Time and again, once a place gets “discovered,” that place will experience not only a flood of commerce and money, but ultimately, it will face its own extinction as a cultural organism. Places that get “discovered” by the big-money urban set will handle the sharply double-edged sword of relevance, development and progress — and in a very short time, the children of that place will find themselves priced out of their own hometowns.

I’m forced to ask: if there was a way to “skip” this era’s idea of development, commerce and gentrification, what would it be? How could we get there? If we could, wouldn’t we just want to sit this round of economic history out — that some old burning ember of former days might be kept alive, however bedraggled?

On that score, upstate New York is the shining star. Obstinately outside the eyes of the wider world, our state’s rural hinterlands seem to have by and large been skipped over and frozen in time. In some parts, this “freeze” on any entrance into the present era seems to have, for the most part, dated as far back as the early days of the industrial revolution. Though the old culture of former days hangs on barely by a thread, and has been winnowed down to a degenerated, decrepit version of what it once was. It has not necessarily been “replaced” by any sweeping program of “revitalization” either.

Instead, the wider culture has percolated slowly into this place rather than sweeping over us like a tsunami. Slowly, the cell towers were erected (in some places there still aren’t any). Slowly, the “smart” telephones and fiber came. It all came bit by bit, faster than usual, but not so fast that we’ve lost our rudder completely. Indeed, many of the same young fellows around here who might sag their pants and hit the vape pen are known to go ice-fishing on occasion, or to still show up for the sap boil during sugaring season. They might maintain a facade as gothic Juggalo types — but they still know all the words to old Hank and drink Old Milwaukee and Wild Turkey with grandad at the Legion now and again. Though changes have come, there’s still a “center” here — a rudder, a vein — connecting the present to the past that does not seem to have been severed, snapped or subsumed entirely by fast-tempo changes.

I can’t help but wonder if our “trashy” side helped us on that score. Had we been the kind of place where the fence gets a regular coat of paint, and the bushes are trimmed — what with old Victorian B&B’s and cobblestone gardens and strapping young lads in slacks and corduroy — would we have been overtaken by now? I reckon so.

In a sense, then, have we not been saved by the “people of Wal-Mart?” For all the scorn anyone heaps upon those sorts of people, and in spite of whatever their daily struggles may be, is it not untrue that they have a way of spooking off the well-to-do?

So perhaps America would do well to stay a little on the trashy side... Because our rusty ruffians and wild boys and scratch-off-ticket old ladies are our vanguard against the beast of gentrification. Without them, things might’ve been so pricey here we’d have had to go farther afield to find our home-place.

You can read the rest of this column here.

While written about the Adirondack region, this no doubt pertains to other areas of the state. What do you think about the author's thoughts?

Kinda think I recognized the area of which the Author speaks ! Except in the area I recognize it’s not so much “ rusty trucks “ , instead its old boats and old campers / RVs . I always ask myself why , why have an old “ USS NEVER SAIL “ with or without trailer ( mostly without ) or two languishing in the front yard ? Status symbol or lying there on the ground waiting in case of a catastrophic flood event from one of two small streams tranquilly bubbling their way through this little valley. Now let’s talk campers/ RVs , which by the way now outnumber boats . The collection of these once loved and cared for, recreational homes away from home , have been growing in numbers as though they were vegetable plants to be sown on the smallest of plots . No , the “ old days “ are gone from our little Valley , the once productive family farms have been replaced with ramshackle out buildings of questionable construction surrounding the local Church and food bank . Local businesses, yes only a couple are surviving, one a salvage yard for small yard tractors ,wagons , push mowers , compressors or just about anything , no boats or campers yet , one would need to maintain their property all out there alongside the road stacked parked or displayed upside down and in no particular order for all to peruse while stopping in at the Town Hall next door . Do I believe that our little Valley will have a future problem with being taken over and changed into such areas as described by this Author , no I think not, another Local Author has better described our Valley/ Village in his Trilogy !

Having been to the North Country numerous times I have an idea of what the author is writing about here. I haven’t been up there since 2018 but I’ve no doubt the pandemic era exodus from the big cities, all that money, had an impact that some would view negatively.

But honestly, some parts of this state would probably do well with a little gentrification, a small dose of it at least. Someone that has some sense of pride in themselves, their home/property and new community could be refreshing.

Unfortunately, the attitude is “we live in the country and can do what we want” and no one cares unless it affects them directly. What they don’t or can’t understand is that the look of the community affects everyone. Certainly you can do and live like you want but your home and property shouldn’t look like combination dump/ junk yard. Has pride in ownership gone the way of the Dodo?