Wow, you can't find a house like that for $130,000 today!
I really enjoyed the depth of research that was done for this article as well as the matter in which it was presented. It was definitely a much easier read than the Bickford article for me.
It was great to read about how they took their study beyond the point of race. They didn’t stop their research at “The majority of residents are white”; rather they developed further into class, religion and age.
After some reflection of the community that I live in, I found Duncan’s four landscapes: the village center, tradesmen’s landscape, alpha landscape and beta landscape some what reminiscent. Although, I don’t think there are quite as many societies established today as there was back in 1971, or maybe I just don’t know about them.
The biggest thing that I pondered after reading this article was what happens to the alpha landscape/older community when they pass on? Do more high-class families take their place creating a repetitive cycle or in some communities, even in Westchester County Village, is there change? It would be interesting to study this community today, twenty-seven years later, and see how and/or if this community has evolved.
In my community the dwellers of the “alpha landscape” may have resisted change back in the 70’s but it didn’t stick nearly as well for them. What would have been considered the upper-class alpha areas back then have become prime real estate for young middle-class families today. New homes in my community cost a fortune, which is why retired alpha homes and landscapes are now being renovated and transformed into betas…the alphas of Westchester would probably be rolling in their graves.
8 comments:
I wondered precisely the same thing as to what a study today might reveal, and you know I have a hunch that things might be exactly the same. I think when you have a community rooted so historically deep as Bedford Village seems to be - or practically all of those picturesque sleepy New England towns (apologies in advance to Michelle if she reads this) that we'll find more often than not the wheels of change are slow to move - and that's not always a bad thing. I have an image in my head that the alpha houses likely pass down a generation rather than risk being put on the market for fear of someone of not so "nice" standing could move in.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who saw my own community described at least in part by Duncan.
This is an interesting point that might just be able to be answered by my wife’s Coastal Living magazine. Many of the articles start with the introduction of a new family moving into an older house with an established community setting. The articles then continue not with how the family makes drastic changes but how they conform and settle into the style of the house. I think that you would probably find this similar situation in Bedford, people moving into the area specifically for the segregated Alpha lifestyle.
Since I live so close now, I guess I should go over there some weekend and see. But I'll bet you a dozen donuts that the landscapes still are visually distinct from one another. There was a wonderful book published long ago that had a quiz in the middle to gauge your social class. Things that were well-made and well-worn were seen as significantly higher social class than things that were brand new. It implies that you've had your money so long that you're comfortable with it and don't have to show off any more. So folks who can afford an Alpha house probably leave the shell and the structure alone, and change the services and systems (you'd see a lot of tiny farm kitchens that somehow ate the mudroom next to it to accommodate the Wolf six-burner range)
I have to agree with the group's argument here: The more things change, the more they stay the same.
It seems that Duncan's argument can be applied to a majority of suburbs and/or small towns, etc. How does the model change for a more densely populated city? There still is social strata, but I think that the lines of delineation are blurred.
I wondered about the how the town stood up to time as well. It would be interesting if a similar survey were done today. It's sad to see the older sections of town to be transformed. I would rather see these building renovated to maintain the exterior feel of an area. I do like Eric's comment about how these homes would be likely to be passed from generation to generation.
Nick I'm not so sure about your thesis on urban areas. I know a little bit about NYC and quite a bit about Boston (having went to school and working in the area). Obviously the landscape connection can't be made, but I think there are other parallels to draw. Manhattan for instance - I would wager that a huge percentage of residents work in some field involving finance. You almost have to to be able to afford rent in that location. Herb made a comment elsewhere about buying a loft in a rundown neighborhood to appear "trendy" which is precisely what is occurring as the hipsters move into Harlem.
Boston has its own clearly defined pockets. Back Bay as Herb mentioned is the ultra hip, wealthy hotspot. There is a clearly defined "Italian-town" that used to be defined by I-95. Hell, there is even a section of the city referred to by the residences as the "Combat Zone" which was the hub of Boston's illicit drug trade and prostitution and the finest Chinese food in the city. Boston, in my opinion, is one of the most clearly defined and segregated cities I think you'll find.
Nick, when you say that the lines are blurred more in the cities I imagine one of those images that are compiled of a millions small photographs. Up close you can see all of the separate images that make up this picture, yet from a distance they all blur together forming one cohesive picture. I think this outlook can be applied to the segregation of communities in more condensed areas of the city. They very much so exist, it is just that the lack of space or distance between them is so little. From a distance they all blur together, but up close one can clearly define and/or see all of these communities and their boundaries.
I also thought about this while I was reading. I thought that this could only last for a few generations. People would have to really gel into the landscape they purchased. It would be interesting to go take a look at this place now.
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