Our own vintage town

[W4ASZ]

Treading upon dangerous ground ...

"6. No electronic communications antenna, tower, or array operating in any frequency range in excess of 30 megacycles, whether for transmission or reception, shall be permitted within the city limits."

Now, if I want to put up a CB radio ground plane antenna (27 mHz and very anachronistic), that would be OK, but an antenna built to spec from the 1948 Radio Amateur's Handbook for my proper pre WWII-vintage National 1-10 receiver, which runs up to about 300 mHz, would not be kosher.

Why dat ? [huh]

 

[Panache]

Yes, that sign will be posted.

Then I certainly wouldn't want to live there.

The type of town I think most people are imagining is one where the best vintage qualities we remember or see in the old movies are exemplified. One where personal responsibility, respect to others, and politeness (not to mention dressing rather nicely) are the norm.

I shudder at the thought of a bunch of "good old boys" hanging out at the barbershop who take it apon themselves to harass someone walking along the a street because they had long hair.

Of course in truth that is vintage too.

If you are going to build a vintage fictional town in our collective imaginations it would seem to me that you should pick from the best qualities and leave the worse to the past. This includes racism, sexism, religious persecution, homophobia, and prejudice.

Cheers

Jamie

 

[LizzieMaine]

W4ASZ -- the antenna restrictions were intended to keep out television (other than the Baird-Jenkins mechanical system!) and the various UHF services such as cellphones and wi-fi. We could certainly amend to allow special exceptions for equipment manufactured before January 1, 1948, which would allow experimental operation in either of the two FM bands, or for licensed amateurs.

More rules 'n' regulations:

12. No automobile, motor truck, motor bus, tractor, trailer, motorcycle, scooter, bicycle, carriage or cart manufactured after June 30, 1959 may be operated on any public way within the municipal limits.

(My own preference on this would be a 1949 cutoff, but I know we have some tail-fin enthusiasts and I don't want to get them mad.)

13. No ground-floor retail establishment may exceed 5000 square feet in size, with the exception of automobile showrooms and of department stores located in successive stories of a single building.

(In other words, no supermarkets allowed. Buy your groceries at the neighborhood First National or Red-and-White, your meat at the butcher shop, your bread from the bakery, and your vegetables from the greengrocer.)

14. A 1 AM curfew shall be strictly enforced for all premises licensed for the sale of alcoholic beverages.

(What would be the point of having a speakeasy if there were no curfews to violate?)

15. No amusement permit shall be issued for any motion picture theatre enclosing more than one screen, or utilizing any automated cinematograph for the presentation of motion pictures.

 

[Feraud]

So there were no big cities in the Golden Era? I guess Nick and Nora wouldn't be welcome??? Or Cole Porter? Or George Gershwin? Or Babe Ruth? Etc., etc.

I think this discussion is focusing more of a town setting than a city.
If you want that big city jazz, take it to NYC buster!

 

[Forgotten Man]

Then I certainly wouldn't want to live there.

Well, let me set the record straight...

The hippies I've met are those who believe that the world owes them a living and have little or no respect to property, proper hygiene, laws or contributing to society.

The thought of a calm, relaxed community with kind and self respecting citizens I think is what w're amin' for. No Woodstock's, no Birkenstock's and headbands and free love circles thank you.

Prejudice will occur naturally, there will be those who wont want to associate with someone because of their religious practices or maybe they find them to be competition in the fashion world or what not. Some will get a long and some wont for who knows why? It's just one of those things of life we don't like but, it happens.

I'm seeing a town and not a major metropolitan set up. Maybe a rail line, a sleepy station with a few steam locos, a few heavy weights (Pullman cars) and a few gas stations, a garage, a corner drug store/soda fountain, record shop, dress shop, tailor shop, butcher shop, bakery, grocery store, library, two schools, post office, an telephone exchange building, a Town Hall, fire department, police department, a movie theater, a night club/ballroom... ya know, kind of like a Bedford Falls if you will.

 

[jamespowers]

W4ASZ -- the antenna restrictions were intended to keep out television (other than the Baird-Jenkins mechanical system!) and the various UHF services such as cellphones and wi-fi. We could certainly amend to allow special exceptions for equipment manufactured before January 1, 1948, which would allow experimental operation in either of the two FM bands, or for licensed amateurs.

More rules 'n' regulations:

12. No automobile, motor truck, motor bus, tractor, trailer, motorcycle, scooter, bicycle, carriage or cart manufactured after June 30, 1959 may be operated on any public way within the municipal limits.

(My own preference on this would be a 1949 cutoff, but I know we have some tail-fin enthusiasts and I don't want to get them mad.)

Yeah, because the mayor would be driving a 1957 era vehicle every day.

 

[jamespowers]

7. No construction permit shall be granted within the municipal limits for any single-family dwelling on any building lot larger than one half acre, unless at least three quarters of all land area in excess of one half-acre is devoted to agriculture.

