# Question on how to research scenery



## voltigeur (Apr 10, 2013)

I’m working on a historical novel and need to know what a few cities looked like in the 80’s. Where can a writer go to find out what neighborhoods were in place as well as popular restaurants for a given neighborhood?


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## shadowwalker (Apr 10, 2013)

I'd start with the local historical societies. (You're talking about the 1880s, correct?)


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## voltigeur (Apr 10, 2013)

Actually 1980's. I have a scene in Dallas (have someone helping there.) but need to reserch Racine WI, Wilmington DE, and Eastern LA more well to do Latino Neighborhood. 

I read a blog where the author said getting this right would add a depth and thrill any reader from those areas. 

The historical research has actually been pretty easy.


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## shadowwalker (Apr 10, 2013)

1980s for historical fiction? Wow, now I really feel old...


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## Kevin (Apr 10, 2013)

voltigeur said:


> Actually 1980's. I have a scene in Dallas (have someone helping there.) but need to reserch Racine WI, Wilmington DE, and Eastern LA more well to do Latino Neighborhood.
> 
> I read a blog where the author said getting this right would add a depth and thrill any reader from those areas.
> 
> The historical research has actually been pretty easy.


Eh...if you're going to ask someone, there's East L.A. ( Eest el-ay) West LA, South Central and the Valley (Bvah-lee).


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## Morkonan (Apr 11, 2013)

shadowwalker said:


> 1980s for historical fiction? Wow, now I really feel old...



You and me, both. I was entirely comfortable with the OP referencing the 80's as the "1880's."

Now I feel like a Pet Rock sitting on a broken Rubik's Cube, watching "Fast Times at Ridgemont High", waiting for Sears to deliver one of those newfangled microwave ovens...

_"Forsooth! In yonder days, we must needs go to our places of education, verily clattering up rocky and treacherous paths, both to and fro, with nary a t__hing to ease our troubled hearts excepting our stalwart Walkmans and the lyrical musings of Van Halen to accompany us! Hard, difficult days, indeed! Forsooth!"_


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## Rustgold (Apr 11, 2013)

I think in many cities it'll be pretty much like today, except it was the beginning of city by-passes (and fewer of them), meaning traffic still went through city centres; buildings were square blocks; you probably didn't have what yuppies consider art cluttering the sidewalks; most businesses were yet to acquire the polished (generically sterile) facades; and (at least in Australia) you may have been lucky enough to have trams.

Of course, for a more realistic scenery, just find a city that's 30 odd years out of date.


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## voltigeur (Apr 20, 2013)

The issue is not finding the look of buildings for a particular city.  Here in the United States recessions and the building booms of the 90’s have totally changed cities here. For example in Dallas the semi rural areas to the north that were there in the 80’s are totally built up now.  The built up area has grown over 20 miles in the last 20 years! 

Also recessions have completely changed the businesses. Of all the businesses Greenville Ave in Dallas only 1 to 5% are older than 10 years. 

After I get a job and can throw myself into this project more I plan on hitting up the local historical society. 

Is there a good online source for online sources that can get me started?


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## Robert_S (Apr 20, 2013)

Well, I do believe Neon signs were still in large scale use as LED marquise we're still developing, but some signs used digital circuitry, to a small degree, to create alternating flashing lights.

You might want to research the boom in glass and steel buildings.


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## voltigeur (Apr 20, 2013)

I appreciate the responses. I may be asking the wrong question.  

What I’m looking for is what these cities were like in the 80’s. I don’t want my characters living in a subdivision that didn’t exist at that time. I’m having a bear of a time finding old street maps from that time period so I know how far the city had grown. 

As my characters do benign things (like getting hamburgers going to dinner, movies) I want to insure the neighborhood is right. 

I can’t believe I can find historical street maps on the net.


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## Kevin (Apr 20, 2013)

So what you need people that were around from that (ancient) time/place. I bet some are still breathing. Sorry, but I'm not from East LA or I'm sure I could tell you about it.


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## jayelle_cochran (Apr 25, 2013)

You might have to contact a library of those cities.  Libraries will sometimes have old maps of local areas and whatnot.  A historical society might look at you kind of weird for calling a novel that takes place in the 1980s as "historical".  Usually that refers to a time period not so close to the present.  Still...I see what you're saying.  A lot has changed and 20 years has more of an impact now than it did a century ago.  So, there are a lot of changes to work with.

The only thing I could think of would be to talk to libraries.  

I hope that helps.

*hugs*
Jayelle


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