nostalgia is marketed but not there anymore
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11/13/2018
Willow Glen used to be charming and safe.Used to be where you wanted to end up, raise your kids, and die in your house of old age. garden and walk to the 5 and dime and locally owned coffee shop. What drew people to this town is not there anymore. It used to have quaint homes, friendly neighbors, safe and streets, well mannered children and diligent parents, great schools with wonderful administrations, adorable holiday decor, a thriving senior community, kind, pragmatic, and deep sense of a loving community. Rich cultural roots to an orchard like living and generational families that all knew each other. That is a pipe dream now. Most people who helped create that community have died or moved away. There are only a few hold outs left, and we all know each other.
Here's what happened. Real Estate agents went gangbusters on driving the market up, developers only wanted to build McMansions encroaching on each others and space and yards screaming "look how much I can make" "you will like me because I can out-buy you". Agents convinced sellers to sell to highest bidders/investors instead of high bidding family. Instead of remodeling into creative, modest size and diverse craftsman style, period piece houses that once lined the street with respectable space given to each neighbor, they are bought out solely by builders/investors, torn down and done with the cookie cutter style you see literally everywhere in the US. Then they sell to the highest paid bidder, often times 150k over asking, all cash or 50%cash down. Drive into anytown USA and you can find the style house at 1/2 the price and about the same safety. New money mentality (screaming of social insecurity and self aggrandisement) verses old money (practical, self assured, not trying to outpace others because you are secure in your wealth) have replaced each other. Grandiose braggadociousness from trendy techie's still trying to prove themselves socially, and foreign investors of real estate and local RE agents desperately trying to squeeze out every last commision, have completely changed the landscape. City or district officials used to have building restrictions in order to not encroach on your neighbors space and privacy....those don't exist anymore- so you can be sure it will be a matter of time before your bathroom window looks into someones elses- like 100ft away. Many already do. Its kind of gross- who wants that? In that case move to the city like NY, Chicago and SF. Unfortunately what those
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