East of Park Blvd in my neighborhood of University Heights, San Diego homeowners clearcut backyards to put up so-called Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs); developers level stately houses, which are replaced by apartment or condominium buildings; contractors relandscape grass, flowers, and trees with cement, stone, and succulents. The pillaging of property character and green growing spaces is relentless.
But some streets seem almost immune to the obsessive drive to increase population density and thus decrease the amount of earth where no structure sits. Wealth might be a reason—collective consciousness could be another (e.g., where homeowners take cues from what their neighbors do or don’t). Zoning is another consideration, as is geography. Some or all of these apply, methinks, to Panorama Drive.
Looking for lawns with real grass? Perhaps an abundance of flowers and trees? Houses hugging a canyon? Tasteful, low fences—if any at all? Panorama has all and more. There is no boom-bang this or rat-ta-tat that of construction. Bird song and wind-rushing palm trees are the serene sounds. All the properties are beyond my budget; living there isn’t an option. But an occasional walk, where man and nature can still coexist in a city setting, is sometimes soothing.
The Featured Image, taken with Leica Q2, shows off a fine front yard with canyon (unseen) behind. Vitals, aperture manually set: f/4, ISO 100, 1/640 sec, 28mm; 3:32 p.m. PDT, May 2, 2023. I debated whether or not to share a lesser photo from Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, because the focal point isn’t where meant to be; the flower garden is supposed to be centrally focused, rather than the tree behind. That said, this single shot from the camera surpasses all four from the smartphone, particularly for clarity and dynamic range.