Prior to posting this, I was a bit hesitant because most of the works posted on this student blog were from LA. But after being reassured that it would be fine, I started to feel that it would be interesting to talk about my city, through its past and my life, as it’s considered a part of the “Greater Los Angeles area”.

Riverside, a city within Southern California
A city not widely known within the various famous cities like Anaheim and Los Angeles
A city I was born and raised in, but moved out to Moreno Valley and came back in the spring of 2009
Known for being the birthplace of the citrus industry
Where rows of orange trees go on for miles on Victoria Avenue
Where the streets are surrounded by trees live with leaves that chirp with the wind
Until business declined sometime in the 20th century
Home to the University of California, Riverside
California Baptist University
Mission Inn Hotel and Spa
The California Citrus State Historic park
The citrus park
Where those rows of orange trees and other citruses grow
On 248 acres of land surrounded by palm trees
With its trails that people walk through
A quiet city where not much happens
Things appear to be a small world
With life’s unexpected whirl
As its people coincidentally connect early or later in life
Everything is within walking distance, but we have bus and metro transportation
To take people to wherever their adventure leads them to
Riverside, named after the Santa Ana River
Inhabited by the homeless community and delinquents tagging walls
Where little water flows through cities like San Bernardino, Riverside, Anaheim, and Santa Ana and ends in the Pacific Ocean
Modernization has made Riverside look more chic
But historical buildings are at risk for demolition in need of space

Hidden Springs and Collectt Elementary school, where innocence flowed
Jackson Elementary school, where naivety ate
Chemawa Middle school, where life was learned
Arlington High school, where maturity began
Stages and chapters in my life that I have a love-hate relationship with
Love, because I met a group of supportive friends
Hate, because the bitterness of life’s lemons entered
Downtown Riverside is really beautiful and much quieter
Life blooms with the various flowers, trees, and green life surrounding 19th century conserved houses based on the Queen Anne, Saltbox, and Spanish style
Like the Harada House and Heritage House
Where landmarks like the Fox Performing Arts Center
Held the first showing of Gone with the Wind in 1939
As well as Fairmount Park’s lake designed by Frederick Law Olmsted’s firm
The same guy who designed New York’s Central Park

Collect Park
Don Lorenzi Park
Hunt Park
Don Derr Park
Fairmount Park
Parks where my I spent most of childhood in before getting immersed in technology
On a flip phone at the age of 10
Parks now look empty not because of the pandemic
But because of today’s kids owning an iPad or iPhone at a younger age than me
Looking back, life was more carefree and simple
Of course, times change
It’s no longer 2008 with cartoons and a recession at the age of 6
It’s 2021 with a pandemic and a somewhat hopeful future at the age of 18
Priorities were different 12 years ago then to now — makes me feel old
Riverside, the city I lived in for most of my life
A life I’ll probably leave behind
For a new start
A life of cherished memories made
Like the hangouts at Castle Park with my friends
And the pictures we took before covid

Yes, the city I will reminisce one day
The City of Riverside