NORTHRIDGE : Some Regaining Pre-Quake Rhythm

More than any place in the San Fernando Valley, it was Northridge, home to the quake’s epicenter, that received the bulk of the press coverage after the quake. The photos of the shattered Bullock’s department store at Northridge Fashion Center and the Northridge Meadows apartment complex have become the defining images of this disaster.

But not all in Northridge are willing to accept this notoriety. Despite vivid examples of devastation covered on the news, life for many has regained something similar to its pre-quake rhythm.

“I have a cousin in Florida who keeps wanting to send me care packages!” laughed Gloria Rothenberg, past North Valley Homeowners’ Assn. president, whose house is standing firm. “I keep trying to tell her there’s no problem.”

Walter Prince, president of a Northridge building maintenance firm, and land-use chairman for the Chamber of Commerce, said the press images may have given an unrealistic perception of how widespread the damage really is.

Many homes and businesses escaped with little damage beyond broken windows, cracked chimneys and fallen block walls, he said. And despite devastating losses to many, Northridge is fortunate that it is home to a high concentration of construction-related businesses and contracting firms, many of which are thriving in the post-quake economy, Prince said.

Immediately after the quake, for example, Northridge Lumber did a week’s worth of business in a single day, said Pat Hawthorne, president and part owner of the firm. Still, many seeking a silver lining have had to look pretty hard. Northridge Chamber President Jim Beal said he has been discouraged by the number of people he has talked to who are making plans to leave town.

Beal, his voice strained, said his home suffered severe damage and his law firm was obliterated. “I don’t have any place to hang my hat,” he said. Earthquake damage, the temporary closure of Cal State Northridge, which provides a customer base for many small businesses, and job-loss due to the closure of the mall, may put many small, marginal shops out of business, he said.

Still, Beal said he sees hope in the fact that many badly damaged businesses, including the area’s grocery stores, seemed to have rebounded quickly.

“Angelenos have always had short memories,” said maintenance firm owner Prince. “I’m not gloomy. We have seen earthquakes before. They come, and they go away.”