Was Your Hometown Retro?

[Miss 1929]

Still is!

Placerville, Caliifornia, otherwise known as Hangtown. Therefore the guy hanging from yes, the actual branch they used to hang varmints from, they built the branch into the building where the tree used to be.

When we moved there in '63, the freeway had just made it there, and it was prety much as it had been for 50 years. Now it's huge, but still has a lot of charm downtown.

 

[cookie]

Charming Anecdote

I spent my childhood between Oak Park, IL, Chicago, and Elmhurst, IL. All three cities are very old, with a rich history.

My grandmothers house in OP was built in 1911. Many of the sidewalks still had the dates stamped on them, and many of them hadn't been repaired since the early 40s. The sidewalk in front of my grandmothers house had a big 1913 stamped into it. She had an old Model A in the garage that my dad would work on every weekend. Her house still had the old fashioned laundry shoots and dumb-waiters. Her upstairs bathtub was above ground and it took half an hour to draw a hot watered bath!

Both my great-grandmothers were still living up until I was 11. My Nana was born in 1898 and my Munno was born in 1899. Both, also, lived in OP and were well enough to take care of themselves way into their late 90s. Their houses had changed little from the 50s, even down to the table cloths.

I remember we used to go to an old ice cream parlor constantly called Margie's in Chicago. It was actually the place where the Beatles ate once when they came here in the 60s. The place is littered with old photos and signatures. You still eat out of the old clam-shell dishes that had been used to serve since the 20s.

In Elmhurst, the old movie theatre still had an organist play music in-between shows. Me and my mom would go and see matinees just so we could listen to her play. There's also a dozen old bakeries that still have penny candy and cookies.

The weekend before Halloween, my town would have a fair where all the kids would go to the civic center and play games and get candy in their costumes. Think 'To Kill A Mockingbird'. It was THE thing to do growing up, almost cooler than actual Halloween!

My school was built sometime around the Teens and, of course, we didn't have a cafeteria. We ate our brown bagged lunches at our desks, of course after moving them in little circles with our friends. We also didn't have a playground... just a parking lot with some four-square fields painted on and a baseball diamond. We played 4-square and kickball. Jump ropes were also popular, and I was amazing at Double Dutch.

My high school was built in 1918 and of course, we didn't have central air or heat. Summer time we all suffered on the 4th floor, especially having to wear wool uniform skirts. Winter time, girls would fight to sit in the back rows of class so we could be closest to the radiators. This also meant we had no elevator. Nobody had fat thighs when I went there. The desks in some classrooms were so old they still had inkwells and ink blots everywhere from clumsy students.

The coolest thing ever was the abandoned school in my town. It had been shut down in the 70s. My mom actually went there as a kid, and told me how everyone thought it was haunted since in the early 50s, 3 little kids (two of the brothers) didn't look before crossing and rant into the road and got hit by a car and killed. We would also try to peek through the broken windows and bent blinds and see if we could see anything spooky. The school had a big, open field behind it, and we would all play freeze tag, baseball, or football back there. I drove past it a few days ago... the school has been demolished and everything is now town-homes and office buildings.

With the Oak Park connection you did not go on to talk about your family's personal friendship with Frank Lloyd Wright... [huh] [huh]

 

[Luddite]

My hometown was sadly not retro at all. Sure, there were some old bits left (like my school, which was founded in 1344) but the majority of it was brand new plate glass and concrete, coloured fascias and corporate artworks everywhere. Bright, new, cheerful and moving on from the blitz of November 14th, 1940, which saw German incendiaries destroying the majority of the city of Coventry.

At the end of term, and on some weekends, I would board the train at the glass and steel station of that Modern Town and take a rattly, compartmented carriage back in time to my mother's mud-walled cottage in a village which had not noticeably moved on since the 1920s. With a population of around 150, served by a post office built into the front room of Mr. and Mrs. Manuel's house and dominated by the pub which towered over the village green, Throwley Forstal had many residents who could remember 12 squadron RFC operating from the now-derelict buildings on the Canterbury side of the village. In fact, not all of those buildings were derelict because Rosie Scutt and her husband whose name sadly eludes me occupied the tin-roofed guardhouse at the entrance. One of the larger airfield buildings had also been taken over as village hall once the RFC left at the end of 1918 and although disuded since the 1950s, was still in wonderful condition, complete with crockery, cutlery, cinema seating and an old piano. Sadly, townies from London started to move in as weekenders and with them came the wanton destruction known to the grownups as development, and their maladjusted children as 'lets smash that up'.

