It's a similar story for me. The last time I went by the house I lived in until I was 7 it was exactly the same color as I remembered. The only obvious change was that the trees my father planted were much bigger.

 

The trees my dad planted were chopped down

Are you a long-time Californian? I grew up in Placentia..

 

When I was in first grade I had my first really big crush on a cute little freckled fellow named Brad. He was wayyyy older than I was . . . his birthday had been in February and he'd turned 7 and I wasn't 7 until October. I haven't thought about Brad for years and years until yesterday. I saw an obituary in our local paper and realized it was my Brad from first grade. He'd moved to Atlanta about 25 years ago and passed away a couple of days ago. RIP, Brad. You certainly were very precious to me a long, long time ago.

 

Sorry to hear about your friend, Val. I hate reading about someone I knew way back when.........when the info is in the obits.

 

Here's where I grew up:

The house in the center, just to the left of the pond is where I lived until I went to college. It's pretty much as it was then, except for the houses at the top of the picture.

This small farm is quite different from where you city folks grew up! (BTW, I still own the 50 or so acres left of the farm, but lease it to one of the few local farmers still left in the area)

batguano must live around here now....

 

Lainey, trip'n down memory lane . . . the structures can go down but no matter your roots are there - be they good, bad, or somewhere in between.

I think it's important we share these roots with our own family when we can. All three of my kids have seen a great deal of Dad's hometown - which was two states away. They've walked the hills and streets. They've seen both grandparents houses, both houses I grew up in, etc. Sure, all three of the schools are gone. Two torn down and one turned into something else.

We now live 100 miles from the city where my children were born. I know that from time to time, they too, go back to the two houses we lived in there.

We all move on, but every now and then it's good to go back even if just for a short time to reflect and remember how we had it then and how we we have now.

I really got into "going back" when I set out to do the genealogy thing a few years back. I didn't care about dates and places as much as digging into what their lives were all about. It was one of the neat things my mother and I shared before she passed away. I suspect may of the S2k Vintage group have parents, one or both, who are getting up there in years. Don't wait too long to pick their brains and go back.

 

Great thread, Lainey I am also very nostalgic....might surprise some people! Since Harrisburg (where I grew up) is between Philly and our cottage, I get to drive around the two old 'hoods every year or two. I also would love to get inside either one of our former homes.

Until 3rd grade, we lived in a twin house in the city of Harrisburg; it went downhill for the next 45 years but has now had a bit of re-birth.

We lived the dream and moved 5 miles east to a new brick 'cape cod' bungalow...cost a little less than $16k. My 'working class' Dad came up with a few 'mods' and was proud of his house and 1/2 acre. I visited a few months ago...walked around the back....very saddened to see the old place starting to suffer from lack of maintenance....ripped screens on the back porch, unkempt lawn. Yes, sometimes it's sad to go back...but I'll still do it.

 

Pics Lainey?

 

I drove by my parents old house in NJ a few months ago while on a business trip. At one time, it was the nicest hiouse in the neighborhood, unfortunately, the current owners do not take care of it as well

But it brought back great memories

 

Third generation. Born in the bay area. Grew up in Riverside and Huntington Beach.