At a Glance
Warren, a single-block street, one mile from the ocean, in the heart of Venice, is working class, probably the way that it used to be 50 years ago. Tree-lined, it is a long block with more than 40 homes. But the look is purely ordinary, indistinguishable by any yardstick. During the most mobile period in the history of the planet, residents of Warren Avenue don’t seem to notice. On other streets, residents need a scorecard to identify their new neighbors. Regardless of their marital status, nearly all residents are homeowners, accounting in part for the stability and easygoing lifestyle along Warren. At mid-day on the 4th of July, neighbors were beginning to stir, quietly, unobtrusively, to prepare for the party of the year. When you are expecting maybe 100 guests, you begin early. Flags from an assortment of countries soon would be hoisted.
One Neighbor’s Story
Maggie Houtz, a self-employed computer consultant (mystictech.net), has lived on Warren for almost five years. She was standing by a large tree, pausing briefly in her preparations for the family-style partying that would follow. Who lives on Warren? “We have a very heavy Mexican presence on our street,” she says. “But we also have Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Germans, and Anglos like me, a little bit of everything. It is not just on the 4th of July we get together or get along. It is all year, and we have so much fun. Mostly, we hang out here in the middle of the street.”
Away They Go
As two young boys drove down the sidewalk in their powered car, Ms. Houtz said that “all of these kids have grown up together, and they play with each other. They have a rolling dugout, and they all play baseball in the street. A new generation of kids has come along, and now they are playing. Sometimes on a nice evening, we might gather on somebody’s lawn. Someone will bring out a beer, and somebody else will bring out a boombox.” What they have in common, Ms. Houtz said, “is that we all like living here. We appreciate what this neighborhood has to offer. You usually don’t find this in other places. I have lived in a lot of neighborhoods where there wasn’t a shred of decency or any kind of community feeling. Let me tell you about an example that I have seen. On street-cleaning day, Mrs. Leone will check to see if there are any cars parked on the wrong side of the street within about 20 minutes of when the ticketing starts. She will go door to door when she knows whose car it is. She will speak to you in Spanish, but you understand her. That is just out of the goodness of her heart. Things like that happen all the time.”
Calling on the Doctor
On his way to the party, Dr. Hulkower said that living on Warren Avenue “is like being in a small town within the big city. Everybody watches out for everybody else. People come out and wash their cars together. Somebody told me today about a birthday party coming up. I have no idea why this camaraderie exists. I’m just happy I walked into it. I don’t think there is a theory behind it. These are hard-working family people who live on a closed-off street. Life here is unbelievable. It is a lot of people working hard to make a pleasant atmosphere for each other. Everybody contributes to our party, monetarily or otherwise. They were out early in the morning, setting up tables so people would be comfortable. This is amazing.”
A Serene Setting
This was not going to be an even vaguely raucous gathering. From the middle of the street, near the east end of the block, soft recorded music was gently wafting through the late afternoon air, as if it were a fleet of chirping bluebirds. Remarkably, even though about 100 people from a range of generations were enjoying barbecued meals at their neatly arranged tables in the green walkway adjacent to Penmar Park, not one person needed to elevate his voice. Conversations were as pleasant as if they were all related, and the tone was so soft that it was as if they did not want to disturb anyone.
Making a Man Happy
Tall, rangy Emilio Gonzalez, possibly the happiest immigrant on the block, was one of numerous volunteers expertly barbecuing the tasty and varied menu. “I love to cook, and I cook chicken best,” said young Mr. Gonzalez who is training to be a welder.
Cuban-born Gladys Checa has lived on the street since 1976, which was almost two decades after she emigrated from her embattled homeland. “I will tell you what I like about this street,” Ms. Checa said. “Everybody is friendly, and everybody watches out for each other.”
In Charge of the Non-Glamourous
Jose Villafana of Culver City, an instructional aide in a school, is a native of Guadalajara in Mexico. As he heated up corn on the cob on the grill before him, he explained that he was among the numerous guests celebrating the 4th. He definitely pays for the privilege of sharing the afternoon and evening with his relatives and old friends on Warren. He is the chief cleanup man. “I like to participate in everything,” Mr. Villafana says with a worldwide smile, “cooking, eating and, of course, cleaning up afterward.” Which seemed like an ideal note on which to bid farewell.