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Where in the American West is the most old money (aristocratic, inheritance, NOT FLASHY!) concentrated? These are the lower key cities where the elites are so wealthy that they do not need a Mercedes SLK to prove to the world that they are worth something.
This can be a city in general, or a specific neighborhood, or even an overall area.
Thank you!
NOTE: West = the states to the west of Texas (with a focus on the west coast)
Where in the American West is the most old money (aristocratic, inheritance, NOT FLASHY!) concentrated? These are the lower key cities where the elites are so wealthy that they do not need a Mercedes SLK to prove to the world that they are worth something.
This can be a city in general, or a specific neighborhood, or even an overall area.
Thank you!
NOTE: West = the states to the west of Texas (with a focus on the west coast)
I have no idea, aint no where like that here in New Mexico.
Old money anywhere tends to be dumb and puny (dilution and generations of non-productivity)
Much of big money created in past 25 yrs in US is fairly smart...lots of engineers and quant financiers: tech co. and hedge fund founders
Woodside, Atherton and PaloAlto are prob biggest/smartest money places on planet today...but lots of new silver 65s as commuter cars and guys who have own G550s/NetJets shares when they need to fly...daily transportation is a critical safety issue, not a status symbol, at least among smart money
I think much of the truly "old money" in California was Mexican and it didn't do that well in the transition to the US.
Santa Monica seems to have had some fairly wealthy people in the 1880s and by the 1920s had homes worth millions. Although it apparently declined I think it still has some rich families and one of Eunice Kennedy Shriver's sons is on the town council.
The Bay Area I think, as mentioned, has some old money families. Woodside, California has a century-old private club and one of the Romanovs lived there. The Hearst Family have connections to San Francisco. Outside California I read of some old political families based in Portland or Eugene.
San Francisco & suburbs down the peninsula to Palo Alto. Santa Barbara\ Montecito. Pasadena\ San Marino. LA\ Los Feliz, Beverly Hills\ Bel Air. Santa Monica\ Malibu. San Diego\ La Jolla\ La Costa\ Rancho Santa Fe. Palm Springs\ La Quinta. Some of these aren't really "old" money.
Mercer Island/Medina/Beaux Arts Village/Bellevue on the Eastside of metro Seattle is kind of like that. That's where Bill Gates lives. Not really "old" (inherited) money, and though you can tell you're in a wealthy area, I don't think it's overtly flashy. They enjoy their wealth rather than show it off. It's definitely a lot classier.
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