As I entered the period of life after I left high school and began to seriously consider where I wanted my life to go, the skyline of downtown Fresno called my name especially loud; something about the city and its endless opportunities lured me in, like a kid with candy.
I started a career in journalism in 2024, and an assignment to cover a protest brought me downtown soon thereafter. When I was driving, I remember asking myself where everyone was. I saw tall, intricate skyscrapers and beautiful greenery, but no people. There were murals on the walls and an obvious attempt at artistic, big city culture, but everything felt abandoned.
It wasn’t like Los Angeles or San Francisco with their bustling downtowns, but it could be. And the potential has been glaring at us from Highway 41 for years…