The plan concretely calls for more social services and bike cops.

Also, I agree with this Al Geyer person that Telegraph will only succeed if it retains its history and continues to attract the "different" people. It wouldn't work to make Telegraph a shopping district like anywhere else. That's already in downtown Berkeley, Solano Ave, and 4th St.
 

The fact that it's doing something concrete doesn't mean it's doing something useful.

The problem is that history doesn't keep up with reality. History doesn't survive in competition with reality. That's why it chills in books and stories and stuff.

I guess it depends on how you define "work." 4th St. "works." Telegraph doesn't. When the biggest local market is 21st century students, dreaming of "the glory days" doesn't keep people in business. Students have changed. Telegraph doesn't have a choice anymore.
 

How sad to read that Cody's closed. I used to live just a couple blocks away from it, and I loved to browse, buy a magazine, maybe a new book. Cody's had a lot of character.

The part of Telegraph near the university is kind of sad, though. From the rich kids playing at being homeless to the real thing, there's just a point where it becomes too bothersome. Where it becomes too much of a hassle to walk around all the people sitting on the sidewalk, and then around all the street vendors, and so you just take a side street instead, so you can get from point A to point B quickly and easily. Telegraph has a lot of potential, but all the baggage keeps it stuck (rich punks, people's park, etc.)
 

'Harmless'? Police statistics bear out that People's Park and the area surrounding it is ground zero for most crime in Berkeley. But it *is* nice to hear that whatever unpleasantness that exists there is the fault of 'rich kids'. (Sure.) In addition to Cody's leaving, keep in mind that the Gap, Blockbuster, LaVal's Southside, Tower Records and Footlocker have also all left. I can't blame the last two for leaving--whenever there was a rally for racial preferences-- oops, 'affirmative action'--on campus, supporters would encourage local high school youths to attend...more than once, many of them decided to smash the windows at Footlocker and loot the place. A few years ago, when a dance held at the ASUC by the African-American frat couldn't absorb all those who wanted to attend, a night of 'wilding' by black youths ensued. Strong-arm robberies, burglaries...and Tower Records had its windows smashed and inventory looted. There wasn't much community outrage, either. I recall the Daily Planet's coverage consisted of a story on an inside page with the headline 'Hundreds take to streets'--as if it were all merely some sort of spontaneous political rally! Berkeley's reputation for permissiveness, dizzy naivete and white liberal guilt make Telegraph the perfect place for drug dealers, runaways, black on white crime, you name it. Yeah, I think I'll invest thousands and open a business on Telegraph. Sure.
 

Oh, I have black friends and neighbors. One of them is employed by the City of Berkeley's Public Works Dept., and his job often consists of driving around our fair city and power-washing the urine off of sidewalks and bus shelters. He tells me there's been no shortage of work for him these past few years. (Clearly the signature work of those notorious 'rich kids'.)