Judy Morley about Americas Most Favorite Places - Essay Example

In historic preservation and imagined west, Judy Morley shows the two sides of a coin. On one hand she appreciates the idea of preserving some of America’s most favorite places like the Lower Downtown District and the Larimer Square in Denver or the Pioneer Square in Seattle. The way these places have been protected and kept to enhance the feel of the past is not only alluring but it also awakens a peculiar sense of connecting to the glorious past in one’s heart. Such preservations also attract the tourists as well as locales hence becoming a big reason of economic boom at these places. But, on the other hand, there are certain reservations associated with this idea of preserving the past. The concept of imagined west explains this second thought. According to Dr. Morley the way these places have been preserved embody some politics and Imaginations attached to it. First, these places have not been saved the way they originally were and there is a lot of imagination used to make these places alluring to the tourists as well as locales. She elaborates this idea further more that although these places are a replica of past, but there is a lot of imagination working behind flourishing it. Only those things have been saved and protected that would appeal people. Moreover, using imagination, many new things have been added for the décor of these places no matter they were part of the past or not. Here Judy Morley takes a firm stand that although such things are against ethics and do not fall in any terms of the morality still since it benefits many people, it is harmless in their eyes. There are many other ironical facts associated with this idea of preservation. Like in the protection and preservation of the Old Town Albuquerque, many Hispanics were dislocated although the place represents the past glory and grandeur of the Hispanics. Secondly, in the Larimer Square the actual past trait of the skid row has been put under the carpet only to attract more number of tourists and make it a more worth seeing place. Judy Morley basis her wide research on interviews from the local property owners, dealers and business men. She also studies deep the fields of urban development and tourism etc. Thus she reaches on the conclusion that such preservations have very deep impacts on the urban life and neighborhood along with the tourism sector. Talking about the Larimer Street in Denver, Morley eloquently describes how time has changed around this place without harming its very soul. This Street is known for its shopping and dining. Being rich in history this place offers a wide step into the past to its visitors. The historic bricks and blocks tell the story of the birth of Denver. After seeing a lot of destruction and wear and tear, today Larimer Street stands untouched and unharmed by time. Its importance enhances with the fact that Denver’s very first bank, book store etc were built here. The first city and county also stands here after the old landmark was demolished in 1940s. The Lower Downtown District in Denver has a same story to tell. This District was destroyed by the hands of many different groups and was re-established in 1988. During 1960s and 1970s, the thought of protecting and preserving this place caught the minds of the city developers. Hence, by 1988, most of the District was revitalized and preserved. This place is rich in heritage and culture. The place is also known for its brilliant architecture that distinguishes it from the rest of the city. Today, the Lower Downtown District is a great attraction for the tourists as well as the locales. The Old Town Plaza in Albuquerque is a symbol of old Hispanic grandeur and splendor. This plaza serves as a quiet and aloof place to its visitors. Unlike the rest of the city this place is not noisy and polluted. Having a Hispanic touch, the place is built in the old Hispanic style. The Spanish governor of Albuquerque has a major role in the development and preservation of this place. According to the Hispanic style of construction, there ought to be a plaza in the middle of a villa and the blocks having official buildings would be around it. A church should also be built around the corner. So this Old Town Plaza has all these things in it. The Plaza itself has been saved as a museum. There are scientific, children and natural history museums in the plaza. The San Felipe de Neri church is the oldest building of the Old Town Plaza. To flourish their business, people have built their houses and shops around this place. There are many government offices in the building as well. The old and new cities of Albuquerque represent a strange mixture of the old Hispanic and Mexican cultures. Both parts of the city hold one’s breathe as there is much more to see and wonder at. On one hand there is a modern, fast and noisy Mexican city and on the other there is quiet solitude place in the Old Town. Pike Place Market in Seattle is yet another preserved historical place. This market was established in 1907. Initially this place was specified for the farmers who used to sell their goods to the consumers. Unfortunately, the farmers were not given enough profits and they could not benefit from selling their goods. Resultantly, they rebelled against the presence of the middle man that only complicated the situation. The farmers could only receive a little amount of the total price of what they sold. Finally, a councilman took a bold step to eradicate the displeasure of the consumers and the farmers. The commission food houses were demolished and a wooden planked road was made there. This road was called the Pike Place. Later in 1907, the place was given the status of market and it was finally called the Pike Place Market. The place kept on running in the same way unless in 1960s a plan was designed to change the place. This idea was strongly opposed by the locales and after a nerve breaking battle this place was given in the hands of the locales that not only restored but also preserved the place. By 1970s all the historic buildings were protected and made historic symbols. These places are one of the most visited and favorite of America. By analyzing them critically, Judy Morley emphasizes the importance of getting connected to the past. She aptly describes the value of such preserved past for the locales who can peep into their past through the window of these saved and revitalized places. They can share their festivals, national holidays and even tragedies by gathering at these places. These buildings and markets are also alluring for the visitors and tourists who can get a glimpse of how the life would have been in the past at these places. While critically analyzing the situation, Morley adheres to the fact that these places are not exactly a replica of their past. They have been altered to its maximum only to attract people. On one hand it is harm less as it brings money to the locales as it pulls tourists. While on the other hand, such concepts only raise the sense of false pride among the locales. As these places are not what they actually were in the past but they have been made beautiful and alluring by imagination. Read More