I moved away from both 'hometowns' and although I do return occasionally, they are both immensely changed now, Coventry, I think, for the better, but Throwley sadly will never regain its charm.

 

[jayem]

With the Oak Park connection you did not go on to talk about your family's personal friendship with Frank Lloyd Wright... [huh] [huh]

Ha, I wish, but my Nana went to high school with Ernest Hemingway and she claimed to have went on a date with him... though I don't know if I REALLY believe it. They went dancing, and she thought he was very bold with her!

 

[crwritt]

Lizzie, I grew up in Bangor, ME, was born there in 1957 and lived there until the early 70's. from what I remember, Bangor was trying at that time to be as modern as it could be, but of course there were old timey places.
My Grammie lived in Caribou, so we took lots of annual trips up there, and much of that area had stayed sort of old fashioned. She lived in a little brown shingle style bungalow on Main Street, a nice residential street that had changed very little in decades.The center of downtown, though, succumed to Urban Renewal greed and was torn down and replaced with a shopping mall. there was still a Newberry's, though, and a penny town tax on everything you purchased.
My Dad had grown up in western Maine, in North New Portland, which has of course the North New Portland world's Fair, hosted by the local Lion's club, and a picturesque wire bridge over a rocky rushing river.
The thing that may have kept some places in Maine old fashioned is that the trends get here last, if they get here at all. That, and thrift nurtured by poverty.
We lived right in Portland for a few years, during school, and I still go there a few times a week, I like looking at the fancy old houses on the Eastern and Western Promenades.
We live in Falmouth now, and since this town has never had much of a town center, a few years ago town fathers set down a plan for growth. At least now there's some consistency to the look of the stores and commercial buildings that are currently being built,with some concern for aesthetics and future growth.

 

[Bourbon Guy]

Lizzie-

At least North New Portland is still there.
I grew up in Pottersville.

 

[donCarlos]

Advantage for the Europe History is everywhere. It may be not from the beggining of the 20th century, but it is everywhere.
I´m planning to go to the city centre and take some photos of our original czech cubistic architecture...
The best thing is that even nowadays you can have a "vintage experience" personally, for example in cubistic Cafe Grand Orient, take a ride with the original 1920´s/30´s tram, or sometimes you can use a special train with steam locomotive and with the original cars. I love it here

 

[missjo]

I grew up in the Hague in what was then officially the worst neighbourhood of my country.
It was the 70's, my parents were hippies and I was brought up in a very liberal manner.
Although my parents were great, I had hge problems with the liberal thing for as long as I can remember.

Anyway, as a young girl I witnessed stabbings and shootings and when I got a bit older I got involved in them.
Life was harsh and nothing romantic about it.
But my parents also had a passion for history.
I grew up in a huge 1903 house and because outside wasnt very much fun, I spend a lot of time indoors.
The house was decorated in a old fashioned style for a few years and the old books about the past captivated me.
The neighbourhood I grew up in had the air of nostalgia, although a bad neighbourhood, you could still see that it was once a lovely area to live in.
But alas, my neighbourhood was all old glory, I've never felt what it was like to live in a area that was like how I think most neighbourhoods were before the war.

 

[Paisley]

You didn't grow up in Lakewood, by any chance, did you? Sounds just like my school, especially my junior high school.

Brad

No, I grew up west of Littleton and went to Columbine HS. Now I live in Englewood. Not exactly Mayberry, but it seems there's a lot less crime here than in my parents' more upscale neighborhood. There are too many people sitting on porches or looking out the window or taking care of their yards for someone to, say, steal your car or your planters (both of which happened to my parents).

Sorry it took so long to get back to you--I didn't see your post.

