# Interesting things near where you live or work **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 1, 2010, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-things-near-where-you-live-or-work/534648 "2010-04-01T21:03:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2010, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-things-near-where-you-live-or-work/534648/41 "2010-04-04T04:00:07Z")
About an hour’s drive NW of my home is the site of Washington-on-the-Brazos, where Texas declared independence from Mexico. About 30 minutes east of my home is the San Jacinto Battleground, where Sam Houston kicked Santa Anna’s ass. About 15 minutes from me is the house where John and Joan Hill lived. Joan’s death under suspicious circumstances led to John’s arrest and trial for murder by negligence. Following a hung jury, he was murdered in the doorway of his house by a hitman supposedly hired by Joan’s stepfather. The entire scandal is the subject of an excellent book by Tommy Thompson called [Blood and Money](http://www.amazon.com/BLOOD-MONEY-story-Murder-Passion/dp/B000NW3LHO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1270353247&sr=8-2) (later made into a horrible movie called Murder in Texas with Farrah Fawcett). ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2010, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-things-near-where-you-live-or-work/534648/42 "2010-04-04T04:40:37Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > ??? > > You lost me on that one. Who are the Tanners? The family on “Full House” (see the picnic at the end of the [theme song](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ul2QTLpasDs&feature=related).) As for me, the first things that come to mind: I work around the corner from where the famous [shot](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9g1xXeNqBDQ/SZ3VTNEW-TI/AAAAAAAAL4I/eiaYyrCncrY/s400/marilyn-monroe.jpg) of the grate blowing up Marilyn Monroe’s skirt was taken. And I live in walking distance of where they film “Sesame Street”. (Both are more cool in theory than in actuality, since there’s nothing to really _see_ related to either, but hey - cool is cool.) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2010, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-things-near-where-you-live-or-work/534648/43 "2010-04-04T08:56:51Z")
Just up the street from my house is a hospital where a guy went on a shooting spree last year. Nothing nationally famous but it was the first homicide in town since 1983. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2010, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-things-near-where-you-live-or-work/534648/44 "2010-04-04T09:22:59Z")
I live about a mile from hundreds upon hundreds of significant places: where Bill Clinton didn’t inhale; where Margaret Thatcher came to her political conclusions; where Bob Hawke beat the world record for drinking a yard of ale; where Cranmer, Latimer and Ridley were burned at the stake; where the four-minute mile was first run; where Radiohead first performed; where Lord of the Rings was written; where the Narnia books were written; where those authors used to meet and drink together; the setting of His Dark Materials and those books’ author’s home; and many, many more. I work about 2 miles from Tolkein’s grave, too. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2010, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-things-near-where-you-live-or-work/534648/45 "2010-04-04T15:16:19Z")
I live five minutes walk from one of the largest municipal parks in North America - larger than Central Park. It’s [Wascana Centre](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wascana_Centre), and is a beautiful place for walking, year round. The provincial [Legislature](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saskatchewan_Legislative_Building) is also in the park, and it’s a very impressive building. I work a block away from the place where [Louis Riel](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Riel) was hanged in 1885. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2010, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-things-near-where-you-live-or-work/534648/46 "2010-04-04T16:52:11Z")
> [@Maastricht](#): > > My city, Maastricht in the Netherlands, is full of beautiful Roman and Medieval remains. One of my favourites is the restaurant where they’ve unearthed a genuine Roman road (10 BC) in the basement, at its original level. I’ve eaten in that restaurant.! > [@Haunted\_Pasta](#): > > There’s a cave that extends well under my neighborhood- the entrance is two blocks from my house. It’s explorable, if you don’t mind some crawling and at least one really tight squeeze. About once a year there are a whole bunch of fire trucks and emergency vehicles parked near the entrance- apparently the local fire department uses the cave for training to simulate collapsed-building rescues. I wish I could see a map of the cave overlaid on a street map to see how close to my house it gets. You need to talk to **Maastricht** (the poster) about caves. Maastricht (the city) has some awesome caves, over 40 miles worth if my memory is correct. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2010, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-things-near-where-you-live-or-work/534648/47 "2010-04-04T17:15:55Z")
