3001 Pacific: The End of an Era Article by Magda Danish
The news about the Egyptian Consulate's move from San Francisco to Los Angeles by the summer of 2010 was met by the Egyptian community in the Bay Area with mixed feelings ranging from extreme shock to mild surprise to total indifference. Personally, the news didn't bother me much at first. After all, the consulate relocation made perfect sense, considering how the Egyptian constituency in Southern California outnumbers by far its equivalent in the San Francisco Bay Area. I have also been told that this move has been the wish of many consulate officials since the early eighties, with many prominent Egyptian Americans in the Los Angeles area consistently advocating for it.
I was surprised however to realize that for a few days after I'd heard the news, I couldn't brush away an overwhelming sense of loss. More than once, I stopped to ponder over the reasons behind this uneasy feeling which overpowered me at the mere thought of the consulate's move. Last weekend, while driving on Pacific Avenue in San Francisco, it finally dawned on me. I parked in front of 3001 Pacific and got out of my car to admire the imposing building which for over 50 years was, to many Egyptians like me, a source of pride and the symbol of a beautiful and long gone era.
|