Vintage Town nominees

[dhermann1]

I just paid another visit to the Our Own Vintage Town thread. It's so much fun to go around in circles on the subject, but that's what always seems to happen, for so many reasons.
Here's a slightly different idea:
How about nominations of real existing towns to be our "Ideal Vintage Town"?
While reading the last few posts, the name of Greensburg PA popped into my mind as a good candidate for the title, just because I've visited there, and reallly liked it.
(Here's the Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greensburg,_Pennsylvania )
It's a nice old town near Pittsburgh, which has many vintage qualities.
But I also realized there are many other places that would match it.
What I'm suggesting is to develop a set of criteria, the way US News does when it designates the best places to live around the country.
What are the criteria we could use? Well preserved architecture is a good start. Lack of big ugly monstrosity structures from the 60's and later, uglifying the down town area is another. And a thriving downtown that's not being undermined by strip malls in the outlying districts.
What else? How about a good economy (but not too good!), a nice classic train station, a good theater where live performance can be held, as well as a classic movie theater that's still in tact.
Anyhow, this is a start. Let's have a discussion of both the criteria and some nominees for the distinction.
And we can classify them by size, as well. Maybe over 500,000, 100,000 to 499,999, 30,000 to 99,999, 5,000 to29,999, and under 5,000.
Any thoughts?
Also, how about international cities? Britain, Europe, Asia, Australia (Australia already has that great deco town, is it Napier?)

 

[jamespowers]

I just paid another visit to the Our Own Vintage Town thread. It's so much fun to go around in circles on the subject, but that's what always seems to happen, for so many reasons.
Here's a slightly different idea:
How about nominations of real existing towns to be our "Ideal Vintage Town"?
While reading the last few posts, the name of Greensburg PA popped into my mind as a good candidate for the title, just because I've visited there, and reallly liked it.
(Here's the Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greensburg,_Pennsylvania )
It's a nice old town near Pittsburg, which has many vintage qualities.
But I also realized there are many other places that would match it.
What I'm suggesting is to develop a set of criteria, the way US News does when it designates the best places to live around the country.
What are the criteria we could use? Well preserved architecture is a good start. Lack of big ugly monstrosity structures from the 60's and later, uglifying the down town area is another. And a thriving downtown that's not being undermined by strip malls in the outlying districts.
What else? How about a good economy (but not too good!), a nice classic train station, a good theater where live performance can be held, as well as a classic movie theater that's still in tact.
Anyhow, this is a start. Let's have a discussion of both the criteria and some nominees for the distinction.
And we can classify them by size, as well. Maybe over 500,000, 100,000 to 499,999, 30,000 to 99,999, 5,000 to29,999, and under 5,000.
Any thoughts?
Also, how about international cities? Britain, Europe, Asia, Australia (Australia already has that great deco town, is it Napier?)

The problem with Greenburg is that it is in PA. Too much snow for far too long.
I think the size would have to be certainly under 70,000 at an absolute maximum. Having said vintage infrastructure would be nice. I doubt a completely vintage town still exists unless it is a ghost town and no one has touched in in fifty years. There are a lot of places like Flint Michigan that are nearly like that now but Flint is in Michigan....

 

[Alex Oviatt]

In my neck of the woods, I think that South Pasadena, Sierra Madre and Monrovia all have a very vintage feel. You could easily see a 1947 Cadillac drive down the street and think nothing of it (except, of course to wonder who the lucky devil is that has a '47 Caddie....). As for a nice, classic station, the old railway station in Pasadena has been turned into a restaurant, Le Grand Orange, and has a very vintage feel to it. They have things like devilled eggs on the menu--how is that for vintage? Because it is adjacent to the new Gold Line train, you still get a feeling of golden age travel hustle and bustle, but you can sit there and have a Martini and devilled eggs while you watch it all unfold. One interesting thing about the station in Pasadena is that in the old days, when movie stars would come into town on the train, they would often dodge the paparazzi waiting for then downtown at LA's Union Station and get out in Pasadena and make the rest of the trip by car--it is nice to walk through doors that you know Errol Flynn and May Pickford have walked through, too. They had to wait until they got home for their Martinis and devilled eggs......

 

[jamespowers]

In my neck of the woods, I think that South Pasadena, Sierra Madre and Monrovia all have a very vintage feel. You could easily see a 1947 Cadillac drive down the street and think nothing of it (except, of course to wonder who the lucky devil is that has a '47 Caddie....). As for a nice, classic station, the old railway station in Pasadena has been turned into a restaurant, Le Grand Orange, and has a very vintage feel to it. They have things like devilled eggs on the menu--how is that for vintage? Because it is adjacent to the new Gold Line train, you still get a feeling of golden age travel hustle and bustle, but you can sit there and have a Martini and devilled eggs while you watch it all unfold. One interesting thing about the station in Pasadena is that in the old days, when movie stars would come into town on the train, they would often dodge the paparazzi waiting for then downtown at LA's Union Station and get out in Pasadena and make the rest of the trip by car--it is nice to walk through doors that you know Errol Flynn and May Pickford have walked through, too. They had to wait until they got home for their Martinis and devilled eggs......

Those are actually pretty good choices now that you mention it.

