In the mid-1970s, New York was broke, crumbling, and on the edge of collapse. Garbage piled up on sidewalks, unions fought bitterly with City Hall, and bankers refused to buy the bonds that kept the city running. The sense of crisis reached its peak when the Daily News captured the mood with one of the most famous headlines in American history: "Ford to City: Drop Dead."
It's the city that's proved irresistible for Chappell Roan and marked the finish line for fictional character Forrest Gump. Santa Monica easily sits among the pantheon of iconic Southern California communities due to its combination of weather, beach backdrop, energy and friendliness. Yet, that lore has been chipped away by sexual scandal, stagnation and, more recently, by another bubbling calamity.
