Finding 'The Perfect American Street'

Recounting a recent trip to Great Barrington, Massachusetts, writer Philip Langdon shares the pleasure of the small town's main street.

1 minute read

June 27, 2007, 2:00 PM PDT

By Mike Lydon


"While driving through a little town in the Berkshires, I glanced sideways for a moment and found myself looking at the perfect American street.

Railroad Street it was named, about 163 years ago, because near one end of it ran the tracks of the Housatonic Railroad, which arrived in the 1840s to connect the Berkshires to New Milford and Bridgeport. The tracks are still there, carrying an occasional freight train.

I pulled over for a closer inspection. What was it that made Railroad Street - a narrow passage lined by buildings more than a century old - so appealing? Partly it's the location at the center of Great Barrington, Mass. (pop. 7,527) - a town where a generous flow of tourist dollars keeps the restaurants flourishing, the clothing and jewelry stores profitable, the arts and crafts shops busy and the buildings well cared for."

Thanks to Andres Duany

Sunday, June 24, 2007 in The Hartford Courant

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Bird's eye view of manufactured home park.

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing

Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

March 25, 2025 - Shelterforce

U-Haul truck on road with blurred grassy roadside in background.

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?

Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

March 27, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Rusty abandoned oil well and equipment with prickly pear cactus next to it in West Texas.

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage

Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

March 31, 2025 - Pennsylvania State University

Close-up on U.S. Forest Service plaque.

What Forest Service Cuts Mean for Cities

U.S. Forest Service employees work on projects that have impacts far beyond remote, rural wilderness areas.

4 seconds ago - Greater Greater Washington

Two yellow and white Dallas Area Rapid Transit light rail streetcars at station in Dallas, Texas.

North Texas Transit Leaders Tout Benefits of TOD for Growing Region

At a summit focused on transit-oriented development, policymakers discussed how North Texas’ expanded light rail system can serve as a tool for economic growth.

1 hour ago - KERA News

Blue and white Amazon trucks parked at loading docks at warehouse.

Poorest NYC Neighborhoods Pay Price for Delivery Boom

The rise of ‘last-mile’ e-commerce warehouses — and their attendant truck traffic and air pollution — is disproportionately impacting the most historically disadvantaged parts of the city.

2 hours ago - Inside Climate News