Lockport NY

(Image: DT Lockport c. 1946 by Arthur W. Moreau taken from http://www.lockport-ny.com/)

HisSon brought up waxing nostalgic and noted that he located ww.lockport-ny.com in a comment under the Welcome thread. I though I would create a post around it.

Nostalgia comes from Greek nostos "homeward journey, return home" and algos "pain". Nostalgia describes a longing for the past, often in idealized form and maybe that is the real point. We are actually longing for an ideal and finding is most palpable in instances from our past. It would pry explain why someone who is not native and was not born until nearly 30 years after the above picture was taken can feel such a longing sensation when looking at it. Or conversely get excited at any development, no matter how small that may put a small piece of it back in place. That someone is me.

Being that it is an ideal, one can at the same time feel pain for what no longer exists in the aerial shot above while feeling an inner drive to recreate it at the same time. Forward thinking developments such as Ulrich City Centre show that we can rebuild from the mess of "Urban Renewal" to once again build a walkable street scape while still taking into consideration parking. Others such as Family Video and Walgreen's with their corner deadening parking lots show that we either don't fully get it or aren't willing to demand it. There are CVSs in East Aurora and a Family Video on Hertel in Buffalo proving that it can be done. Niagara Produce and the effort to get the ice rink up and running are adding even more to DT and all within walking distance to each other.

What is the "ideal" that you miss? What in the Aerial photograph above represents that? Why do you feel that obtaining it is possible/impossible?