Ever feel like the TZ Willoughby guy ?

[Mikey]

Was just google earthing my home town (driving on street view) and most of it is unrecognizable today.

I almost feel like the Twilight Zone Willoughby guy --- but not enough to jump off a train

[Nostalgiabuff]

that's what they call progress. a number of years ago, I was down on Long Island for a meeting and afterward I went to where I had lived as a child, i did not recognize anything. it was weird

[tllgn]

I love that twilight zone story.would love to walk back to the past.id stay there.

[jimbutsu]

Drove around where I grew up back in December, and it's just not what I remember.

[palitoy]

Where I grew up is still somewhat recognizable but it's growing so much that the houses are now on top of one another.

Toronto is the worst though, they've torn down so many iconic places that it's like they're going after my youth.

[EMCE Hammer]

I am the cliched "I remember when this was all fields" guy.

[emeraldknight47]

I am the cliched "I remember when this was all fields" guy.

Ditto here, and sadly I truly CAN remember when there were nothing but fields and trees in so many of the places that they've turned into parking lots, malls, strip centers and what have you.

The one saving grace is a park that's pretty much smack in the middle of a very commercial/office area. It was there when I was a kid and it's still there (albeit somewhat smaller now) today. I went walking through it a few weeks back and found one of the trees that I used to play around as a kid. The tree is a bit more spindly and on it's downhill slide, but the initials I carved in it are still there, just higher up and harder to see because of moss, dirt, etc. if I could jump on a train back to those days, I would in a heartbeat....

[Mikey]

Growing up, we lived around a huge prehistoric lake (at least a 1 x 2 miles) - basically our house was on the beach.

The water was gone for millions of years leaving crazy rich jet black humus.

This "lake" was great for growing things for the last 100+ years.

Around 25 years ago the farmer that owned it all started growing mostly sod instead of vegatables.

As you know, when you scrap up and sell the sod a good 2 inches of dirt goes with it.

After all those years eventually all that's left is underclay with pockets of humus that was most likely a little deeper.

Today the "lake" looks like, mostly unkept - a shadow of it's former self.

Many of the homes look in about the same condition as the lake.

[Hector]

I don't feel like the TZ Willoughby guy, Mike...lol.

But I know where you coming from...it's called change.

Take my own personal experiences and accounts of my own town for example...

I like my city of Oakland now more than ever. The Oakland Hills have always been wealthy and relatively safe. But a lot of the flatlands (especially East Oakland) back in the 80s/90s (the cocaine/crack era), the murder rate was really high. Still was until not too long ago. But now, even the flatlands are going through gentrification. The high paid techies from San Francisco are moving in, buying up homes left and right. The bad news for many, they can't afford to live here anymore, and are moving to the outter Bay Area where it's much cheaper. Oakland housing market is outrageous...and the rents are one of the highest in the nation. Good for me though, my house has skyrocketed too, lol. But the murder rate has been slashed in half...great news. Oakland is becoming a happening hipster town. I for one, like the changes happening now.

The Oakland Hills area and the rest of Oakland...



BTW, that gray area smack in the middle of Oakland...is Piedmont, is an independent city inside the Oakland city limits, its The Beverly Hills of the East Bay, a very wealthy community, one of the highest income zip codes in the country. But the most expensive mansion is located in the Oakland Hills. The island on the lower left, Alameda, it's a nice cool little city...with a beach.

That Oakland Hills house I was talking about...

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/blog/real-estate/2016/10/record-home-sale-oakland-most-expensive-2016.html