Talk:Port Townsend, Washington

Culture
The Culture section, while I agree with everything that is written, needs some references cited to back it up. In particular, I'm looking at the latest addition: "This is probably because the town has gentrified considerably in the last decade and rents on places with decent traffic are beyond those that are not independently wealthy." Avoid weasel terms and Cite sources comes to mind. If the anonymous author cares to provide some citation in the next few days, great. Otherwise I will find some references myself or edit/remove any subjective material. ColdCaffeine 07:06, 27 September 2005 (UTC)

Because of privacy issues it is difficult to cite specific rents in downtown or uptown PT. But as I worked uptown and downtown, and so have my friends and children, and we have friends who owned businesses up and down, I can tell anyone that the rents escalated beyond the ability of most owners who were not supported by a spouse, to make a decent living. If you did not buy your home before 1990, or we not coming from a place of inflated prices, then even buying a modest house is difficult. The wages have not risen with the rent, and the cost of raising a family on a working wage is nearly impossible. The influx of retirees, from California, east coast, and Seattle area, has mostly benefitted the realtors, and the holders of property for investment purposes. The town had many 'regular' stores still hanging on, in the mid 80's, but now most of downtown, and uptown are trendy boutiques, and non-essential tourist shops. The artists who don't work the system there, or didn't buy early, cannot stay if they are not supported by a spouse. This is a superficial community, still living off a real past as a working class and free spirit community. It was inevitable as it is just too stunning, visually, but just like a beautiful or handsome human, beauty is only skin deep. This is said with the recognition that there are still some remarkable people there, who are so connected to the landscape and their pasts that they stay. You are the Port Townsend I wish still existed.

for bobby m.

I agree with most everything that the Culture section of the article details, but it's still non-NPOV and however accurate it may be it doesn't belong here, at least in this state. I have no problem with documenting the economic and social changes of the past decade or so, but in the end it is no more significant than any other decade of the city's history. This is an article in an encyclopedia, not a place to document your personal experiences. Willpower 05:00, 9 June 2006 (UTC)

Economics
How "development of artillery fortifications" could be a major prop to the economy is beyond me. I don't think it is meant that the place became a manufacturing plant of cannons and of pre-fab forts, i think it is meant that the U.S. army installed some artillery there. I suppose you could have a few people at an army base, but still.... doncram (talk) 06:29, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

The artillery fortifications at Port Townsend were major bases with several thousand personnel. Supplying these people was big business. Interestingly, in spite of Port Townsend’s view of itself and hip, arty, and peace-loving, most of the town’s history is as a military camp. In addition to the forts, the bay was used as a holding anchorage of Navy vessels and supply ships in World War II and at present Naval Magazine Indian Island is the Navy’s primary munitions handling facility on the Pacific coast. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 206.192.234.153 (talk) 20:32, 17 August 2008 (UTC)

I'll add a comment on Port Townsend's economy based on recent experience of four years living there. A not well publicized fact explains why Port Townsend, with little industry other than tourism, appears nevertheless quite prosperous. The answer lies in that the seeming quaint “arts community and victorian seaport” is really a stage-set front for the largest lunatic asylum west of the Mississippi River. Port Townsend is where the well-to-do have for years committed their disturbed children to be sequestered from psychological stress related to coping with reality and common sense. Although the figures aren’t released, it’s thought that perhaps seventy-five percent of the town’s population are inmates. Many have grown old while under treatment and have spent the better part of their lives here. When passing through Port Townsend, don’t expect to find any fences or walls or shuttered buildings confining these people. Port Townsend is a modern liberal town and the inmates are welcome to wander freely about, completely mainstreamed, but comfortably among their own kind. Might I be one of them? Not at all, I escaped.

End of comment. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.105.219.104 (talk) 01:50, 7 December 2008 (UTC)


 * King of Hearts, made me laugh. But you have just described most of the US. The entire country is now a loony bin, with varying illusions. Thanks for the comment tho, now I know another place to avoid :-) 210.22.142.82 (talk) 09:11, 23 August 2016 (UTC)

Removed 'Tourism' Section
I removed the tourism section from this article, because it wasn't ready for prime time: it was poorly written, and most of the material in it was redundant with other parts of the article. I'm pasting it here: others are welcome to add it back, but I suggest a re-write first.


 * "Port Townsend is essentially a tourist attraction because it promotes a theme of preservation to draw people to the city. When people arrive, they expect to experience the history of the Pacific Northwest and a taste of the Victorian era. The town reinvents the environment as themed entertainment to satisfy the tourists. "


 * "Several of the buildings have been restored and “kept up” including, the Bell Tower, Manresa Castle, City Hall, the Courthouse, and the Post Office. During the middle 19th century the sudden increase in population of Port Townsend required a demand for more homes that catered to the middle class. With the Native population becoming decimated by small pox, measles, and other diseases transmitted by contact with white explorers, there was more opportunity to build additional Victorian style homes, being that Victorian was the popular style at the time."

Jtmorgan (talk) 16:35, 11 February 2012 (UTC)

Art
There are all the different kinds of art in Port Townsend. Euloniam (talk) 15:43, 17 April 2020 (UTC)

Such as cooking. Euloniam (talk) 15:45, 17 April 2020 (UTC)