 

[missjo]

No, I grew up west of Littleton and went to Columbine HS. Now I live in Englewood. Not exactly Mayberry, but it seems there's a lot less crime here than in my parents' more upscale neighborhood. There are too many people sitting on porches or looking out the window or taking care of their yards for someone to, say, steal your car or your planters (both of which happened to my parents).

Sorry it took so long to get back to you--I didn't see your post.

That is something that was a lot more common in the olden days.
At least where I am from.
Today people come home after all being to work the entire day, they lock the door and curtains and spend the rest of the evening in front of the tv.
Before tv people spend a lot more time outside, interacting with neighbours, keeping an eye on each other.

 

[Brad Bowers]

No, I grew up west of Littleton and went to Columbine HS. Now I live in Englewood. Not exactly Mayberry, but it seems there's a lot less crime here than in my parents' more upscale neighborhood. There are too many people sitting on porches or looking out the window or taking care of their yards for someone to, say, steal your car or your planters (both of which happened to my parents).

Sorry it took so long to get back to you--I didn't see your post.

That's quite all right! I had forgotten all about this thread. I think most Jeffco schools shared the same designs, so that's why your school sounded like mine.

Our "new hometown" is about what you describe. It's an older working-class neighborhood where the neighbors all know each other and spend time talking over the fence or sitting on the porch. A lot of families live here, and the kids run up and down the street without fear, just like when I was growing up.

We've gotten to know our neighbors across the street pretty well, and we sit out on their porch most evenings, visiting. The husband was born in 1920, worked on a small railroad as a teenager, joined the CCC during the Depression, and then joined the army in '37. He was a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne during WWII. His glider was shot down during D-Day, and he spent 9 months as a POW. He later served in Korea and two tours in Vietnam before finally retiring. The sad thing is he now has Alzheimer's. He can remember the far past, but not the last two minutes. And the wife? She's my new best friend, as she makes some of the best green chile I've ever had, and she makes it hot!lol

The best part about older neighborhoods is the mixed-use you don't find anymore. We have a great little Italian market and deli that's been in business for over 80 years, and several neighborhood bars that are about as old, and they are family-friendly. These are the bars where the steelworkers went after work (and still do) to get a cold beer to unwind. Great places, not like modern bars. And we have quite a few little restaurants sprinkled throughout the neighborhood. All these establishments are sandwiched between houses, and all are in walking distance. I think we've found a great place to call home.

Brad

 

[LizzieMaine]

That is something that was a lot more common in the olden days.
At least where I am from.
Today people come home after all being to work the entire day, they lock the door and curtains and spend the rest of the evening in front of the tv.
Before tv people spend a lot more time outside, interacting with neighbours, keeping an eye on each other.

This is exactly what my neighborhood was like. Nobody had air conditioning, so on summer nights everyone was sitting on their porch with the radio on, listening to the Red Sox game and reading the paper. The kids would be running around in the street, and every once in a while you'd hear someone yell "HEY! YOU GET OUTA THAT JUNKYAHD OR I'M CALLIN YAW MUTHAH!" And then five minutes later, that kid's mother's voice would peal out, "YOU GETCHA BACKSIDE IN HEAH RIGHT NOW OR I'M GONNA LAY YA OUT IN LAVENDAH!"

Good times, they was.

 

[KilroyCD]

I'm not sure how I missed this thread before...

I spent the first thirteen years of my life in Pottstown, PA. My family owned two hardware stores, one on the main drag (High Street), and one just north of town on Charlotte Street. Until 1965 or 1966 I lived on Wilson Street, which could have passed for a stereotypical street in any little town, anywhere. The houses mostly dated from the 1930s and 40s, and were sturdy little brick or stucco two bedroom single-family houses, the perfect starter home for that era.
I remember having to walk to Franklin Elementary school, which was around a mile and a half from home. We had no bus service that close to school. In fact, if I remember correctly most of the kids walked to Franklin Elementary. I can't ever remember any busses.
On our walk we always passed by a little shop and restaurant called "The Cup". The Cup dated from the 1940s, and was unique in that part of the building was shaped like a cup, complete with a straw protruding from the top.

