A Saturday drive through Downtown Downey: the good, the bad and the ugly

Photo courtesy District at Downey.

The Good: On Downey Avenue going south, from 5th Street to Firestone, light-hearted street sculptures perch, not on pedestals and plinths, but at sidewalk level.  Just south of the Greek Orthodox Church with its classic green dome, a bright yellow banana is poised on roller skates. Culture maven Harold Tseklenis would have loved that.

Crossing Downey at the corner of 3rd Street, a pillar of copper-colored fluttering butterflies alights in front of the U.S. Bank. This so amazes the pedestrian on the other side of Downey Avenue that he is standing on his hands, his suit-jacket flapping around him.

Photo courtesy District at Downey.

An abstract hoop stands nearby. And at the southwest corner of 2nd Street across from Bastards two happy young sweethearts hold hands and dance on the shrubbery, their silhouettes forming a heart. 

Right in back of them is Don Lamkin’s color-flecked mural filled with Downey logos, the blond Viking and the Bear facing each other across a field of a Taco Bell, Bob’s Big Boy and rockets. What a merry group of playmates for strollers to admire.

Turning west on Firestone, Porto’s still has its umbrellas open on the patio, and a sign says “Open for You to Take Out.” But on the south side of Firestone, the Ugly, an entire block of buildings from La Reina to Myrtle with nothing but empty storefronts. 

Except for the Mattress Company on the corner, that forever used to be Office Supplies, “closed” notices cover the display windows. Exotical Hawaiian’s sign is upside down. Art’s Camera is dark inside.

And across Paramount, on the northwest corner of Firestone, Norm’s has folded its outdoor tents in the parking lot and lowered them to half-mast. Tables and chairs are gone from view. That’s the Bad.