Historic Preservation And the Imagined West Assignment

Historic Preservation And the Imagined West - Assignment Example The researcher states that the book Historic Preservation and the Imagined West by Judy Morley reviews these districts and what their effect may really be on the local public as well as the tourist business that is created. There was much pain in the development of these districts, as well as the gains for the cities themselves. Albuquerque is a vibrant city that is one of the fastest growing cities in the Southwest. It is in the high desert with mountains all around. There are many personalities to the city and it has grown in such a way, through planning, that it is easy to move around in and for tourists is very well marked. There are many things to do when visiting and one of those in Old Town. The Hispanic presence in Albuquerque is part of the history, as is the presence of the Pueblo Indian tribes of the Navajo, Apache, and Southern Utes, to name a few. Many of these cultural differences have affected the way the city feels when you visit. Old Town is on Central and 4th Street s in what was the heart of the city. The city has grown up around it so that is no longer true; however, As you walk into Old Town you are immediately reminded of an old Spanish village with its wrought iron fences and its covered patios. There are flower gardens everywhere and outside establishments to have a cool drink in the shade. The irony of this is that the Mexican people who established the area was evicted from there homes in order to renovate the area as Old Town. Yes, it draws many thousands of tourists every year and millions of dollars are spent on expensive jewelry and restaurants but the cost was high in human living standards. The poor that used to live there now live in the areas around Old Town. Many of them live in abject poverty and the level of crime there is tremendous. Navajo jewelry, the real stuff, used to be sold off Navajo blankets in the square but now you can only buy Navajo jewelry and rugs in the shops along the veranda. Morley has tried to explain thi s to us in her book. Go to the internet and see Old Town as it exists today. They want you to believe that is the way it has always been in Old Town and of course what you see is what you get. However, underlying all that beauty and fun is the cost of the loss of homes and pieces of a culture as the changes began. The poverty and gangs in Albuquerque is tremendous with Albuquerque having one of the largest ratings for drive-by shootings and gang activities in the nation. At what cost has Albuquerque gained the riches of their history. Denver Colorado and Larimer Street are famous on the tourist's tour. First of all Denver sits in the high desert among some of the most beautiful mountain vistas available anywhere. It is growing and urban sprawl has spread up the sides of those mountains. It still, by tourists, and some of the residents are seen as part of the Wild West and certainly if you ever watch a western on TV you will see why. Larimer Street is the center of old Denver. It sit s on 1st street within the city. This part of the city originally housed a dry goods store, the first bank in the west, a bookstore, and the first post office in the west. Today, you would never know it. All the buildings have been renovated and it is full of beautiful shops, restaurants and nightclubs. It is remarkable to note that prior to the renovation it was very much like the Wild West. This is where the homeless and prostitutes hung out.