I’m a short walk away from what may be the longest (5,327.625 feet) and highest (314 feet) railroad trestle in the world: the [High Level Bridge](http://www.crownofthecontinent.net/content/high-level-bridge----lethbridge,-alberta/cot62279239D4F931409) in Lethbridge, Alberta. I say “may be” because I can’t find definitive cites to this fact. Still, it is quite an engineering achievement–it’s a hundred years old, and it still carries a number of trains a day. ---
**Author:** ![Caricci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Caricci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caricci)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2010, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-things-near-where-you-live-or-work/534648/48 "2010-04-04T17:51:32Z")
On two of the other four corners of the intersection where my office is located are the courthouse where Claus von Bulow was tried and the colonial era building where Seth MacFarlane got his start. A block away is the First Baptist Church in America which is, as the name describes, the first Baptist church in America. When I was about two years old I lived in the oldest frame house in America - the Wycoff House in Brooklyn, NY. This was before it was restored and made into a museum. ---
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2010, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-things-near-where-you-live-or-work/534648/49 "2010-04-04T17:56:32Z")
Nothing now, but the apartment in Fremont, CA, where I lived for seven years, was a couple of miles from the building that was used as Cyberdyne Systems (and blown to smithereens) in _Terminator II_. It’s clearly visible from 880. ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-things-near-where-you-live-or-work/534648/50 "2010-04-05T11:35:25Z")
I can see Lambeau Field from my bathroom. It’s pretty cool when they do fireworks and such. I can just sit in my back yard and see the fireworks, too. (And no, you can’t see Lambeau Field from every house in Green Bay. We’re small, but not that small!) ---
**Author:** ![bartleby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bartleby/32/10491_2.png) [@bartleby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bartleby)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-things-near-where-you-live-or-work/534648/51 "2010-04-05T12:12:08Z")
i work right down the highway from [this](http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/9786) monstrosity… ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-things-near-where-you-live-or-work/534648/52 "2010-04-06T13:58:27Z")
> [@bartleby](#): > > i work right down the highway from [this](http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/9786) monstrosity… I feel bad for you. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-things-near-where-you-live-or-work/534648/53 "2010-04-06T14:13:50Z")
I live near the **Saugus Iron Works** , the oldest iron works in the U.S. (Not to be confused with the Oldest Iron Works in the US down in Quincy, MA, or the OLdest Iron Works in the US down in NJ) > **[Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saugus_Iron_Works_National_Historic_Site)** > > Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site is a National Historic Site about 10 miles (16 kilometers) northeast of Downtown Boston in Saugus, Massachusetts. It is the site of the first integrated ironworks in North America, founded by John Winthrop the Younger and in operation between 1646 and approximately 1670. It includes the reconstructed blast furnace, forge, rolling mill, shear, slitter and a quarter-ton trip hammer. > The facility is powered by seven large waterwheels, some of which are rig... (so do some other Dopers) Just stopped in there on Sunday on my bike ride. Always interesting to see. The photo at the bottom of this page used to practically be the view out my window (except for the two guys holding the bumper sticker) > **[Whitney's AO Southbrige Facilities Page](http://www.dickwhitney.net/RBWAOFacilities.html)** > > Dick The photo at the bottom of this page shows a reverse view > **[Whitney's](http://www.dickwhitney.net/PowerHouse.html)** > > Dick ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-things-near-where-you-live-or-work/534648/54 "2010-04-06T14:33:09Z")
I work in DC, a few blocks from the Capitol, WH, museums, monuments, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-things-near-where-you-live-or-work/534648/55 "2010-04-06T14:37:21Z")
