XregnaR wrote:

I hate seeing older houses taken down like that, but judging from the price paid, and what I see in those pictures, that is prime real estate.  If the graffiti is accurate "coming soon - condos", then the local council is up to common shenanigans, boosting tax revenue.

It was nice to see Rasta Gandalf came, and the recreation of the Abbey Road cover with a goat.

I watched Brown University bulldoze an early colonial home in the early 80s. For a parking lot. Decade later, two streets down, same thing, only this time a private dwelling rebuilt in replica of the original. Dunno which was dumber. Money talks and truly, no one gives a fuck.

Here, the preferred method was arson, referred to, in less enlightened times, as sheeny lightning.

All that Silicon Valley money out looking for a "bargain".  The down side of distributed workforce/working from home is that these overpaid brat coders can settle anywhere.  I was shocked to learn how many of the people in the company work for live in the boonies of Idaho.  I guess they must have decent internet. :-/

It sounds identical to what is happening all along the South coast of England right now.  Because of the astronomical property prices in London, any town that is a stop on a direct train in to the city is now exploding.   Brighton was first, but has still managed to maintain its funkiness, but now they are expanding westward at an alarming rate.

An example - http://www.zoopla.co.uk/new-homes/details/36552948

This place literally backs up to the rail line, about 300 yards from the station.  It has a lovely view of some housing that would normally expect near a rail line, the rails themselves, and fuckall else.  But it's 300 yards from a station with direct trains to the city.  How they expect any "normal" person to be able to get on the property ladder these days is beyond me.

Saw something really cool in Holland this past Spring.

Basically, they build a steel superstructure around the facade of the building, then tear everything else down.  They then construct a modern, more efficient building using the facade, removing the superstructure when complete.  So you still see the old craftsmanship, but get all that efficient-y goodness.  Once they are done you can't tell any difference from the street.  They are also doing some insane shit involving micro-flats, also utilizing the inside of a historic shell.

XregnaR wrote:

All that Silicon Valley money out looking for a "bargain".  The down side of distributed workforce/working from home is that these overpaid brat coders can settle anywhere.  I was shocked to learn how many of the people in the company work for live in the boonies of Idaho.  I guess they must have decent internet. :-/

It sounds identical to what is happening all along the South coast of England right now.  Because of the astronomical property prices in London, any town that is a stop on a direct train in to the city is now exploding.   Brighton was first, but has still managed to maintain its funkiness, but now they are expanding westward at an alarming rate.

An example - http://www.zoopla.co.uk/new-homes/details/36552948

This place literally backs up to the rail line, about 300 yards from the station.  It has a lovely view of some housing that would normally expect near a rail line, the rails themselves, and fuckall else.  But it's 300 yards from a station with direct trains to the city.  How they expect any "normal" person to be able to get on the property ladder these days is beyond me.

I know, I know I am old as fuck, but before the Missus and I married I was tempted to buy a house in Clapham Common.  3500 Lbs, all in.  Oh hindsight.

Emmeran wrote:

Some say if you leave a cornerstone that the spirit of the original house lives on.  I would say you get the same house without the sketchy electrical, plumbing and horrific energy efficiency.

I would say horseshit. You'll drive a couple hours south east one day to visit and I'll prove it.