 

[dhermann1]

I've always heard great things about Pasadena, also about Santa Barbara. The idea here is not to pick THE Numero Uno Vintage Town in America, but to find several (or many) that have high vintage ratings. Some of us like snow, some hate it. Some like big cities, some like small towns. Let a hundred flowers bloom! Chacun a son gout! Different strokes for different folks! Whatever floats your boat!

 

[Fletch]

Is Santa Barbara still ultraconservative? My rents lived there ca. 1963 and it was totally dominated by the John Birch Society. Santa Barbarinos might see vintage folk as some creepy deviant cult, and arrange with the local constabulary to curtail our rights of peacable assembly and make us scrub sidewalks and stuff.

 

[jamespowers]

Is Santa Barbara still ultraconservative? My rents lived there ca. 1963 and it was totally dominated by the John Birch Society. Santa Barbarinos might see vintage folk as some creepy deviant cult, and arrange with the local constabulary to curtail our rights of peacable assembly and make us scrub sidewalks and stuff.

Really? Wow! I'll have to add that one to my list.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I lived in Santa Barbara in 1983, when $500 a month got you a one room walkup with a Murphy bed that my roommate took so I had to sleep on the floor. The vintage factor in that place was pretty high -- we had a built-in icebox in the kitchen, and there was a 1920s-style gas station across the street -- but according to Google Earth, that neighborhood has been bulldozed and replaced by condos or something. So forget that. I didn't much like the West Coast anyway -- people moved too slow on the sidewalk for my taste.

My town -- Rockland, Maine -- was highly vintage until gentrification set in about ten years ago. There are still highly vintage neighborhoods, though --mine is the newest house on my street, and it was built in 1911. But Maine is probably too cold for some of the thinner-blooded folks who would live in Our Vintage Town.

 

[jamespowers]

I didn't much like the West Coast anyway -- people moved too slow on the sidewalk for my taste.

lollollollol That's ok, people from Maine drive too slow.

 

[LocktownDog]

lollollollol That's ok, people from Maine drive too slow.

But the fishing's good and so's the food. I'd pick Maine over California anyday. Then again, anywhere is better than this hellhole I'm in.

 

[jamespowers]

But the fishing's good and so's the food. I'd pick Maine over California anyday. Then again, anywhere is better than this hellhole I'm in.

Don't forget that all the best commercial fish and shellfish ends up where you are due to the economics of shipping----it costs the same to send fish across country so you send the best to places where they don't have it to get the highest price for it.

 

[dhermann1]

So, how about a discussion of the criteria I mentioned. Any other suggestions? Any ideas on how to weigh each aspect against the other? "Availability of shellfish" an important one?
Maybe the Lounge could publish its own Vintage Lifestyle guide, and maybe this could be part of it.

 

[lolly_loisides]

Also, how about international cities? Britain, Europe, Asia, Australia (Australia already has that great deco town, is it Napier?)

Don't let the Kiwi's hear you! Napier is in New Zealand.

 

[dhermann1]

Oh, geez. What a FOE PAH! Thanks, and humblest apologies to all antipodians of every stripe. :eusa_doh:

 

[Fletch]

I would nominate Spencer, Iowa, where much of downtown dates to 1932 because most of it burned down in 1931.

However, Iowans didn't much hold with all this Moderne fooferaw and that, combined with the universal lack of money at the time, resulted in a rebuilding very much in the Brick Box With Not Too Many Windows school.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Don't forget that all the best commercial fish and shellfish ends up where you are due to the economics of shipping----it costs the same to send fish across country so you send the best to places where they don't have it to get the highest price for it.

The only place to buy seafood --

 

[jamespowers]

The only place to buy seafood --

Lobster for $7.50. Not bad. I'll take four thanks.

 

[rue]

In my neck of the woods, I think that South Pasadena, Sierra Madre and Monrovia all have a very vintage feel. You could easily see a 1947 Cadillac drive down the street and think nothing of it (except, of course to wonder who the lucky devil is that has a '47 Caddie....). As for a nice, classic station, the old railway station in Pasadena has been turned into a restaurant, Le Grand Orange, and has a very vintage feel to it. They have things like devilled eggs on the menu--how is that for vintage? Because it is adjacent to the new Gold Line train, you still get a feeling of golden age travel hustle and bustle, but you can sit there and have a Martini and devilled eggs while you watch it all unfold. One interesting thing about the station in Pasadena is that in the old days, when movie stars would come into town on the train, they would often dodge the paparazzi waiting for then downtown at LA's Union Station and get out in Pasadena and make the rest of the trip by car--it is nice to walk through doors that you know Errol Flynn and May Pickford have walked through, too. They had to wait until they got home for their Martinis and devilled eggs......

I haven't commented on the other post as I'm still reading it, but I grew up in Arcadia and I think Sierra Madre is a wonderful vintage town! Is Howie's grocery still there? Sorry if that's off topic.

 

[dhermann1]

OK, so how about this, rate each category on a 1 to 5 scale. Please feel free to suggest other categpries.
Architecture
Downtown District
Vintage shopping
Vintage entertainment
Other???

 

[jamespowers]

OK, so how about this, rate each category on a 1 to 5 scale. Please feel free to suggest other categpries.
Architecture
Downtown District
Vintage shopping
Vintage entertainment
Other???

Weather number 1
Architecture
Proximity to lakes, ocean and recreational areas
Vintage downtown district
vintage shopping
vintage entertainment