The Authentic Eclectic

Topophilia: The Curse of Growing Up in the Perfect Hometown

When you come from paradise, where do you go from there?

Photo by Jack Cross on Unsplash

Topophilia means “love of place,” and when it comes to my hometown, I’ve got it bad. Sometimes, I dream of going back permanently, but I know it’s unlikely. Because, about 10 or 15 years ago, the world discovered it, and now everyone wants to live there.

The folks on TripAdvisor adore it. The New York Times frequently touts its beauty and desirability. Every travel blogger and journalist who churns out pieces about “great weekend getaways from the Big Apple” enthuses about my town ad infinitum. It’s historical; it’s artsy, it’s funky, it’s spiritual!

You name it; it’s that and more.

Thanks to the pandemic, legions fled New York City and, because it’s less than two hours away, some of them resettled there, driving up prices. Consequently, it’s gotten crazy expensive, and the property taxes are insane. So people tend to retire elsewhere unless they’re rich and from somewhere else.

Luckily, I live near enough to visit several times a year. In addition, I’m in two or three Facebook groups where I share photos and stories of the old days with the people I know. It helps.