It seems that this state of constant change is happening in many places. New York, which I've never been to but is on my bucket list, just seems to do it much faster and more often. Just last week, I was trolling Google maps when I decided to see what our old block in Chicago from 50 years ago looked like. Some things have remained the same, but others are shockingly different. The fact that I couldn't find our old house was one of those shocks. After a little research, I found that it had been torn down in the mid-90s for SOME reason I couldn't find out. Now it's just a field of grass between the two houses that remain on either side. It was jarring that the place I'd spent the first 13 years of my life was no more. I suspect this sort of thing is true for many as the country and the world constantly changes. More's the pity.
Excellent piece once again, Greg! Tell your son, when he's old enough, to take it from a relatively old man who's been there: stick to edibles. Smoking ANYTHING just wrecks your lungs!
Thank you, Greg. I live in London since 1985, and love it. Yet I went to school in Boston for ten years before that and had many friends and fine times in NYC.
I do remember going once, staying in a hotel courtesy of TWA (remember them) flyer's miles, and ending up in 3 rooms in one night: The first was near an elevator whose arrival bell did not switch off at midnight. Bing, bing until 2am and I was shifted to room #2, which, after 15 min, I realised was directly across from a building BEING TORN DOWN all night. So, roome #3 was lower and in the front of the hotel, above the traffic noise of the street, which was actually quite soothing as I slept until 10am 😊
We are of the same era so a nostalgic journey reading your characterization. As an aside, having happily spent junior high and HS nights trolling those areas (including the pre-Disneylandification ❤ of 42nd Street) with my friends, it's why I feel like I'll never need a gun for protection. Grittier but happier times...
So funny you should write about this because I have been thinking a lot about all the places in Boston I used to go to that are gone now and it was making me sad. But life and cities are supposed to be fluid not stagnant. It'll be okay.
I love NYC, but just as a visitor, no real connections, like you, Greg. A place like no other.
But just yesterday I was looking at a framed cool, artsy advertising brochure of my adopted town of Duluth, MN and lamenting all that was now gone…
It seems that this state of constant change is happening in many places. New York, which I've never been to but is on my bucket list, just seems to do it much faster and more often. Just last week, I was trolling Google maps when I decided to see what our old block in Chicago from 50 years ago looked like. Some things have remained the same, but others are shockingly different. The fact that I couldn't find our old house was one of those shocks. After a little research, I found that it had been torn down in the mid-90s for SOME reason I couldn't find out. Now it's just a field of grass between the two houses that remain on either side. It was jarring that the place I'd spent the first 13 years of my life was no more. I suspect this sort of thing is true for many as the country and the world constantly changes. More's the pity.
Excellent piece once again, Greg! Tell your son, when he's old enough, to take it from a relatively old man who's been there: stick to edibles. Smoking ANYTHING just wrecks your lungs!
Thank you, Greg. I live in London since 1985, and love it. Yet I went to school in Boston for ten years before that and had many friends and fine times in NYC.
I do remember going once, staying in a hotel courtesy of TWA (remember them) flyer's miles, and ending up in 3 rooms in one night: The first was near an elevator whose arrival bell did not switch off at midnight. Bing, bing until 2am and I was shifted to room #2, which, after 15 min, I realised was directly across from a building BEING TORN DOWN all night. So, roome #3 was lower and in the front of the hotel, above the traffic noise of the street, which was actually quite soothing as I slept until 10am 😊
We are of the same era so a nostalgic journey reading your characterization. As an aside, having happily spent junior high and HS nights trolling those areas (including the pre-Disneylandification ❤ of 42nd Street) with my friends, it's why I feel like I'll never need a gun for protection. Grittier but happier times...
So funny you should write about this because I have been thinking a lot about all the places in Boston I used to go to that are gone now and it was making me sad. But life and cities are supposed to be fluid not stagnant. It'll be okay.