Cil said:
Yup.
Far fewer people back then.
Exactly. Eventually we are going to have to figure out where to put people, and the Panhandle is an obvious place. It's going to be really crowded in 20-30 years, folks, which is why I look at the beach development in SoWal and feel pretty good about it, as an investment and lifestyle choice. It isn't PCB or Destin -- take a look at Kurt's recent photos of PCB condo construction. That is every SoWallian's worst nightmare! All in all I feel pretty lucky to have what we have, ongoing growing pains notwithstanding.
The character of the place is not what it once was, and it will change further. It is unavoidable. But I think the growth has been better managed than in most places.
I have a friend who lives in rural Indiana. Her husband is mad that all these suburbs are moving in where there used to be nothing. And here's the kicker: They plan to have 4 or 5 kids! They're already on No. 3. I always want to ask: Where do you think those children are going to live? Zero population growth may be an ideal goal, but it's completely unrealistic.