Littleton in the Boston Globe (Hill, Franconia: Home Depot, neighborhoods, living)

[Suzet2262]

Originally Posted by DareToDream

Hi Lisa - It really is a nice town, although it has grown since we moved here. I think the last I saw, there are now 6000 people in the town. It still manages to preserve a small town feel to it.

God, I could only wish. Our town as of Jan 2007, had 177,158 folks living here We have an annual growth rate of 2.5 percent a year. Way too many people moving here.

Dare, thanks for posting the link.

Here is the website to my town if you are interested in checking it out.

City of Santa Clarita, California

[DareToDream]

Hi Suzet - Your area looks very pretty Do you ever go to any of the concerts in the park?

I can't imagine living anywhere with that many people, though - it would drive me totally bonkers....well, more than what I already am! I can understand why you would want to get out.

I think the heat that you've talked about would do me in. Up here, we haven't had much "summer weather" - This past week it's been pretty much in the 70's and we've had quite a bit of rain, but I'll take that over the heat, oppressive humidity and bad air quality that's going on in the area we moved from any day....right now it's about 60 and there's some fog, but again - I'll take that over the other any day

[lisa g]

Yes, Santa Clarita's website is obviously showing the brighter side of things

[jaynek]

My husband and I just finished construction on a second home in Bethlehem and we almost died when we got our real estate tax bill this year. Anyway we were at Johnny A Saturday night and he really was awesome. Went to see Duke Robillard earlier this year & James Montgomery last year. We were surprised that only James Montgomery sold out the house. Hope the Colonial is able to continue to offer such great performers but I would think they would have to sell the house out in order to do so.

[DareToDream]

Originally Posted by jaynek

My husband and I just finished construction on a second home in Bethlehem and we almost died when we got our real estate tax bill this year. Anyway we were at Johnny A Saturday night and he really was awesome. Went to see Duke Robillard earlier this year & James Montgomery last year. We were surprised that only James Montgomery sold out the house. Hope the Colonial is able to continue to offer such great performers but I would think they would have to sell the house out in order to do so.

I hope they are able to continue, and I hope our Opera House, once the renovation is completed, will be able to do the same thing periodically.

Where we lived in NY, there was a converted opera house and they would make some kind of deal with various artists - Bob Dylan, Wille Nelson, Crosby, Stills, Nash, Young (or some combination of the four), for example and they would play there for a reduced fee.

I'm looking forward to being able to get inside the Opera House and check it out - they've done videos of it on the public access channel and it looks like it's going to be beautiful!

[Suzet2262]

Originally Posted by lisa g

Yes, Santa Clarita's website is obviously showing the brighter side of things

So true Lisa. They need to entise(sp?) more people to move into this way overly crowed place, so of course all the bad things are left out.

Hi Dare. Yes the area is pretty, I will give it that. But between the crowds, heat, smog, crime on the rise, the building in every square inch of what was very beautiful land, I just dont feel at "home" here anymore. Everyday I have to drive, I really hate it. The roads are so crowded. They keep building and building, but you can only make the roads so big. This town cant handle all the cars.

I havent been to any of concerts in the park. I dont like the crowds. You know, the whole anxiety thing...lol. My daughters have been to a few of them when they had bands that played 80s' music. The concerts are very popular here. We also have a concert every friday night during the summer in front of the Hyatt Hotel. They close off the street, venders are there, they have food and drinks, etc. I have been to that a few times. Wasnt that impressed.

I would love to be having temps in the 70s' right now. Ohhh I would love to have some fog too. I swear, every year the heat gets worse and worse. I have to stay in most of the time, or go run errands after the sun goes down. I dont know how some people thrive in the summer months. Heat just plain sucks, IMO.

[lisa g]

I think for those of you who haven't been to Santa Clarita, the concerts look like fun, but the crowds are so ridiculous, and the city has expanded without accomodating all the additional traffic. Imagine all of this in triple digit temps w/smog (unhealthy ozone levels not uncommon in the summer - and not just for sensitive groups).

[DareToDream]

I guess I equate concerts in the park to the ones they have here The band or solo act is in the gazebo in the park and people bring blankets or chairs, sit on the lawn, some with a picnic dinner, etc.

They have concerts in Bethlehem on Sundays - there they sell food/drink, have bleachers, and some just bring blankets and chairs there as well.

I definitely wouldn't enjoy the type of concerts in the park in Santa Clarita...at least not as much as the ones up here

[DareToDream]

I just received a newsletter from the Village Bookstore here in town - they're going to be opening a little corner cafe in the store....I like that idea - sort of like a Barnes & Noble, only a locally owned store!

We had a B&N near where we lived in NY and I always enjoyed sitting browsing there and their "coffee nook" - now we'll have our own version!

[Asta]

Originally Posted by Suzet2262

Hi Dare. Yes the area is pretty, I will give it that. But between the crowds, heat, smog, crime on the rise, the building in every square inch of what was very beautiful land, I just dont feel at "home" here anymore. Everyday I have to drive, I really hate it. The roads are so crowded. They keep building and building, but you can only make the roads so big. This town cant handle all the cars.

My brother lives in So Cal too. He was here visiting for a while, and by the time he left my mom commented that he had relaxed and wasn't driving like a Californian any more! He told me that you can get ticketed for trying to merge onto a highway if you are not going at least the speed limit by the time you enter the highway from the on ramp?!! OMG I could not do it, my nerves would be shot!