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Berger, Monica (audio interview #5 of 6)
INTERVIEW DESCRIPTION - This interview was conducted in Berger's home in Leisure World in Seal Beach. 8/25/1979
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- 2020-11-04
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- SUBJECT BIO - Monica Berger and her husband owned and managed apartments and other real estate in downtown Long Beach and other parts of southern California in the 1950s and 1960s. During this time, she saw the area change from a residential community of retired folks into a modern civic and international trade center. Berger was born in Germany and followed other members of her family by emigrating to New York. By the time of the Second World War, she'd moved to Los Angeles and opened a beauty shop. She cut and styled women's hair in her shop to support herself and her son. She also participated in local social and political organizations of German immigrants until the war made such activities suspect. After the war, she met and married Peter Berger who had saved his money and retired as a real estate owner and manager. She took over management of some of his real estate holdings and negotiated the sale of a large apartment building in Long Beach when the city took over the land to expand its civic center. Later she and her husband lived in the desert and bought and sold real estate there, before moving back to Long Beach. When her husband died and she became older, she moved to Leisure World, a retirement community in nearby Seal Beach. TOPICS - difficulties dealing with government housing regulations during WWI; Long Beach's plans to build a new civic center; negotiations with Long Beach for fair compensation for their apartments; experiences managing remanagement of Lyle Apartments; experiences with Long Beach redevelopment; negotiations with city regarding new civic center; attendance at Unity Church; move to house in Sunland; move to Lyle Apartments in Long Bea
- *** File: cbmberger9.mp3 Audio Segments and Topics: (0:00-3:38)... During WWII, the Bergers faced pressure from the government to shift from resort renting to renting by the month to war workers. Additionally, the Office of Price Administration fixed monthly rents. The Bergers' Lyle Apartments in Long Beach housed families who's fathers and husbands worked in the harbor. After 1946, she believes Long Beach's economy shifted away from a war related activities, but it never returned the was it was before the war. (3:38-7:05)... Among the post-war changes in Long Beach was a proposal to build a new city hall and civic center. The Bergers' apartment building was in the area where this development was planned. After WWII, many buildings along the oceanfront were torn down and apartments became scarce. Their apartment needed some repairs, but the uncertain future and freeze on rents convinced them not to spend money on renovation. (7:05-10:38)... In the 1960s, the city's plans for a new civic center partially located on land occupied by the Berger's apartment building, became a reality. The city wanted to pay them a low price for the property, but she negotiated for a fair price. They finally came to an agreement in 1969. The city gave their tenants one month's rent so they could relocate, but housing was scarce. After everyone moved out, the building stood empty for three or four years before it was finally torn down. (10:38-13:37)... The city seemed incredibly slow in building the new civic center; the first proposals were made in 1946, and Berger's apartment building was still standing by the early 1970s. She recalls that after the war, the neighborhood became more dangerous. Many buildings were run down. The Long Beach Hotel, for example, was dilapidated and was torn down before the Bergers' apartment. (13:37-15:37)... At the time of the interview, Berger said that Long Beach was once a beautiful, sleepy resort town, but the actions of city officials after the war seemed unwise. Many of the old buildings were destroyed, and private family businesses were replaced with chain stores. (15:37-18:46)... War time was financially difficult for many people. Berger saw taxes rise along with inflation, yet her income was restricted because of rent freezes. Some of her tenants were careless with their apartments, and the cost of repairs became an additional burden. Mr. Berger tried to arrange to give tenants a discount for keeping their homes clean, but the tenants rarely held up their end of the bargain. (18:46-22:44)... One of Berger's tenants in an Echo Park house always had complaints and requested repairs and improvements. And when Berger tried to sell the property, the woman would not let anyone come in to see the house. One man, however, bought the house without seeing the inside. After the war, there were still many difficulties, and the Bergers bought additional properties and had to arrange refunds for tenants whose rents were raised illegally by the previous owners. (22:44-27:35)... Berger enjoyed living in Long Beach, and one year, she and her husband went swimming in the ocean every day. Venetian Square on Ocean Boulevard was a gathering place for non-wealthy residents and visitors. People who visited there could look around, swim, and dine. There was also the Spit and Argue Club, where members talked about any subject. Upper-class people stayed away from these areas. (27:35-31:00)... The Bergers' Lyle Apartments in Long Beach were in a nicer area of the city. Berger met the son of the man who built the apartments and learned the building's history. The man wanted to create a grand apartment building, but the Depression came and people were unable to afford grand housing. Damages caused by the 1933 earthquake made his situation even worse. After his father sold the building, this son said that the next two owners also had problems making a profit from renting the building. (31:00-34:36)... With the help of some friends, the Bergers learned to operate apartment buildings. The first one they bought was in Highland