Most Beautiful Historic Residential Neighborhood in U.S. (houses, live in)
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Grant Park, Atlanta's largest historic neighborhood...another former streetcar suburb developed in the 1880s that has retail mixed in amongst the residential, and is the location of ZooAtlanta and Oakland Cemetery.
Atlanta, GA Grant Park North Historic District Victorian Cottage on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/army_arch/3486382860/ - broken link)
Atlanta, GA Grant Park North Historic District Victorian Cottage on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/army_arch/3486381736/ - broken link)
Atlanta, GA Grant Park North Historic District Two-story Victorian on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/army_arch/3485562925/ - broken link)
Atlanta, GA Grant Park North Historic District Victorian Cottage on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/army_arch/3486379436/ - broken link)
Inman Park in Atlanta was developed as a result of the introduction of the streetcar right?
As was Grant Park.
So was the Fan District in Richmond, VA.
Notice a pattern?
If streetcars are responsible for spawning these beautiful neighborhoods...I say bring back the streetcars!!!
This is totes off-topic, but, and this is a genuine question, what is the advantage of street cars over buses? Is it just that street cars are more aesthetically pleasing (and I suppose more environmentally friendly)?
I wasn't raised in a city with them (Atlanta), so I don't really know the appeal for them other than they look cute.
I do like the idea being developed in Atlanta with connecting intown neighborhoods by street car to create a more unified urban core, but what are the exact advantages and can't buses do the same thing?
Inman Park in Atlanta was developed as a result of the introduction of the streetcar right?
As was Grant Park.
So was the Fan District in Richmond, VA.
Notice a pattern?
If streetcars are responsible for spawning these beautiful neighborhoods...I say bring back the streetcars!!!
Me too! The other characteristic of streetcar suburbs is the integration of retail with residential. In most US cities that had streetcars, if you follow the routes you'll notice small scale stores every few blocks along the route. Here in the Twin Cities, many of these are now derilict or converted to housing in the less than prosperous neighborhoods, and converted to boutique type stores (coffee shops, gift shops, etc) in the upscale nabes. Originally, these stores were grocers, butchers, dry cleaners, shoe repair, drug stores, cafes, etc. You could get off the streetcar after work and stop in to these and do your shopping within reasonable walking distance of your home.
Galveston, TX has a HUGE area full of restored historic homes that look almost exactly like those Atlanta pictures. The only difference is its MUCH more densely packed - developed before cars. I think it's like 10,000/sq mile (the density for the island city as a whole is skewed by the fact that 90% of it is undeveloped!!!!) I attached some random ones I puplled off the internet - but they don't really give a good feel for how packed in some of the old neighborhoods are. I have a camera roll somewhere with dozens of pictures. Those last two are some of the HUGE castle type victorians they have. You can pay a couple dollars and get tours of several of the massive ones.
Also Waxahachie TX (near Dallas) has several historic Victorians - including where they filmed The Munsters!!!!!
This is totes off-topic, but, and this is a genuine question, what is the advantage of street cars over buses? Is it just that street cars are more aesthetically pleasing (and I suppose more environmentally friendly)?
I wasn't raised in a city with them (Atlanta), so I don't really know the appeal for them other than they look cute.
I do like the idea being developed in Atlanta with connecting intown neighborhoods by street car to create a more unified urban core, but what are the exact advantages and can't buses do the same thing?
In one word: Permanence (relatively speaking of course).
People want to build (housing and retail) around public transportation options. Living near a bus, street car or light rail stop is attractive for any commuter. Establishing your retail location near one of these stops is great for your businesses visibility.
The advantage with street cars and light rail is that they are relatively permanent and stable. Their respective routes can't just be changed a the whim of civic leaders or in response to certain economic stimuli the way that a bus route can. You pretty much knew that you would always have that commuting option if you lived in the neighborhood and you knew that hundreds of people would pass your store if you owned retail near a street car route. That being said, people were much more willing to invest in areas that have street car access (in the late 1800s and early 1900s before the automobile really took over). Thats why you see some of the best looking areas near where street cars ran. Today you see the same type of development occurring in areas that have light rail or areas that have light rail planned in the near future.
Bus stops never really spurred this type of development, for several reasons. First of all, by the time buses came around, we were already addicted to the personal automobile...public transport wasn't necessary. Another reason is that bus stops can be changed. There's no guarantee that a bus stop will be in the same location from year to year. You wouldn't invest in an area based on the bus being a transit option if you had no assurance that the bus stop would be there for very long. Additionally, bus stops are seen as something for working-class, every day people, not for upper-class people who generally inhabited these nicer neighborhoods. It was not seen as desirable to live near a gathering place for 'commoners' (the bus stop). Even today, there are areas that really oppose public transit options (even light rail) coming in or around their neighborhoods.
Sure buses can do the job, so to speak. But they will probably never spur the type of development that street cars or light rail have/does/will.
Thanks for all the great reply posts.
Re weather, sorry, we were probably a little too vague in our initial post.
We do NOT like extremely hot summers or humid summers. Cold weather in winter is fine. Gray/clouds fine, although some sun would be appreciated.
We have had lengthy vacations in Savannah and Charleston SC. We love the look and the feel of the historic districts in those towns --- but the summers there would be too hot and humid for us. Savannah or Charleston --- without the summertime heat and humidity --- would be absolutely perfect. We loved all the photos from Atlanta, thank you, but again the heat and humidity would be a little too much for us.
We are looking for neighborhoods with the highest concentration of charming, historic homes. We're historic preservationists. We like all architectural styles from 1700's - 1930.
Any additional posts would be appreciated. Thanks.
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Inman Park, Atlanta - developed in 1880 as a streetcar suburb, the neighborhood was connected to Downtown by one of the nation's first streetcar systems running along Edgewood Avenue. Inman Park Inman Park - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Inman Park Homes Atlanta on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/glenirah/2422250090/ - broken link)
Inman Park Homes Atlanta on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/glenirah/2422268066/ - broken link)
Inman Park Homes Atlanta on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/glenirah/2422272442/ - broken link)
Inman Park Homes Atlanta on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/glenirah/2421448475/ - broken link)
Inman Park Homes Atlanta on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/glenirah/2422248800/in/photostream/ - broken link)
Galveston, TX has a HUGE area full of restored historic homes that look almost exactly like those Atlanta pictures. The only difference is its MUCH more densely packed - developed before cars. I think it's like 10,000/sq mile (the density for the island city as a whole is skewed by the fact that 90% of it is undeveloped!!!!) I attached some random ones I puplled off the internet - but they don't really give a good feel for how packed in some of the old neighborhoods are. I have a camera roll somewhere with dozens of pictures. Those last two are some of the HUGE castle type victorians they have. You can pay a couple dollars and get tours of several of the massive ones.
Also Waxahachie TX (near Dallas) has several historic Victorians - including where they filmed The Munsters!!!!!
Um...all of the Atlanta neighborhoods I've posted photos of were developed prior to 1900 - also before cars.
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