Photos by Dylan Burch, Giovanni Castro and Christopher Michael
Driving down Bristol Street from Santa Ana College, you first notice the 7-Elevens, crowded bus stops and run-down strip malls that sit on nearly every corner. Flower vendors are spread along the roads while loads of students, bike riders and old heads pass by. Palm trees distract from the never-ending construction, barring bike lanes, playgrounds and open fields from use. Instead, they sit open and empty. On every other block lay long plots made up of concrete blocks, piles of dirt and metal pipes. The streets are shrouded with orange cones and caution tape. By sunset, cranes and bulldozers wait around with no operator in sight.
As you make your way across Warner Avenue, the scene slowly changes. Freshly trimmed grass, more modern buildings, and a sudden heap of trees begin to show themselves. Skyscrapers start to line up along the horizon. Where did all the people go? It seems as though passing through the Santa Ana-Costa Mesa border is a crossing between two different worlds…