Time Warp Towns

[Missy Hellfire]

Here in the UK there is a bit of a campaign going on because the small individually owned shops in our towns are being either pushed out and replaced by chain stores or being closed down by giant stores like Wal-Mart (called ASDA here) robbing them of business. So many places now have homogenised shopping areas with all the same old chains or beautiful little shops just boarded up and left empty. The thing is, especially in this day and age, people shop with their pockets (myself included) and are often forced to patronise the chain stores due to the smaller shops having to add overheads that the larger stores don't have to. I support the small retailer whenever I can though, although I don't think that it occurrs to most people to do so.

In terms of timewarps, the UK has plenty of little places that aren't much changed, some of them haven't changed for centuries! My parents live in the Cotswolds and I love visiting them down there. Google a place called Lower Slaughter (great name!) and you'll see what I mean. http://www.cotswolds.info/places/lower-slaughter.shtml

 

[Mr. Hallack]

The damage Walmart did to Rockland was when they first came -- Senter Crane's, the local department store downtown (where the Island Institute is now) went under almost immediately. Newberry's held out a couple more years, but they disappeared shortly after. Crie's Hardware (where the Second Read is now) went under around the same time.

Thanks for the info Lizzie. I'm from away, only been in Rockland since 2000 and Wal-Mart was already in town.

 

[David Conwill]

Not where I expected this to go when I started it, but then having "expectations" online is kind of pointless...

I'm sorry, Mike. That's probably my fault. I said the "W-word" first.

I was actually kind of hoping someone would pipe up and prove me wrong about there being no time-warp towns left in Michigan.

-Dave

 

[Fletch]

Yellow light time?

Discussions of the Walmonster very often turn political, because they involve money and power and their very immediate effects on local folks.

Perhaps best to keep to the effects and leave out our opinions as to causes?

 

[John in Covina]

Not far from my home is a shopping center. There was once a Sears there that closed and moved to the nearest mall. the old Sears building was demolished and a Home Depot was built there. After about 12-14 years the Home Depot closed and move to a new complex about a mile away. The Home Depot building was demolished and a Lowe's was built in the very same spot. now I am glad that the other buildings did not stay empty for extended periods and it seems to point to the viability of the location so it makes me wonder as to the underlying drive to relocate the Sears and the Home Depot.

 

[John in Covina]

Coming back to the islands of Time warp out by me there is a hotel in Monrovia called the Aztec Hotel which some time back was renovated. They found the original Mayan / Aztec influenced Art Deco facade underneath and brought that back. There are a number of images of this around if you Google it. Here is a link with it and some other Route 66 stuff: http://www.theroadwanderer.net/RT66pacific.htm

 

[Gene]

There is a town in Indiana about 45 minutes away from me called French Lick, where they have finished renovation on the West Baden Springs Hotel, a getaway in the1920's for health fanatics and rich people (as well as gangsters from Chicago).

Postcard from the 20's:

Picture from now:

The hotel and grounds are absolutely stunning and have been tastefully renovated to the original 1920's styling.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Our Pick 'n Save has been sitting vacant for a few years now after they moved both of their stores out of town. My family considered buying it for some business ventures we have planned, but didn't know if spending a couple million on the building was a wise choice. Now, there is finally going to be a grocery store going in there again, I am thrilled to hear that news!

Not far from my home is a shopping center. There was once a Sears there that closed and moved to the nearest mall. the old Sears building was demolished and a Home Depot was built there. After about 12-14 years the Home Depot closed and move to a new complex about a mile away. The Home Depot building was demolished and a Lowe's was built in the very same spot. now I am glad that the other buildings did not stay empty for extended periods and it seems to point to the viability of the location so it makes me wonder as to the underlying drive to relocate the Sears and the Home Depot.

 

[John in Covina]

I know I have heard of French Lick before but can't remember the context. Those hotel pictures are stunning.

 

[Tiller]

Wow Gene that is just amazing. I didn't think there were many places like that anymore! I think we should rent it, and have a Lounge meet up there .

 

[1961MJS]

I know I have heard of French Lick before but can't remember the context. Those hotel pictures are stunning.

I wanted to go there until I read their prices. They include a spa treatment, but I'm not really into that, and I don't play golf either. I looked at their restaurant's menu and no prices. No prices usually means I don't wanna pay it. Bummer, cool looking place.

Later

 

[LizzieMaine]

I know I have heard of French Lick before but can't remember the context. Those hotel pictures are stunning.