They always had a great selection of candies, and I remember having my first-ever cheeseburger there. The Cup is still in existance, but unfortunately it's presently closed.
My family's hardware store (Van Buskirk & Bros) on High Street was a magical place. The building dated back to pre-Civil War days, and the creaky wooden floors lent a neat aspect to the character of the place. There were bins of bulk nails, screws and other pieces of hardware, usually sold by the pound. I remember the large scale on the counter, with the graduated weights used to weigh the bulk purchases. From the second floor mezzanine I could look down on all the activity going on in this large building. The third and fourth floors were mysterious places, used for storage and offices. My parents didn't usually let me go up there alone, and supervised trips were few and far between.
Oh, and the characters that came into that store, or even worked there were part of the atmosphere. I remember Bob S., an employee there was a frequent hunting partner of my fathers. He had the reputation of not being able to hit the broad side of a barn with a bazooka. He could be quite the prankster, but alas, the pranks I can think of probably shouldn't be recounted here.
Local plumbers would frequently send their apprentices in for a "spool of pipe thread" or something similar. My father would play along, and ask, "What size?" Naturally the young apprentice had no idea, so back he went to his boss to find out (these were the days before cell phones). He would go back and forth until he finally caught on.
I remember one memorable evening in 1970, when The movie "Tora, Tora Tora!" had just opened. It was playing just down the street from the hardware store at the State, formerly the "Hippodrome" theater. My father took my best friend and me to see the film, and we parked behind the harware store. The Reading Railroad tracks ran on the other side of the parking lot, and I remember seeing what had to be one of Reading's last steam locomotives pulling a freight train along the tracks. It was a magical moment for a ten-year-old at the time.
Although our family moved from Pottstown when I was 13, we didn't sever our ties with the place. I still return there about once a month, as my father and I go to church there. The church we attend was built in 1859, and is beautifully maintained in all of its vintage beauty.
Because it's about an hour and a half drive for me to get there, I don't get back to Pottstown as frequently as I'd like. But when I visit, I like to check out what has changed and what hasn't. A lot has changed, but there is a lot that is still the same. The Pottstown Mercury building still has its 1930's art deco sign, but sadly the hardware store is gone. The building is still there, and another retail astablishment occupies it, but the atmosphere isn't the same.

 

[Clara Noir]

I wish Cardiff had kept something of itself. My mum grew up here in the 50s, and saw rows of Victorian houses (including hers) pulled down in the 60s to build a road that was never built. Some buildings were ruined by the war and pulled own, but most were demolished for developments. The famous docks, which made Cardiff into what it is, has been turned into Mermaid Quay, filled with fancy restaurants and shiny buildings like the Wales Millenium Centre, which locals call The Slug.

A lot of buildings here are listed but this didn't happen before they ruined them. If you have a weak stomach look away from this apartment block in town:

The facade was listed so they just left it to build that monster on.
Cardiff is a state now, and I can't stand it, nor can many here.

As for attitudes, they aren't retro at all. Theres no community spirit, just loads of council estates. Not many murders, but plenty of hoodies and scary folk.

 

[dollydaydream]

If you mean inbred, yes terribly lol

Keighley the home of the Worth Valley Railway, famous for being in The Railway Children. I lived right next to the Ingrow Locomotive Centre

Also a few minutes away from Haworth & the Bronte Country.

How retro is that?! lol

 

[ShesSoVaVaVoom]

my hometown is somewhat... but they've torn down a lot of old buildings to make room for housing. the apartment I grew up in, my mom and "dad" moved into during the mid 70's (I believe it was built in the late 30's early 40's), so I still remember the green shag carpet (which was there until about '91), and the original peacock indoor/outdoor style carpet in the dining room and kitchen, and the faux peacock plexiglass type window inbetween the dining room and the sink area, heck we even had the rotary phone that came with the place!

as far as the town, there were still orange groves behind my grandparent's houses (the families live 2 blocks away from eachother) when my mom was younger, and it's all 50's style track housing, except the newer homes, or the gawdy additions people ruin them with. other than that, there was the bowling alley, which they tore down to build a drive-thru Wallgreens. the closest thing to "retro" I think would be Monrovia, there's still quite a few old homes, apts, buildings left there.

