe nearby. I love little areas like Downtown Disney that are closed off from the street so you can wander around (although I wish they had stuff there); I love Stubrik's Steakhouse and Steamers Cafe, and I love listening to live music on warm summer nights.
So... I basically I want to build a little Sim Anaheim, or Sim Orange County. With kick-ass public transport, and underground parking garages, and easy grocery shopping, and local/easily accessible nightlife.
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