Cities That Seem Stuck in Time (how much, unemployment, neighborhoods)
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What cities do you know of that seem to have a "provincial" or "retro" feel to them, as if they never really left the '50s or some other past era? Of course, this applies even to cities that have acquired Starbucks, wi-fi fever, and other hallmarks of contemporary culture.... yet, in spite of it all, the city just seems so stuck in time, in a certain way.
An example could be Buffalo, NY (and the metro area), where either unemployment, underemployment, or low-paying service jobs have stepped in where decent factory jobs used to exist. Many people have left the city and the metro in general, but there are those who hang on there--some people do quite well there, but for most, the decline is palpable. Buffalo has pretty much missed out on the economic revivals of the past three decades, and the dot.com boom was barely noticeable there. Though a few retail/commercial zones show attempts to bring in new things, it seems that most of the residents continue to love things from the past: the traditional fish fry, football and hockey, clannish neighborhoods, generations-old taverns. Some sections of town look like they haven't changed in decades, and the same beer is gushing from their taps. Most people still think of prime rib and lobster as being the pinnacle of innovative high-class cuisine, and new fashions rarely ever take root, even among the well-heeled there.
What cities do you know of that seem to have a "provincial" or "retro" feel to them, as if they never really left the '50s or some other past era? Of course, this applies even to cities that have acquired Starbucks, wi-fi fever, and other hallmarks of contemporary culture.... yet, in spite of it all, the city just seems so stuck in time, in a certain way.
An example could be Buffalo, NY (and the metro area), where either unemployment, underemployment, or low-paying service jobs have stepped in where decent factory jobs used to exist. Many people have left the city and the metro in general, but there are those who hang on there--some people do quite well there, but for most, the decline is palpable. Buffalo has pretty much missed out on the economic revivals of the past three decades, and the dot.com boom was barely noticeable there. Though a few retail/commercial zones show attempts to bring in new things, it seems that most of the residents continue to love things from the past: the traditional fish fry, football and hockey, clannish neighborhoods, generations-old taverns. Some sections of town look like they haven't changed in decades, and the same beer is gushing from their taps. Most people still think of prime rib and lobster as being the pinnacle of innovative high-class cuisine, and new fashions rarely ever take root, even among the well-heeled there.
Any other such places?
Buffalo was the exact example I was about to give...
Although quite a bit of downtown has been built in the past 30 years, most of San Francisco is a throwback in time. My dad, who is almost 80, visited us out here in Sacramento this past fall, and I took him to San Francisco for a weekend. We walked around a lot of the area peripheral to the downtown area, and he said it was just how big cities looked like when he was a kid. It is exceptionally well maintained, and gives a great glimpse of life back 50-100 years ago.
Buffalo seemed REALLY stuck in time to me when I was there, because I was spending a week in Canada in Niagara Falls and Toronto. It was strange (And a little scary) to see how much more progressive it is just across the border.
Charleston, New Orleans and Savannah still retain that old charm from a century ago though on the plus side I hear that things have moved on significantly in terms of civil rights. Even post Katrina the ambience of New Orleans survives in its diverse culture, food and architecture.
Philadelphia, Detroit, and Oakland still have that 70s and 80s ghetto feel. Baltimore does to a lesser extent. These cities will never improve, especially Detroit which has to deal not only with the auto industry but also with its miserable weather keeping people away. Yeah I don't now much about Buffalo but I image the same thing.
Las Vegas - always feels like a city from the future.
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