The Garfield Inn has been in Alhambra, CA for over fifty years. In its heyday it was the location to lodge and be seen at. It sits on a prime location not far from downtown Alhambra and is of historical significance.
Like many communities in the San Gabriel Valley, Alhambra is experiencing a lot of redevelopment which is a kind way of saying that prime real estate is being scooped up and converted to either condos or combination residential / commercial housing.
I like my small community. I like its single residence properties with sizeable yards and its low density. The new developments are bringing increased traffic with inadequate parking and traffic jams from non-synchronized signal lights.
Recently while walking through the neighborhood, I encountered two different developers researching the Garfield Inn's property as they photographed and took measurements. I've seen this behavior before and it means one thing: The city of Alhambra is considering selling the property to the highest bidder for demolishing.
Notice I didn't title this post Gentrification; it's not gentrification when existing buildings are not renovated but completely razed, sometimes the original foundation is uprooted. It makes me very sad to see my community being developed into oblivion and becoming more like West Los Angeles with its multitude of high rises, apartments and condos with underground parking that regularly floods during a major storm.
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