You Know You Live in a Small(ish) Town When...

[BlueTrain]

Many places all over the country grew rapidly during some peak period of economic activity, such as when mines were opened, railroads built, and finally, when factories were built. They were all generally accompanied by significant migration to the boom towns were the jobs were. Some, like Western mining towns, only had a short history that came to an end when the mines were worked out and most of the miners left for the next big find just over the mountain. Others, like the coal mines, lasted for decades but either cheaper coal started coming from somewhere else (at least not from overseas) or the managed to dig all of it up and carry it away. Some such communities hang on by a thread but why should it be surprising if the young people move away looking for better opportunities? That's why people went there to begin with. Although it is in the national interest to keep people employed here, it isn't that particular if the jobs are in one place or another. It is sad when the jobs dry up and people have to move away but it's hardly something new.

 

[WW2WaltUSMC]

You know you live in a small town when you grow up to become a cop and one of your new colleagues was your DARE teacher in middle school. Another of my colleagues busted up a party at my house in high school. Rather than locking us up for underage drinking, he made us call our parents. He told the story at my Academy graduation party.

 

[William G.]

Front page of my hometown's newspaper the other day: Applebee's only scores 97 on it's health department inspection.

 

[sheeplady]

At least you have an applebees. We have 7 restaurants: two tex-mex, two italian, three fast food (dairy queen, McDonald's, and Subway).

But the town I grew up a mile outside of (200 people in that village) had a diner only open 2 days a week and had a taco bell inside the gas station for 6 months before it closed.

 

[BlueTrain]

I was just reading about restaurants in Martinsburg, where my daughter lives. There is a brand new (I think) old fashioned diner in downtown Martinsburg called the Blue White Grill. One person called it a "living Norman Rockwell." Not sure what that means but it's only open for breakfast and lunch, which is not that unusual.

My home town had diners and restaurants, none of which were chains. They're just about all gone but there are chain restaurants all over the place now. They're not that bad.

 

[BlueTrain]

I happened to notice one of those Yahoo articles, of the sort they like to publish. "The best in every state" kind of article. Well, the article said the Blue White Diner in Martinsburg was the best breakfast place in West Virginia. That's nice but of limited value to most people in the state, it being way over here in the panhandle. The best breakfast in Virginia was supposedly a place in Fairfax (City, I presume). Again, I'm doubtful. Besides, I'm absolutely certain the best breakfast in Virginia is served at home where I live, but only on weekends.

Just remember, you can't believe everything you read, including what I write.

 

[William G.]

At least you have an applebees. We have 7 restaurants: two tex-mex, two italian, three fast food (dairy queen, McDonald's, and Subway).

Restaurants are about all this town has. It use to be a coal mining town, lots of money, but the mines and most of the factories are gone. Last year, the city decided to add a 3% restaurant tax to make up for the loss of tax revenue from all the companies that had shut down. I won't eat out anymore, mostly for health reasons. Val and I have figured out how to cook everything we love gluten-free and without GMOs.

My home town had diners and restaurants, none of which were chains. They're just about all gone but there are chain restaurants all over the place now. They're not that bad.

We have a little diner that opened in the '20s that serves hamburgers just like In-and-Out. I kid you not, my first trip to L.A., a friend who lived out west all her life took me to In-And-Out and after my first bite, I said, "This tastes just like a Ferrell's burger!" Needless to say, she was highly confused.

 

[BlueTrain]

As in Ferrell's Diner? So, where is this town? I'm dying to know.

 

[William G.]

As in Ferrell's Diner? So, where is this town? I'm dying to know.

Western KY. There are two Ferrell's — one in Hopkinsville and one in Madisonville. Hopkinsville is generally regarded as the better of the two. There may be one in Cadiz as well.

The owners sold it last year and the new owners had plans to franchise at the time of purchase. No idea if the food has changed or not, or if they've opened any new locations. I'm pretty far out of the loop these days.

 

[LizzieMaine]

You know you live in a small town when your Denny's has gone out of business *twice* because there aren't enough people around who stay up past 11pm.

 

[William G.]

Whoa. That's bad.

 

[Fading Fast]

You know you live in a small town when your Denny's has gone out of business *twice* because there aren't enough people around who stay up past 11pm.

What burst of enthusiasm (and capital) occurred that allowed it to re-open so that it could be around to close a second time?

 

[BlueTrain]

I'm from Princeton, West Virginia, which used to be at the end of the turnpike. Now it's an interstate and it keeps on going. There used to be several places to eat "downtown," and also up near the courthouse. Some were proper restaurants and some were just lunch counters. The drug stores (both of them) had lunch counters. There was another drug store up near the old hospital where I was born that also had a lunch counter. I think that was all the drug stores.

There was a diner called Ferrell's and another diner called Jimmie's Restaurant, if memory serves, operated by a Lebanese family. It's still there but all the other old style restaurants, diners and lunch counters are gone. But because of the north-south interstate and the east-west U.S. 460, there are a number of chain restaurants and hotels just outside of town, in the same part of town where there had always been some motels. Personally, I find the chain restaurants like Ruby Tuesdays and Applebee's to be perfectly nice places to eat, especially if you're traveling. I don't know anyone in my hometown anymore anyway but I'm pretty sure that's where all the employees are from.

 

[LizzieMaine]

What burst of enthusiasm (and capital) occurred that allowed it to re-open so that it could be around to close a second time?

The guy who owned the site ran a couple of other Denny's franchises around the state, and after he was unable to lease it to anybody else -- there was a Hootersesque sports bar in there for a while, and a generic seafood place in a town where fresh seafood is everywhere -- he decided to try again. No soap, buddy.

This particular Dennys was rather notorious, incidentially, as the focus of a rumor that it was the place where the 9/11 hijackers stopped for breakfast before heading to Portland to catch their connecting flight to Boston. That bit of infamy may have had something to do with why it closed the first time, that and a rather relaxed approach to kitchen sanitation.

 

[ChiTownScion]

......that and a rather relaxed approach to kitchen sanitation.

A rather common phenomenon among Denny's franchises, I'd wager.

 

[MisterCairo]

...you wake up to the delicate scent of liquid pig manure sprayed on every acre of farmland within thirty miles...

 

[Trenchfriend]

When the first (typical) crappy, round shoelaces of your hikingboots fail and you go just around the corner to the classic, old-fashion family-business shoestore and get a new pair of classic flat (!) and robust brown shoelaces, length 1,50 meter.

Costing 2,50 EUR.

 

[LizzieMaine]

You are awakened by the sound of a backhoe demolishing the house up the street where the crazy woman lived, and neighbors are standing around gaping to see what's inside.

 

[BlueTrain]

"Classic shoelaces"?

 

[Trenchfriend]

"Classic shoelaces"?

Such classic brownies: