The Caruso Gala to celebrate the opening of the Palisades Village was held on Swarthmore on September 20 and closed to the public.
The “Have-Nots” Party on Thursday
A few Pacific Palisades Community Council members and Chamber of Commerce members joined the gala held at the Caruso Palisades Village on Thursday night. The majority of the residents from the surrounding Alphabet Streets and the adjacent condominiums were relegated to the streets.
Circling the News joined residents on Monument Street, which was the site of the red carpet for the event that was held behind a fenced-off Swarthmore. The rest of the street served as a holding space for the VIP Departure vehicles and their drivers.
The VIP Departure vehicles were lined up on Monument by 9 p.m.
Some of the residents (who were not allowed on the other public sidewalk next to the buildings) had come hoping to hear John Legend sing.
Other residents set up an impromptu party on the front lawn of a home on Monument, and other people just stood and chatted with neighbors. (The Monument residents who lived between Bashford and Albright were invited to the bash.)
The line for the free ice cream on Embury was often as long as 100 people.
There was free ice cream from McConnell’s on Embury Street, just off Albright Street. The line was anywhere from 50 to 100 people long for the single-scoop cone of either of mint chip, cookies and cream or double peanut butter chip. Many of the people got frustrated with waiting and said, “We have ice cream at home,” and left.
The line was a great place to catch up with Alphabet Street neighbors who complained about the dirt, dust and noise from the project over the past two years. “I gave up washing my car,” somebody said. People were also upset about the construction workers who were parking on their streets, taking away the already scarce parking.
Residents worried that when the various stores and restaurants open on September 22, the garage parking spaces will be used by employees and shoppers—and the workers finishing the yet-to-open businesses will still be parking on residential streets.
“We’re going to have to get permit parking,” said one person, who was concerned that Palisades Village employees might also resort to street parking if their owners don’t subsidize their parking in the underground garage.
Residents were told to “keep walking” on the public sidewalk on Albright.
The Star Wagons, port-a-potties and makeup tent for performers were parked on Albright, which meant that one-lane of traffic on that two-way street was taken away.
People were allowed to walk on the sidewalk, which was lucky, because otherwise pedestrians would have had to navigate the VIP Departure vehicles, which were trying to turn right onto Monument. Conversing with some friends as we walked the sidewalk, someone turned around to wait for another person and the guard reminded us to “keep moving.”
It was clear that we were not the kind of people that Legend would want to bump into.
Although staying until 11 p.m. was tempting (close to when the fireworks went off), I wanted to be out of the area before the VIP Departure vehicles were unleashed on Sunset.
Residents, and their kids, had a great time chatting on a nearly perfect Thursday evening across the street from the black-tie invitation-only event.
Sorry We missed it. We were listening to Lucius Spiller playing and singing Delta blues in a juke joint in Clarksdale, Mississippi. I don’t think he’s Carusoville gala material.