 

[Smuterella]

not at all, I come from a "New Town" so called as they sprung up post war. Unfortunately my part of the new town was built in the 70's. all red brick houses.

some parts of Hatfield are pretty retro if Elizabethan can be called retro. Ahem. But I ain't from the posh part of town.

 

[BeBopBaby]

I grew up in Southwestern, PA - Canonsburg to be exact. Most of my family and my parents still ive there. My parents still live in the same house I was born in. The city was founded in 1789 and the area played a major part in the Whiskey Rebellion in 1794.

Perry Como and Bobby Vinton are both from Canonsburg.

Canonsburg is also famous for being radioactive. The Standard Chemical Company operated a radium refining mill from 1911 to 1922 in Canonsburg. From 1930 to 1942 the company purified uranium ore.

From 1942 to 1957, Vitro Manufacturing Company refined uranium and other rare metals from various ores and onsite residues, government-owned uranium ore, process concentrates, and scrap materials. The government bought the uranium ore from Vitro and used it in the Manhattan Project.

Waste from incomplete extraction and other metallurgical processes accumulated during the Canonsburg's long history. Originally, the waste was left uncovered. When my mother was a child, there was a baseball field on top of one of the old uranium dumps that the kids all played in. Needless to say, a large number of those kids have gotten cancer in their old age.

After the closure of Vitro, the site was used by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. The site was then used by a pottery plant for land and clay. Canonsburg pottery can be detected by Geiger counter.

The uranium dumps were cleaned up and contained when I was a child. But before the clean-up, I remember as naive children my brother and I would duck down in the car and hold our breath when we drove past the dumps, thinking that would keep us from getting radiated.

At any rate, the main street of Canonsburg still has all of its old store fronts. Here's a shot of some store fronts fromt he 50s, both stores were still there when I was a kid and the building still looks pretty much the same.

Wile googling for other pictures of Canonsburg, I found a flicker photo set of more of the old storefronts.

http://tinyurl.com/63c3a4

A lot of the building fronts are still the original golden era vitrolite like this one:

http://flickr.com/photos/nessachan/2458818912/in/set-72157604736638618/

This was a shoe store when I was a little kid. I still remember my mother buying me a pair of Miss Piggy sneakers there when I was a kid.

This store was an old hosiery shop, check out the terrazzo entryway. I love the boston terrier's playing tug of war with the stocking!

http://tinyurl.com/6d5mhn

 

[kamikat]

I grew up in a suburb built in the 60's, so, no, my hometown wasn't retro. However, every weekend, we went into the city to visit a great aunt that lived in an art deco building, in a historic area of DC. As a young adult, I lived in the Fan District of Richmond, which was very retro. We were two blocks from the Byrd Theater, an old movie house that has an organ show every Saturday. Most of the apartment buildings have great Deco architectural touches, ceiling mediallions, clawfoot bath tubs. We even have a little insulated cubby built into the back porch that used to house blocks of ice.

 

[Paisley]

That's quite all right! I had forgotten all about this thread. I think most Jeffco schools shared the same designs, so that's why your school sounded like mine.

Our "new hometown" is about what you describe. It's an older working-class neighborhood where the neighbors all know each other and spend time talking over the fence or sitting on the porch. A lot of families live here, and the kids run up and down the street without fear, just like when I was growing up.

....

The best part about older neighborhoods is the mixed-use you don't find anymore. We have a great little Italian market and deli that's been in business for over 80 years, and several neighborhood bars that are about as old, and they are family-friendly. These are the bars where the steelworkers went after work (and still do) to get a cold beer to unwind. Great places, not like modern bars. And we have quite a few little restaurants sprinkled throughout the neighborhood. All these establishments are sandwiched between houses, and all are in walking distance. I think we've found a great place to call home.

Brad

Sounds terrific. The city where I live isn't quite that good. Right now, there's a lot of vacant properties on Broadway. There's the Gothic Theater, but the acts there aren't my cup of tea. For me, there's no good neighborhhood place to hang out.