My perfect town

In My Humble Opinion
1

I sometimes daydream about creating my own perfect little small town from scratch. If I was incredibly rich I don’t think I’d be happy with simply building my dream home - I’d want to build an entire community and try to make it a truly wonderful place to live.

In my mind I see it as something of a cross between a picturesque little Italian village and one of the blindingly white Greek seaside towns you see sometimes. It would definitely be somewhere with a mediterranean climate and preferably by the sea. Summers would be bakingly hot, with long balmy nights and a bright wash of stars above. Winters would be short and mild. There would be a daily market with plenty of fresh produce and acres of olive and citrus groves nearby.

There would be a central piazza in the middle of town where everyone could congregate for market days, and during festivals and celebrations the place would be festooned with bunting and torches and alive with the crackle of fireworks. There would be a town hall for town meetings and for taking care of all the unglamorous yet necessary aspects of running the community. There would be a school and a university to make sure everyone was literate and well-read, and a huge town library to make sure that everyone has free access to the very best books ever written.

There would be a fire station for emergencies, a doctor and small hospital to take care of everything from the flu to caesareans. There would be a local cinema and restaurants and cafes and beautiful parks and gardens.

Most important of all, however, there would be a sense of community. A sense that people are happy to belong and of neighbor caring for neighbor. Amongst all this, I would own a small cafe/restaurant on the piazza. Even though I was the town’s founder and creator, I’d happily serve my neighbors tea and coffee and cold drinks and watch with a deep satisfaction as they enjoyed the wonderful meals I’d prepared from fresh ingredients.

I’d be happy just knowing that I’d built somewhere wonderful for children to play, for couples to fall in love and marry, for families to grow and for the elderly to relax and enjoy the warm evenings together.

Is something like this ever possible?

2

Ever been to Camden, Maine?

3

No, but I’m gonna! :slight_smile:

Isn’t Maine a little cold for what I have in mind? Can’t see many olives or lemons growing there!

4

What’s the Disney Town in Florida called? Ah, Celebration, Fla.

Been there, it’s pretty surreal. During Christmas even, they used fake snow and decorated the town up.

5

I read an article a few years back that said some community planners were going back to the old-style neighborhoods where “town” would be within walking distance and streets would be sort of like spokes to the hub. There would be shopping and other community buildings with very little automobile traffic. It sounded so nice. I think reducing the need for automobiles would do wonders for the sense of community. I’ve never been to Europe, but from what I gather, it is much the same way in the smaller, older towns.

6

That’s the only reason I’m not living there now. We even toyed with the idea of getting a place there for the warmer months. I hear there’s a fifth season between winter and spring called Mud, which doesn’t strike me as all that appealing either. But from April to November and maybe a week or two in the snow season it would be close to the type of thing you describe.

I wonder if your ideal place even exists in the USA. I would expect such a place to be overcrowded and too touristy to be any fun. You almost have to give up some aspects of the “ideal place” to get one that’s acceptable.

7

The TV shop next to my barber shop has some sort of demo DVD. A Mediterranean village of white walls and red tiles roofs. Winding oaths that lead up stairs to nowhere, an azure sea with sailboats. I have no idea where it is, but I want to retire there.

8

I think my best bet would be to get incredibly rich, buy up a huge swathe of land on the mediterranean coast somewhere, and build the entire town from scratch.

Is this even feasible? Would you want to live there?

9

I wouldn’t but only because of the heat. I’d rather you built in some place which has a more moderate temerature year-round. Seaside, preferably.

I’ve fantasized about the same idea, only my community would be built to more antique-looking specifications. The homes would be Victorian or Federal Style. There would be bookstores with little sidewalk cafes perfect for reading while sipping a cup of tea.

Every house would come with its own golf cart so that people could get around without having to use their cars. There would also be a trolley system, and a van line for seniors and those who have special needs.

The town would have its own dedicated police force (comprised of members of the community) and a large crew of maintenance workers. (If old Mrs. Smith on Elm Street can’t get out to rake her leaves, she’ll find crews out there taking care of it for her with a cheerful smile.) There would be several free day care centers for children and for those who need assistance, as well as a doggie day care so that pets could play all day instead of being cooped up inside the house.

There would be no “big box” stores permitted in the area. Grocery shops would be located conveniently in the neighborhood (complete with employees to deliver the groceries for those who need assistance.) And little shops for just about everything else. There would be a gas station on the outskirts, preferably run by a guy named Gus or Jim which would have a crew of employees who would rush out to fill your tank, clean your windshield and check your fluids.

The school would be staffed by teachers who actually love to teach and serious efforts would be made to make education something that kids would enjoy and could be tailored to fit their needs. (If an idea didn’t work, we’d try something else.) Education in the nearby university would be free for all residents.

There would be a theater and a small orchestra (who would play in the park on warm summer evenings).

Of course, the main problem any community has is the people who live in it. There would have to be a lot of rules which would orbably strike many people as draconian. (Quite a few folks out there believe being an asshole is their God-given Constitutional right.) There would have to be a way of expelling people who were disruptive and nasty. Perhaps offenders could be brought up before the Are You an Asshole? committee. Proud that your kid is vandalizing and beating up the neighborhood children? Out you go!

We would have a lot of organized community events and contests. Who bakes the best apple pie? Who can build the best boat for the race on the bay every summer? Whose dog will win the community show? (Judged by talent and appearance, not breed.) Who will win the annual trivia contest?

It’s a nice dream. If I ever find myself super, super rich, I’ll build it.