It's funny you mention Beverly Hills, because I actually see it as a model for the mixed use cities you're describing with a Main Street vibe. Yes, there are exclusive mansions north of Santa Monica, but in the areas right around Wilshire, there are also denser multi-family buildings, apartments, and former rooming houses/hotels converted to housing. The street is a walkable grid and there are coffee shops, stores, and restaurants within walking distance of many of the homes. The neighborhood south of Wilshire is also made of smaller detached bungalows. Prices are out of control all over LA so many of these options are still way overpriced and out of reach for average families, but in terms of having a mixed use footprint and infrastructure, it actually does exist in Beverly Hills way more than other places.
Great post! This Guardian article touches on similar themes, the odd strain of nostalgia for harder times and the idea that there's something morally superior about suffering:
One more banger like this in your free posts and you're converting me to a paid sub. Great read
No pressure haha!
It's funny you mention Beverly Hills, because I actually see it as a model for the mixed use cities you're describing with a Main Street vibe. Yes, there are exclusive mansions north of Santa Monica, but in the areas right around Wilshire, there are also denser multi-family buildings, apartments, and former rooming houses/hotels converted to housing. The street is a walkable grid and there are coffee shops, stores, and restaurants within walking distance of many of the homes. The neighborhood south of Wilshire is also made of smaller detached bungalows. Prices are out of control all over LA so many of these options are still way overpriced and out of reach for average families, but in terms of having a mixed use footprint and infrastructure, it actually does exist in Beverly Hills way more than other places.
Very interesting.
Here's a related Substack piece by Noah Smith: https://noahpinion.substack.com/p/yes-your-house-is-wealth
Great post! This Guardian article touches on similar themes, the odd strain of nostalgia for harder times and the idea that there's something morally superior about suffering:
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2022/nov/15/who-remembers-proper-binmen-facebook-nostalgia-memes-help-explain-britain-today