French Lick was the home of Pluto Water, great-grandma's favorite laxative. "When Nature Won't -- Pluto Will!"

 

[John in Covina]

Wow Gene that is just amazing. I didn't think there were many places like that anymore! I think we should rent it, and have a Lounge meet up there .

I'd like to say that it would be a really fine idea to put together some sort of event there. Maybe come up with a date for a dinner at one of the hotel restaurants. When we get together at the Queen Mary some people travel down and stay there or locally and some of the more local people just drive in for a daily visit. We coordinate some local side trips and schedule a few dinners on board. If you can rustle up a FL bartender it becomes an Official FL event.

Might be worth considering a get together there and posting it in the Events section.

 

[John in Covina]

You can actually post an "Inquiry" to see if there is interest first.

 

[Gene]

You can actually post an "Inquiry" to see if there is interest first.

Well, they offer a complete tour during the summer months that gives you a history on the hotel as well as showing you where the original springs were and all the surrounding area. There is a an old-style barber shop in the hotel set up as kind of an interactive museum and a bar and restaurant. They also have a library and smoking lounge (although no smoking ) The hotel room prices are a little steep, but when my former girlfriend and I went up there we ended up having drinks on the deck in classic rocking chairs and all dressed up we felt like we were time warped back into the Golden Era. We ended up getting friendly with the staff and passed out on the couches in the main dome area!

It is the perfect place for a Lounge meetup and well worth the drive to see the place in all its glory. As for the town itself, aside from a few antique stores (and another hotel, The French Lick which isn't as grandiose but just as quaint) there isn't much to do in the area. A good place to fly into would be Louisville and there is a lot going on there.

 

[WH1]

French Lick is the hometown of Larry Bird. My wife and I were up there last year and saw all of the grand old resort hotels. Didn't stay there then we were there on business and they were too pricey for that trip. We are planning on going back for a long weekend sometime next year. They have done a very nice job restoring the hotels which are beautiful but the small town has not followed suit yet. I think the recent economic downturn hit the small businesses in the area. It is definitely a destination resort as it did not look to have much else in the area.

 

[J.J. Gittes]

I am currently in Savannah Georgia looking at The Savannah College Of Art & Design, it is a time warp is there ever was one, a historic downtown district, 21 town squares, streets and avenues lined with cobblestone sidewalks and willow trees with moss hanging down.... Check it out if you can!

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I am actually looking to relocate to the Savannah area, many of the things you mentioned are what draws me there!

I am currently in Savannah Georgia looking at The Savannah College Of Art & Design, it is a time warp is there ever was one, a historic downtown district, 21 town squares, streets and avenues lined with cobblestone sidewalks and willow trees with moss hanging down.... Check it out if you can!

 

[Unlucky Berman]

There is a town in Indiana about 45 minutes away from me called French Lick, where they have finished renovation on the West Baden Springs Hotel, a getaway in the1920's for health fanatics and rich people (as well as gangsters from Chicago).

Postcard from the 20's:

Picture from now:

The hotel and grounds are absolutely stunning and have been tastefully renovated to the original 1920's styling.

Absolutely stunning!
I wish that I could be a guest there.
Regarding time warps, luckily here in Europe many older buildings and even complete streets survived in the cities. I think there is in general a better appreciation for these older things and then some parts of the cities just were left because no change was needed. It's also for every city a nice thing to have an intact historic center and some use it and keep them in a good shape for touristic reasons.
Last but not least, when Mr. Rummsfeld said this somewhat annoying thing about "old Europe" he was maybe right in a way he did not think about. The cities are older than most in america and the ages left their imprints on them. And that mustn't be always a bad thing.

Personally, I like those cities and towns which prospered around the early 20th century. You can always see that because they tend to have more art nouveau/art deco architecture and buildings from that era.
The most boring cities are those who were thoroughly damaged during the war and rebuilt afterwards in too much haste or those here in the eastern parts where communistic and socialistic governments left their stupid remnants of urban nightmares (like building a 4 laned highway right through a historic city center and by the way destroying a lot old nice houses just to make room for those boring 6-12 level appartment blocks made of concrete or when they let the buildings decay beyond repair for nearly 40 years).

 

[skyvue]

I found Clear Lake, Iowa, to be a time warp resort town. Lots of vintage buildings, and the Surf Ballroom, where both big bands and early rock bands played. The Surf was also the site of Buddy Holly's final concert.