Several weeks ago I did a column in which I gave you clues and you were to name the state that fit those clues. I got a number of reactions, such as, "I didn’t know that" and a couple even said, "That was fun."
One suggested, "Do it again. You’ve got a whole bunch more states to work with."
Reader reaction is always appreciated so I considered it. I’ve decided not to do it again with states. Today’s column is the same as the last one except that I’m using cities in the U.S. Once again I give you the clues and this time you name the city.
This is the only U.S. city of noticeable size and importance that does not have zoning laws or restrictions. Strange but true.
Zoning proposals have come before the voters several times and every time they have been soundly defeated. This situation goes a long way toward explaining why an amusement park’s large roller coaster sits a couple hundred feet from a private residential area. To top it off, the residential area was there first. I’ve read that the reason for the zoning votes is that Texans’ commitment to individuality is opposed to collective organization. The city is Houston, strange as it seems. In case you’re thinking of going to Houston, they do have traffic laws and speed limits, which they doggedly enforce.
A noted critic and historian of architecture wrote that there is "more good architecture in (the city’s) major buildings at the top of their stylistic form than anyone seems ready to recognize or acknowledge."
In its youth this city became a beneficiary of the Erie Canal which connected the East Coast with the Great Lakes. Freight handling was lucrative and a lot of money was put into city planning and buildings. The development of the St. Lawrence seaway put an end to that but the city has managed to protect and preserve many of its architectural wonders. Buffalo, NY, is a beauty in the summer but a bit uncomfortable in the winter.
The final city was "commissioned" by Congress. The then-President went out to find a neutral place likely or hopefully to be accepted by all. His selection was a square ten miles on each side straddling a river and located in two different states.
Following the Revolutionary War, Congress directed George Washington to do the above and he selected what is now Washington, DC. A few objections but no outcry of opposition. Perhaps that was because the land was cheap. That’s because the part east of the Potomac was mostly swamp and west of the river was prone to flooding. In 1793 construction began on the capitol, whose backside faces the river. Time and effort and draining and filling changed what was a swamp into a beautiful Mall, now dotted with impressive buildings and monuments. Talk about making a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.
Thank you, George, for getting the ball rolling.
By the way, Virginia reclaimed and still has the flood plain. Today heavy rains at high tide and a full moon can flood downtown Alexandria, just like good old Charleston.
O.K., enough already.