8. No construction permit shall be granted within the municipal limits for any dwelling, single or multi-family, set back more than fifteen feet from the inner boundary of an existing public sidewalk, unless said dwelling is located on property recognized as an agricultural site.

Half acre! My neighbor here has one acre. I would have to bump that up as half an acre really isn't that much when you put a few buildings on it. You end up sucking up the land and have nothing left for a victory garden.
My house was built in the 1920s and it definitely is more than fifteen feet away from the sidewalk. It is better that way. I don't have to hear the cars passing by and people walking by while I am in the house.
Aside from those two and parking meters ( I hate parking meters), I can see this fleshing out nicely.

 

[dhermann1]

I think this discussion is focusing more of a town setting than a city.
If you want that big city jazz, take it to NYC buster!

I was just referring mainly to the 6 story limit. Maybe 12 or 15 for the biggest building in town? There would be an antenna on the top, maybe?
The Hotel (fill-in-the-blank).
Getting back to the name of the town, the most commonly mentioned name is always Willoughby, because, of course, of the Twilight Zone episode. I have two small objections to Willoughby. One, the town in the episode is really more turn of the 20th century than "Golden Era" (i.e. 1900), so that's what I think of when I hear the name. My second objection is that it's just too cutesy-poo.

 

[jamespowers]

I was just referring mainly to the 6 story limit. Maybe 12 or 15 for the biggest building in town? There would be an antenna on the top, maybe?
The Hotel (fill-in-the-blank).
Getting back to the name of the town, the most commonly mentioned name is always Willoughby, because, of course, of the Twilight Zone episode. I have two small objections to Willoughby. One, the town in the episode is really more turn of the 20th century than "Golden Era" (i.e. 1900), so that's what I think of when I hear the name. My second objection is that it's just too cutesy-poo.

Cutesty?! :eusa_doh:
We will have buildings from that period up to 1960 so that doesn't seem to be a problem. I wouldn't mind if it were mainly Victorians either.
The six story limit stays for now as we are putting together a small suburban town not a big city. There are many elements of a big city that we really should avoid considering our population will not be that large.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Half acre! My neighbor here has one acre. I would have to bump that up as half an acre really isn't that much when you put a few buildings on it. You end up sucking up the land and have nothing left for a victory garden.

Ah, that's where the agricultural exception comes in -- you could have as much of a victory garden on as large a lot as you wanted as long as most of the space in excess of the limit is devoted to agricultural use. The idea is avoid the idea of suburban yard-sprawl and keep houses reasonably close together -- people will be *forced* to get acquainted with their neighbors.

My house was built in the 1920s and it definitely is more than fifteen feet away from the sidewalk. It is better that way. I don't have to hear the cars passing by and people walking by while I am in the house.
Aside from those two and parking meters ( I hate parking meters), I can see this fleshing out nicely.

I wonder if deep residential setbacks are a western thing? All the houses on my street were built between 1840 and 1911, and most of them are set back less than ten feet. My own front yard, such as it is, is a mere eight feet between the front of my porch and the gutter.

Maybe the best approach is to govern setbacks by the type of street: homes in sections bordering an arterial way would be allowed a twenty-five foot setback, providing the perimeter of the property is bounded by a fence at least four feet high, said fence to be constructed either of solid boards or pickets spaced no further than four inches apart at the discretion of the property owner. Homes on side streets would be required to stick to the fifteen foot setback, but no fence would be required.

I love parking meters, myself. Anything that forces people to walk or ride the trolley instead of driving everwhere is OK by me.

 

[jamespowers]

Ah, that's where the agricultural exception comes in -- you could have as much of a victory garden on as large a lot as you wanted as long as most of the space in excess of the limit is devoted to agricultural use. The idea is avoid the idea of suburban yard-sprawl and keep houses reasonably close together -- people will be *forced* to get acquainted with their neighbors.

That would be something I would have to get used to. I think fences make the best neighbors.

I wonder if deep residential setbacks are a western thing? All the houses on my street were built between 1840 and 1911, and most of them are set back less than ten feet. My own front yard, such as it is, is a mere eight feet between the front of my porch and the gutter.

Maybe the best approach is to govern setbacks by the type of street: homes in sections bordering an arterial way would be allowed a twenty-five foot setback, providing the perimeter of the property is bounded by a fence at least four feet high, said fence to be constructed either of solid boards or pickets spaced no further than four inches apart at the discretion of the property owner. Homes on side streets would be required to stick to the fifteen foot setback, but no fence would be required.

I love parking meters, myself. Anything that forces people to walk or ride the trolley instead of driving everwhere is OK by me.

Deep setbackas are likely a western thing as we had lots of land to start with. The setbacks were decreased in the 1940s for housing for shipyard workers and the like though. By then the setbacks were about fifteen feet. You are in the middle of my lawn at fifteen feet.
I definitely would have the perimeter of my property surrounded by a fence. How high can the fence be? Eight to ten feet sounds good. Privacy is a good thing.
Give the people who have vintage cars a break. What's the use of having them if we can't drive them?

