The Forbidden City

Migrants have lived in cobbled-together shacks in Carmel Valley for more than two decades. With each year, the boundaries of San Diego's urban development have stretched outward, inching closer and closer to the valley.

The new developments now sit on the rim of the canyon, only a 30-second walk away, creating a chasm of contrasts where million-dollar homes rub shoulders with mud-splattered huts.

The immigrants continue to live as they have for decades: In a trash-strewn canyon with candles for light, a stream to bath in, and each other's companionship to keep warm.

In March 2006, voiceofsandiego.org staff writer Will Carless spent five days living with these undocumented workers.

The San Diego Press Club awarded the resulting three-part series Best of Show in 2006, choosing the series as the best daily news story of the year in the region.

Part I: Brothers of the Canyon

Part II: A Shanty Town's Danger and Hope

Part III: Outlaws in the Open