A stereotype of the old yankee—and old regional person in general—is that they'll give you directions using landmarks that used to be there but now aren't. How often this actually happens I don't know, but I feel confident in saying that it has happened.
And really, it's to be expected. If you've been around for some amount of time, you've seen changes, and you may feel that the new world surrounding you might have to earn its way into the same plane as the old one that's passing away.
And really, it's to be expected. If you've been around for some amount of time, you've seen changes, and you may feel that the new world surrounding you might have to earn its way into the same plane as the old one that's passing away.
2 comments:
I've definitely experienced getting those kinds of directions and may even have done so myself now and again. The problem in this city, and in Halifax too (to a somewhat lesser extent), is in seeing so many older buildings being demolished in a short period to make room for characterless replacement condominiums.
I think what is so appealing about old European cities is that they tend to look after older structures. You don't hear anyone saying 'take a left where Buckingham Palace used to be'. Then again, when I look at recent images of that city the changes are blatant. The Tower of London is still there, but much of the place I remember has gone.
I only wish more city councils and developers followed the examples set by my all time favorite architect, Hundertwasser.
It can be depressing to see old buildings with character demolished to make room for new structures that are slick but lacking in feeling. Especially when the new places are just meant to hold overpriced apartments. Even moreso when it's pretty clear they've wildly overestimated the number of tenants they're going to get. Happens all over.
You reminded me of something I read about London recently, which is that The Knowledge is fading. The Knowledge, as it's commonly known, is the intimate knowledge taxi drivers in that city have of the streets and when to drive where. Increasingly they just rely on GPS and Siri.
I like the things I've seen by Hundertwasser and hope they stick around for a long time.
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