 

[LizzieMaine]

I definitely would have the perimeter of my property surrounded by a fence. How high can the fence be? Eight to ten feet sounds good. Privacy is a good thing.

As high as you want, but be prepared for bill-posters to come around and cover the boards with ads for the circus, the carnival, and the boxing matches at the Odd Fellows Hall.

Give the people who have vintage cars a break. What's the use of having them if we can't drive them?

We'll have a big gravel pit on the outskirts of town where the Car Culture can gather on Saturday nights to carry on until the cops come to bust it up.

 

[JimWagner]

Not just a western thing.

Small southern towns, and I'm talking about towns with populations of 5000 or less like I grew up in, commonly had lots larger than a half acre. Sure, there were also smaller lots, but nothing as small and crowded feeling as the pictures I've seen of small northern towns, especially those in Maine, Vermont, and that general area.

My lot now is right at a half acre and I'd rather have larger.

I'd feel really cramped up under the zoning laws being proposed here. Reminds me too much of the postage stamp size lots common around here now with a view of your neighbor's interior.

In my part of the country we didn't really have those crowded lots until so many northerners who didn't know any better started moving in.

 

[jamespowers]

In my part of the country we didn't really have those crowded lots until so many northerners who didn't know any better started moving in.

We didn't have them here either until the easterners who didn't know any better started moving in.

 

[jamespowers]

As high as you want, but be prepared for bill-posters to come around and cover the boards with ads for the circus, the carnival, and the boxing matches at the Odd Fellows Hall.



We'll have a big gravel pit on the outskirts of town where the Car Culture can gather on Saturday nights to carry on until the cops come to bust it up.

I meant the fence between me and my neighbors on three sides. If they want to post signs on their side---fine. lol lol lol

Gravel pit---hmmmmm.... that sounds like an idea. Car racing, having fun and outside of the town where no one can complain about the noise.

 

[jamespowers]

Not just a western thing.

Small southern towns, and I'm talking about towns with populations of 5000 or less like I grew up in, commonly had lots larger than a half acre. Sure, there were also smaller lots, but nothing as small and crowded feeling as the pictures I've seen of small northern towns, especially those in Maine, Vermont, and that general area.

My lot now is right at a half acre and I'd rather have larger.

I'd feel really cramped up under the zoning laws being proposed here. Reminds me too much of the postage stamp size lots common around here now with a view of your neighbor's interior.

I would like a lot more land as well so I'll plant a big garden.
The postage stamp thing is something I would want to avoid as well. I don't want to even be able to see my neighbor but.......
I have a quarter acre now. I could use another two or three.

 

[W4ASZ]

I'm with it !

W4ASZ -- the antenna restrictions were intended to keep out television (other than the Baird-Jenkins mechanical system!) and the various UHF services such as cellphones and wi-fi. We could certainly amend to allow special exceptions for equipment manufactured before January 1, 1948, which would allow experimental operation in either of the two FM bands, or for licensed amateurs. .....

Well, I like the Farnsworth system, limited to local programming in black and white with restricted hours. No networks or infomercials ! Also, ham operators must trade in their modern weirdo callsigns for one by two or one by three "W" calls. AM, CW, and narrowband FM modes, no SSB or digital.
Vacuum tubes only, thank you.

For Big Voice AM radio broadcasting, how about a reconstructed Bisamburgsender a few miles out of town ? (I can't believe this no longer exists.) Blaw-Knox towers rule !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rm0_E7Zjcl8

 

[LizzieMaine]

16. No self-service pump shall be maintained within the municipal limits for the dispensing of gasoline, kerosene, benzine, naphtha, white spirit, diesel fuel, or aviation fuel, with the exception of private pumping facilities maintained on farms.

17. No retail business establishment in excess of 1000 square feet in size may operate between the hours of 8am and 6pm on Sundays.

(We have to have at least one "blue law" for people to complain about.)

18. No peddler or hawker may operate on any municipal street before the hour of 9:00 AM or after the hour of 6:00 PM on any weekday.

(Between those hours it's open season -- knife-sharpeners, scissors-grinders, ice cream and hot dog men, kids selling mackerel off red wagons, paperboys, Hoover vacuum cleaner guys...)

 

[Miss Neecerie]

16. No self-service pump shall be maintained within the municipal limits for the dispensing of gasoline, kerosene, benzine, naphtha, white spirit, diesel fuel, or aviation fuel, with the exception of private pumping facilities maintained on farms.

Welcome to New Jersey.....or Oregon.

 

[WW2WaltUSMC]

Lizzie, your mention of Aviation fuel makes me wonder, what about a small airstrip? Those of us who inhabit the WWII section of this forum would love a place to land and house our Corsairs, Mustangs, Spitfires, Wildcats, etc. Small strip, in the style of a Forward Operating Base in the Pacific or one of the many RAF strips in England. One runway, maybe two, small control tower, a few hangars. We could even host fly-ins and airshows ala Reading to provide some tourism income to our small town!