Park and later they invested in Long Beach. When they bought that apartments there, Berger's husband wanted to pay the building off so he did not have to pay interest on a mortgage. He sold several houses he owned to raise the money to accomplish this. Berger wanted to buy more apartments, but her husband was not interested in earning more money or buying luxuries. He did not even let her have a charge account at Buffums. (34:36-36:38)... Although the Office of Price Administration caused many difficulties for Berger, she felt it was doing good work because it prevented crooked landlords from taking advantage of tenants. During WWII, housing was in such demand, that some property owners hired others to manage their properties and didn't work at it themselves. (36:38-41:19)... By accident, Berger found out that one of her managers at the Lyle was getting secret payments from tenants. She turned him in to the Office of Price Administration, but they said she was responsible and she got him evicted by exposing his illegal activities. (41:19-45:06)... Berger tried several other people before finding an honest and responsible manager for Lyle. Later, as the neighborhood worsened, a man was killed by the building's back door. She believed she was lucky to find managers who stayed until the building was finally torn down, so she could continue to rent the units. She was so appreciative, she bought the managers a new car. END OF TAPE *** File: cbmberger10.mp3 (0:00-3:54)... After WWII ended, Berger rented the Lyle's apartments on a month-to-month basis. She hired a married couple to manage the building and they stayed for 10 years. When the wife had a stroke and moved to a convalescent home, the husband began drinking, and soon was unable to manage building anymore. (3:54-8:38)... When that manager left the Lyle, Berger found a great manager who was very handy and there were a number of managers him. Many older people lived in the Lyle apartments, and they often stayed until they died. There were many nice tenants, and Berger kept the rents low. She maintained the building, but did not make any large improvements since she knew the building was marked for demolition. (8:38-12:33)... Although city officials talked for years about plans to build a new civic center north of Ocean Boulevard, the area around the Lyle remained largely unchanged. First the area south of Ocean changed. Before the changes began, Berger enjoyed going to Rainbow Pier and various social gatherings downtown. Many people visited the ball rooms; Berger could tell when it was 2 am because they all left at the same time. (12:33-16:09)... Long Beach offered many recreational opportunities for older people. Berger remembers one time when Eleanor Roosevelt spoke at Bixby Park in support of a local woman's political campaign. Many people preferred Long Beach over Los Angeles because of the community and oceanfront setting. Many older local residents who lived at the Lyle seemed to enjoy dancing, talking, singing and drinking coffee together. (16:09-20:28)... Many local businesses struggled after the war. Bernstein's delicatessen on Pacific, however, was successful. Berger often went to shows on the Pike with her friends. People in Long Beach were friendly, and even the bus drivers knew the riders by name and where they lived. The community suffered when city officials decided to build a new civic center, but couldn't carry out those plans. (20:28-23:30)... The city's uncertain plans for the civic center affected the Bergers' future in Long Beach. They had many problems with city officials in negotiating the sale of their building. Berger, in the end, was able to get a better price for her property without hiring a lawyer to handle the sale. Once the sale was completed, she had to paid high income taxes. (23:30-26:08)... At the time of the interview, Berger felt that Long Beach suffered when the old buildings were torn down and businesses were taken over. A German man who owned a local delicatessen eventually sold his business. And Buffums department store was sold to a new owner. Many other businesses were bought by national chains. (26:08-28:44)... When she lived in Highland Park, Berger attended Unity Church there. It is a church that includes elements of the metaphysical movement. Berger was interested in spirituality, but her husband was not a man of faith. She attended church while her husband stayed at home. (28:44-33:22)... The Bergers bought a house in Sunland and moved into it. Berger loved the house, but they sold it and moved to Long Beach when they discovered manager of the Lyle apartments was dishonest. They had bought the house for $18,000 and, when they wanted to sell it, a realtor told them they could only ask $16,000. Through the Unity Church, however, Berger found a buyer willing to pay $18,500 for the house and furniture. Berger's husband was traveling during these business negotiations. (33:22-37:18)... The Bergers moved to the Lyle apartments in Long Beach, and Berger found a Unity Church nearby. Mr. Berger did not join her religion, but he was a good, kind man. Berger believed in God as a spiritual power rather than "a man that sits behind the clouds." Berger felt that Unity church's ideas were more plausible and adaptable to real life issues than those offered by other churches. (37:18-41:31)... Berger believed that the metaphysical interpretation of religion was more suited for improving people's lives. She felt it was more "lenient" than denominational beliefs, and it encouraged people to seek better lives without feeling they were ultimately doomed and could not recover from their sins. She did not approve of people who prayed, but never changed their actions. (41:31-45:06)... Berger found it was difficult to express her specific ideas about religion. She focused more on people's actions and how they conducted themselves than what they professed about religion. For Berger, having hope and faith was more important than having material possessions. END OF TAPE
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