Frederica complains that nobody wants to live in Old Charleston anymore because they'd prefer spanking new kitchens and more space between houses. Hello? According to what I've read, houses in Old Charleston sell for millions of dollars. That suggests a) people do want to live there and that b) almost nobody can afford to live there. Which brings up another point: The idea that people "choose" where they live. It's never as simple as that. People live where in some proximity to where they work, and they want as much home as they can afford. They're willing to brave traffic and, yes, even some appalling aesthetics to have the kind of home they want. Once again we see the key contradiction between the contributors to this blog and the vast majority of ordinary Americans. You guys live ideologically. You make choices that gratify you because they represent a fulfillment of ideas you hold. Most people don't live this way, and to presume that they should is, well, the sheerest snobbery.
