Marietta makes a best-of list (again) (Lebanon, Salem: apartments, to rent, loft)

[Rebek56]

Marietta has been listed as having one of the 50 best small-town downtowns in the US: 50 Best Small Town Downtowns in America

Marietta, Ohio is home to a bustling downtown area with both modern amenities and old-fashioned charm. Throughout the year, residents and visitors can enjoy the many festivals sponsored by the city. In September, the Ohio River Sternwheel Festival displays dozens of “paddle wheelers,” amidst music, fireworks and a pageant. The Sweet Corn Festival, each July, features such old fashioned traditions as roasted ears of delicious sweet corn and a feed corn bag-tossing tournament. The downtown area is a meticulously kept spot with hanging flower baskets lining the stress and beautiful old fashioned storefronts. There are historic sites as well, including the Schafer Leather harness maker shop established in 1867 and historic homes such as the Castle of Marietta, a Gothic Revival mansion which is open to the public.

[ohioaninsc]

Kudos to Marietta...i do know it's one of the best small towns in Ohio...too bad it's quite a good ways away from any of the 3 Cs.

[woxyroxme]

Originally Posted by ohioaninsc

too bad it's quite a good ways away from any of the 3 Cs.

That is probably it's saving grace given that I have seen Lebanon ruined by sprawl developers over the last 20 years.

[IDtheftV]

Originally Posted by woxyroxme

That is probably it's saving grace given that I have seen Lebanon ruined by sprawl developers over the last 20 years.

Heh, that's a good point.

What happens when the existing housing stock fills up? People used to put up with walking a mile to get to stuff, but now, they'll get in their car and pass by the "cute" and historic downtown, but won't put up with walking three blocks or so to support the businesses. Then they will look for the chains that get built in the outskirts .... then developers will put in more homes ... people moving in there, won't be interested in the 'old stuff' and they'll support the chains and demand new chains and ...

As long as the population increases unbounded, more and more 'old stuff' is going the way of Lebanon.

Eaton is somewhere in between the two, I would say. A lot of the historic streets look the same as the ones in Lebanon.

[woxyroxme]

Originally Posted by IDtheftV

As long as the population increases unbounded, more and more 'old stuff' is going the way of Lebanon.

And that's a shame.

I lived in Lebanon in 1966-67 and came back in 1973 when my dad left the military, when Lebanon only had 7000 - 8000 people living here it was a wonderful small town in the middle of nowhere, I could ride my bike anywhere I wanted to, we didn't even have a McDonalds until I was a teenager but we did have a drive in movie theatre.

Now we have a downtown that is a tourist attraction for antique hunters, the landscape is littered with ugly strip malls, every fast food franchise under the sun and cookie cutter subdivisions and the smug suburbanites that infest, err... inhabit them. Self absorbed, botoxed Lexus pilots who try to turn the town into the place they just left, think they live in the boonies, complain that there is no Applebee's, Olive Garden, Panera or Bennigan's and that the long time residents are so insular.

We are getting a Pilot/Flying J soon despite much opposition, karma, it's a *****.

[Rebek56]

Originally Posted by IDtheftV

Heh, that's a good point.

What happens when the existing housing stock fills up? People used to put up with walking a mile to get to stuff, but now, they'll get in their car and pass by the "cute" and historic downtown, but won't put up with walking three blocks or so to support the businesses. Then they will look for the chains that get built in the outskirts .... then developers will put in more homes ... people moving in there, won't be interested in the 'old stuff' and they'll support the chains and demand new chains and ...
.

Unfortunately (from my perspective, anyway), Marietta has its share of suburban blight on the outskirts--it's the first thing visible from the interstate--and no longer has basic stores downtown. So far, though, even the folks from the subdivisions come downtown for festivals and restaurants: we have Applebee's and Bob Evans near I-77, but the local places downtown are generally busy.

Not sure what will happen when we run out of housing stock. With the hills, there's not a lot of room for infill. Downtown commercial buildings are, however, starting to rent out interesting loft apartments above the storefronts, so that may be one wave of our future.

[IDtheftV]

Originally Posted by woxyroxme

And that's a shame. ... I could ride my bike anywhere I wanted to,

I combined these two bits because the real shame is that children might not ever have that kind of freedom again.

I used to say "bye" to my mom and ride the bus through downtown to the Salem Mall or Town & Country or I'd just head out on Hauk Stream and follow it to the river. Then I'd come home when I was supposed to.

Parents found "allowing" their kids to do that get hauled in by Child Protective Services ( or something ) and are accused of abuse ( or something ). I've seen news stories on TV about this. I don't know anyone allowing their kids to go anywhere where they aren't driven.

Bikes are for riding back-and-forth in front of where the kid lives.

I suppose that the boxification of the US is part of what caused the above and loss of the downtowns large and small.

[woxyroxme]

I saw that story too, parents being charged with child neglect for letting their kids ride their bikes to a friends house and that used to be the way kids got around all the time. There are a lot of small towns left where kids can still do this, I just don't live in one anymore.