My take on this, and I hope I am wrong, is that our city has not evolved to the point that most residents feel they are part of a community, per se. For the most part, people seem to follow disparate lives; moving in and out of the city with no real sense of attachment to Aliso Viejo. Hence, there is no need for most to say anything other than, “I live in Aliso Viejo,” or ”I lived in Aliso Viejo.”

Aliso Viejo is young and, IMHO, in search of an identity. The bland beige stucco facades that dominate the city belie its dynamism and potential.

I’m deeply appreciative of the hard work by city leaders which has brought the city to this point, but what is needed is a real effort by those same leaders, and residents, to promote an “organic” feel to Aliso Viejo; something that encourages attachment to the city, rather than indifference.

Outdoor art displays, galleries, museums, development of a subsidized artists’ colony, frequent street fairs, more outdoor dining, etc. would be a step in this direction.

It is possible make Aliso Viejo a warm and welcoming city, while maintaining a balanced budget. Until that time, I doubt that the majority of residents will care one way or the other what they are called.

While I would dislike the idea of being called a little old sycamore tree (viejito), I do have a strong identity with the city - much more than the city I moved from over 15 years ago. It was difficult to find opportunities to become involved but in Aliso I have no problem because of its smallness (but with big ideas and perspective). While many still do not know about our community, I have to tell them it is between MV and LB but that we have over 21 parks and beautiful green areas in and around the city/community. We are a young community but a very diverse one with young people establishing themselves and building careers and family and an older population that has some wonderful amenities but, and in agreement with AV R2, we do need to carefully look at the future development and share our thoughts and ideas with the City and AVCA.

Returning to the topic at hand, the residents of the Alsace region of France refer to themselves as Alsatians. True, our areas have little or nothing in common, but maybe we could follow suit and call ourselves Alisians. This would bypass the problem raised by Ray De Leon, of us potentially calling ourselves “little sycamores,”… or worse. :-- )

Regarding public art works, I’m willing to bet that, if need be, many of us would be willing to donate money to efforts to help enrich Aliso’s cultural life. These projects would take time, but the payoff could be wonderful.
A few (some possibly outlandish) ideas that I have for recreational activities include:
1. An annual outdoor “Meet and Greet“ to welcome newcomers to the city. Corporate sponsors could help to defray associated costs while also advertising their services.
2. Weekly street fairs and farmers’ markets. Manhattan carries these off by having vendors pay for tables. Corporate parking lots or school yards could be used.
3. A children’s museum.
4. A museum for adults.
5. An outdoor “Senior Fest” to welcome the older set. This could give them an opportunity to meet others in their age group in a fun setting, and provide them with information on local senior services.
6. Two alcohol/drug –free dance/music clubs; one for youths 12-14, and another one for those 15-17.
7. An annual vintage car day with drives down Aliso Creek Road.
8. Marathons.
9. Bike races.
10. A glass-enclosed restaurant in a park.
11. A botanical garden.
12. A large pond in one of our parks.
13. Street benches and shade trees.
14. An aviary.
15. A petting zoo.
16. Art galleries.
17. A subsidized artists’ colony.
18. An outdoor aquarium (We really should take advantage of our proximity to the ocean).
19. Theater productions in the park.
20. An outdoor skating rink.

While I think the correct term would be Aliso Viejans, I think a more accurate one would be Wannabe Laguna or Newport Beachans.

How about a bowling alley, a roller skating rink for our teens or a rec center? The movies are all they have and then they venture out.
A local theater house that promotes artistic culture and offers the residents an opportunity to participate? I know the perfect people that want to start these types of businesses for our community.

Regarding teen activities, I agree that more is needed, but in the meantime, there are valuable resources available right here in Aliso. Here are just a few links:

Recreation City of Aliso Viejo
http://cityofalisoviejo.com/recreation/programs_events.php

Aliso Viejo Ice Palace
http://www.avicepalace.com/

National Gymnastics Training Center
http://www.ngtc.com/

Renaissance ClubSport
http://www.renaissanceclubsport.com/aliso-viejo/home.do

Center Stage Studio
http://www.thecenterstagestudio.com/

Thanks AVResident2! I agree about what we have today and have my youngest daughter involved in almost all that is currently available. It is more difficult when it comes to my teenagers relative to what is offered.