> [@bartleby](#): > > i work right down the highway from [this](http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/9786) monstrosity… David Adickes has a[studio](http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2009/smallbusiness/0910/gallery.houston.fsb/10.html) near my neighborhood Target. Thankfully, there’s a tall fence. ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-things-near-where-you-live-or-work/534648/56 "2010-04-06T14:47:07Z")
I live just up the street from [Taughannock Falls.](http://www.taughannock.com/photo1.html) ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-things-near-where-you-live-or-work/534648/57 "2010-04-06T15:16:01Z")
I live within a couple of miles of: \*[The Winchester Mystery House](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winchester_Mystery_House)–famous “tourist trap” (but definitely worth a visit) \*[The Rosicrucian Museum](http://www.egyptianmuseum.org/)–largest display of Egyptian artifacts in the western US \*St. James Park–where the [last public lynching in California](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooke_Hart#Thurmond_and_Holmes.27_lynching) took place. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-things-near-where-you-live-or-work/534648/58 "2010-04-06T15:23:09Z")
You can see the Space Shuttle take off from the back windows of my mother’s house. I worked at Walt Disney World and Universal Studios Florida when I was in college. Professional wrestler and noted alcoholic Scott Hall lives about two and a half miles down the road. > [@Haunted\_Pasta](#): > > I work no more than two miles from the restaurant in which the restaurant scenes in \*Office Space \*were filmed. At the time of the filming, I was living in the apartment complex where the apartment exterior scenes were filmed. (“Hey Peter.” “Yeah?” “Watch your cornhole.”) That is _awesome_ (where?). > [@Foxy40](#): > > Within a quarter mile of my home I have both whooping cranes and bald eagles. Along with those magnificient creatures, I have people too stupid to pull their cars completely off the road when they get out to take pictures so I also have many accidents in my area. We have whooping cranes too, but people don’t stop for ours. Instead, the birds themselves wander into the road. :smack: > [@jjimm](#): > > I live about a mile from hundreds upon hundreds of significant places: where Bill Clinton didn’t inhale; where Margaret Thatcher came to her political conclusions; where Bob Hawke beat the world record for drinking a yard of ale; where Cranmer, Latimer and Ridley were burned at the stake; where the four-minute mile was first run; where Radiohead first performed; where Lord of the Rings was written; where the Narnia books were written; where those authors used to meet and drink together; the setting of His Dark Materials and those books’ author’s home; and many, many more. I work about 2 miles from Tolkein’s grave, too. I went to Malvern College, and spent afternoons staring out of the same library window which C.S. Lewis stared out of while he pondered the existence of God (and became an atheist for a while). There’s a little plaque there, until which you can probably still see my initials in Tipp-Ex. Anyway, Oxford is cheating. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![SecondJudith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@SecondJudith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SecondJudith)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-things-near-where-you-live-or-work/534648/59 "2010-04-06T15:28:27Z")
I’m a 90-second walk from the rebuilt Shakespeare’s Globe on Bankside, and three minutes from the pub where Samuel Johnson used to drink when he was writing his dictionary. I can see St Paul’s, the Gherkin and rest of the City of London from my office, but they’re across a river! ---
**Author:** ![Theodore\_Striker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@Theodore\_Striker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Theodore_Striker)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-things-near-where-you-live-or-work/534648/60 "2010-04-06T16:05:20Z")
> [@bartleby](#): > > i work right down the highway from [this](http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/9786) monstrosity… I live about 3 minutes away from the BBJ, right there in Monroe, and came into the thread specifically to mention it. Prior to the erection of the statue, the church had a giant neon lined and ultra-bright sign right off of the highway that I thought was tacky. Apparently understatement is not the strength of the Solid Rock Church. It’s really a shame, because Monroe itself is a nice little small town, and most people see that hideous thing and associate it with the city. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-things-near-where-you-live-or-work/534648.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-things-near-where-you-live-or-work/534648.md?page=4)