Hello from “Big Sky” country! I am now in central Montana. Imbler has bigger trees (in fact, all other trees in the United States sans Redwoods & Sequoias are overgrown bushes compared to the trees of the coastal Northwest), but the sky is “bigger” (rather, it might be that the towering mountains frame deep and wide valleys, creating a series of magnificent vistas between Missoula and Bozeman).
Earlier, we snaked our way up through central Imbler and up into “The Inland Empire” of Washington. We stopped off in Spokane, and I have to say that the town is pretty “happening” for being in the middle of nowhere. Spokane has a population of 196,000 individuals, and so is dwarfed by the two northwestern “mega”-cities, Seattle and Portland (both in the range of half a million), but, because of its relative isolation and the fact that it is the metropolis of Eastern-Washington/Northern Idaho, it seems to be in a “weight class” above what you would expect as far as brand name chain stores and the like. Additionally, the city is informationally cutting edge, with the Spokane downtown wi-fi hotzone that offers two free hours to anyone who can pick up a signal.
Next, we moved through Northern Idaho and Western Montana, country some would call “picturesque,” rolling crags separated by lakes. But the same “look & feel” can be experienced along much of the coastal West, from Northern California to British Columbia, so I don’t see why anyone would consider the region a “destination” (unless you want to escape the swarms of outdoorsmen in the Rogue watershed for example).
Getting to the point of this post, if you have ever been to Carmel, California, you will recognize it as an affluent & artsy town on Monteray Bay. I live in a small Imbler town where residents complain of creeping “Carmelization,” inflated property prices, hordes of “refugees,” and the like. In fact, median home prices where I live is in the $300,000-$400,000 range because refugees from Carmel and other locales such as Aspen (not to mention ubiquitous Bay Areaites and ancient New York city retirees) have sold their abodes at extremely high prices and are now looking to buy “cheap.” Adjacent communities that are less upscale have homes that typically sell in the $150,000 range. Affluent towns like this are characterized by art galleries, “culture” (the costly form, not the prosaic variety), coffee and fine (often organic) foods. The denizens are a species of “Bobo” (Bobos In Paradise: The New Upper Class and How They Got There).
Small, quaint, and within the arc of San Franisco’s cultural tug, the original Carmel is not so peculiar in its environs. But the Little Carmels, or rather, the partially Carmelized Non-Carmels, are often located in out of place and isolated areas. For example, Bend, Imbler, is to bikers, snowboarders and other outdoor enthusiasts what Carmel is to artists. In the late 1990s Bend experienced an influx of cash rich migrants who had decamped from Silicon Valley, and the town has never looked back. And yet, set in the lee of the Cascades, Bend is also surrounded by communities with long “cowboy” and “redneck” traditions. When I was recently in Bend the weekly paper reflected on angry letters it received for its articles that were pro-F/911 and gay marriage. Remember, this town is smack dab in the middle of “Red America,” with barbed wire delineating cattle lands, shaped by the high desert and traditionally powered by resource industries.
Inhabitants of posh and onstensibly pluralistic cities who appreciate the “diversity” outside of the United States often do not acknowledge the multifaceted lifestyles being played out in the hinterland (Scott pointed this out last week). Yet, a large number of them “get away” to these very areas, creating rural oases of organic-food-loving-environmentalists in the midst of established and rooted communities who have focused on resource utilization and farming.
So that shifts me to Montana. I’m writing from a town of 7,500 about 20 miles east of Bozeman, nestled by mountains on both sides. As we drove into town, we noted that the houses seemed less run down and more well kept than is typical in many small isolated western towns. The buildings were vintage, throwbacks from an epoch when my colored ass would have been thrown out of any bar I walked into. It stank of “Old West,” but something was off. The second clue was the a local motel which advertised “wi-fi.” OK, so I bit. Next thing you know, we walk up and down a few blocks, and notice:
Two very “funky” coffee shops, situated half a block from each other. Around the block, there’s a “cafe and bakery,” and across the street, another cafe that advertises espresso. Way too much caffeine in this town….Checking out restaurants, and see a “fine dining” joint. White tablecloths, formal attire and menus which suggest that a $20+ cheque is typical per person. The last is a point I want to highlight because David Brooks suggested that $20 meals were hard to find in “Red America.” Montana is generally considered “Red America,” right? (and yes, others have already debunked this point made by Brooks)My girlfriend notices some very posh & pricey kitchenware on sale at a botique store. Also, custom made furniture. Lots of small botiques with items that have price tags that are eye-popping for males and drool inducing for females.There is a “Fine Foods” store up the block.OK, houses that are being taken care of (that is, property values must be appreciating), lots of coffee shops, pricey restaurants and botique stores with utilitarian objects that could be had for 1/10th the price if you wanted to purchase Made-in-China. And did I mention a lot of public art? Things that make you go hhhhmmm….
But, not all is “out of place.” There are bars that advertise themselves as “saloons,” I saw a Native American family shopping and later on some guys in mullets swaggered down the street. When I talked to a bar-tender, her accent seemed Western, not imported. The eateries still slant “American,” and steak houses are dominant.
This town, Livingston, Montana, is in the process of Carmelization. It is likely a place with a lot of second homes, close to the isolated backswoods where “authentic” living can still be had. There are towns like this all across the continent, hidden away in isolated locales. This is where “Red” & “Blue” white Americans come together and meet. States like Colorado are basically huge experiments in this, as older residents learn to deal with newer ones, who are still trying to get their bearings. While the children of Red America are leaving the farms, forests and ranches for the big cities and college towns, the middle aged professionals of Blue America are getting away, and revitalizing, transforming, and frankly taking over, many small towns in the West that have been gifted by nature with a great view and endowed with just the right combination of isolation & accessibilty.
Posted by razib at 10:55 PM