[RP TownTalk] Condos

[JayRite at aol.com]

In a message dated 1/18/2007 2:47:56 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
wheadle at yahoo.com writes:

Well, I  can't afford the condo's or whatever they are
that's going up on Route 1,  which are "only" in the
$300 thousands; I can see where the town is going  to
upscale to the point where people like myself, who've
lived in the  area 10 years or more and are in
apartments, will be upscaled right out of  town.
This is ridiculous. "Upscaled out of town"? I don't know if you've checked,  
but there isn't ANYTHING for sale, almost ANYWHERE inside the beltway for less 
 than $300K. Are you suggesting that we promote urban blight in order to  
preserve some sort of made up bizarro Mayberry-esque facade? Riverdale  has got 
to be able to keep up with other townships inside of the beltway, if not  LEAD 
them. And that means increasing the tax base, through new residents that  will 
lead to new businesses, and vice-versa. 
 

and
perhaps that's what a lot of the upscale folks want,
to get  rid of us "riff raff?" (And yes, I HAVE gotten
some serious attitude from  quite a few people in town
when they find out I live in an apartment -  everyone
"knows" what people who live in apartments in town are
like,  right? (sarcasm) 
I take offence to that statement, because prior to 2004 when I bought  my 
first house (the house I'm in now) in Riverdale, I have always been a renter.  I 
grew up in apartments, raised by a single parent who couldn't rub two nickels  
together, but made ends meet. But I've never felt defensive about it because 
if  anyone didn't respect me as a result of our lively hood, I didn't really 
care! I  respected myself, had respect from my true friends, and that was all 
that I  cared about. And I do not consider myself an "upscale folk".  
(Dog-gone/rich/high-falutin'/ muckity-muck upscale folks, done run me out of  town!)
Pardon me, and my candor. But wanting your town to be progressive does not  
make you an upscale folk. Whatever that means.
 

I  realize that money makes the
mare go, as the old saying goes; however, I  can see
that the town is headed towards becoming  another
condo/Starbucks/Trader Joe/Ben and Jerry's generic
yuppy  'burb.  
Starbucks? Trader Joe's? Ben and Jerry's? 
Promise?!?!
Oh, those things would be just horrible wouldn't they. I mean we already  
have McDonalds and The Little Giant (formerly McDonalds). What would become of  
THOSE fine establishments? (now THERE'S sarcasm).

And  there's nothing really wrong with
that, except what we have now, the unique  mix of
architecture, people, incomes, and so forth, will
vanish and  there will be nothing in town to make it a
special place to  live. 

It'll be  just like everywhere
else.  But, like I said, if cookie cutter is what  you
want...    



Why can't we have both? A township is made up of the people that live  there, 
not the businesses that are there. People in Riverdale love this  town and 
want what is best for this town. And nice things like Starbucks, Trader  Joe's 
and Ben and Jerry's would be awesome to have in walking distance. My wife  and 
I moved here 10 years ago, like yourself, with the hopes that Riverdale  would 
grow and thrive, and we would be able to grow and thrive with it. 
The unique mix of architecture, people, incomes, and so forth, will NOT  
vanish. Adding condos and those establishments will NOT make Riverdale  a cookie 
cutter town, if the folks don't let it. 
Clever social conservation is wonderful. Totalitarian preservation, is  
narrow minded and destructive.
 
Jay Wright

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