Is there some place I can go live in the 1970's version of the USA???

[Taverner]

Because any version, no matter how much better, really sucks in comparison....

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. The '70s decade was no bed of roses, either.

There was Vietnam, the Kent State massacre, Watergate, "stagflation," the oil embargo and gasoline rationing, just to name a few unpleasant events.

Also, it was the decade of hideous polyester clothing and disco.

[Dr Morbius]

3. I lived through the 70's.

It was the decade of Happy Days and M*A*S*H. It was the decade of Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. It was the decade of the Carpenters. It was the decade of Nixon/Ford/Carter. The economy by the end of the decade was the pits. America's military was largely seen as aging and weak. It was the decade when Henry Kissinger was the most powerful man in the world.

Going backwards is not advised.

[Taverner]

4. I remember gas rationing!

The gas stations with their green or red flags....

The long lines for the 'green' flagged stations

But still - is it better than the certain destruction we face now?

[surrealAmerican]

11. We thought we were facing certain destruction then too.

Remember, this was still the cold war.

[Taverner]

14. Born: June 1970

Its all good

[kwassa]

22. Certain destruction is inevitable.

The tricky part is when.

[elocs]

2. Just think, to somebody alive right now these will be the good old days.

Frightening thought, huh?

[Taverner]

5. Compared to today? OH yeah!

There are some significant improvements that existed in that time period, that aren't present today...

For example "Bankruptcy"

[elocs]

6. I can guarantee you that in 2040-50 somebody who is young today

will say to somebody, "Do you remember the good old days in 2010?" They don't know anything about the 1970s other than what they see on tv.

[Taverner]

7. Yes. Welcome to the Human Experience.

N fucking T

[Taverner]

24. Might I add you are 100% spot on

Sorry If I came across as snide

[REP]

8. I remember in the '70s that some of us were afraid for when '70s nostalgia kicked in

Of course, I was ages 6 to 15 for the '70s and mostly hated what we wore. And Nixon.

[Dr Morbius]

9. Oh, yeah.

Remember leisure suits? Bell-bottoms were pretty much out, but platform shoes were in.

And then there was roller skating. Saturday Night Fever. Jaws. The Exorcist. The Godfather. Star Wars.

Actually, it was a damn good decade for movies. But life was no more fun than it is today, and methinks a lesson lurks therein.

[Tikki]

10. Encino....

...man....



Tikki

[Kutjara]

12. It's not the USA, but when I was in Adelaide, Australia a few years ago...

...I could have sworn I'd stepped into a time machine. Locally owned shops and restaurants, real neighborhoods full of people that were actually neighborly, people cycling and walking to work, children playing in the streets. In the streets! Without adults around! Safely! Even the TV was oddly quaint, like something from the age before they got advertising "right."

[Mike 03]

13. Fantastic question: How old do you want to be at that point in your life? NT

[Taverner]

19. I would love to retire in a culture where the pensions were honored

[carlyhippy]

15. Go to Venice, California

kinda 60's kinda 70's vibe going on there

[Manifestor_of_Light]

16. I was rockin' the polyester, boys and girls....

I was in high school when Kent State happened.

Then a couple of years later I was young, beautiful, busting my ass in college and discovering BOYS! Smart ones! Math majors need love too. This was in the days of punch cards and room sized computers with huge magnetic tape reels. This was before AIDS and most girls were on The Pill.

People I saw that spoke on the college circuit: Dr. Andrew Weil, Dr. John Lilly, Buckminster Fuller, Daniel Ellsberg.

I did not start driving until I was a senior in college and 20, because I flunked the drivers exam when I was 16 and realized I was not mature enough to pay attention. I knew if I started driving, living in Houston, I would get killed.

My first car was a 1976 Subaru sport coupe and it was $4500 new. It had a flat-4 that was terribly underpowered.

[begin_within]

17. The Ocean Beach neighborhood of San Diego

Someone's probably buying a Doors or Blue Cheer album at this moment. There are vinyl record stores and antique shops. The Black is San Diego's oldest and largest head shop. Ocean Beach fought hard against having a single Starbucks (and lost). The O.B. People's Food Co-op is still in business after 39 years. The South Beach Bar & Grille serves nationally-known fish tacos and all kinds of weird beers, and it's a 60-second walk from there to the ocean. The longest fishing pier on the west coast is there. O.B. is where the Rolling Stones drop by to score some dope when they're in town. And I don't think any house there has been painted or upgraded since the 1970s. Sitting on a cliff just staring at the sunset (and hoping to see the legendary green flash) is a perfectly acceptable way to pass the time there. Sitting on the sidewalk playing guitar and hoping for handouts is a legitimate profession. It seems like almost everyone there has a dog, cat, bird or some type of pet. They have a great street fair in June and a fireworks party on July 4th, and a farmer's market every Wednesday. And the mysterioso sea is right there.

[Taverner]

18. Ah yes, San Diego - complete paradise

Granted I love Berkeley and Santa Cruz - but SD has the weather to back up the Mellow...

[Old Troop]

20. Not a great decade for me

started with shooting in Asia and finished with regrets

[eShirl]

21. hmm...

[Ishoutandscream2]

23. If you can remember the late 70s

then you probably weren't there!:party:

[arcadian]

25. Hawaii

[Skittles]

26. pre-FOX News, pre-Walmart, pre-Twitter?

alas, no

[Taverner]

29. They had Fox news back then - only then it was called The John Birch Newsletter

:)

[JanMichael]

27. Watch Life on Mars. If you like that you may love, like I do, the BBC version.

The original version.

Both are like walking back in time. which if i could i would in a heartbeat.

[Taverner]

28. Love LOVE LOVE!!!!! the BBC version!

I went and bought a Region Free DVD player just to watch it!

Love Ashes to Ashes too!

[JanMichael]

32. When did Ashes to Ashes become available???

I can't WAIT for to see it. For some reason the concept behind going back i time 30 some years for an unknown reason and in the same or seeming same job just blows my mind. We use Netflix and so far it hasn't been released for rental.

[Taverner]

33. S2 is available from Amazon.co.uk

Kick arse ending, I might add!

But yeah, you need a region free DVD player

[lutefisk]

34. I think the DVD release is only available in PAL, not NTSC...yet...nt

[lutefisk]

35. Life on Mars (BBC) is a great show. I highly recommend it.

Just finishing season 1, and it is so well done on many levels...

[tigereye]

30. ah, that time had it's issues, too

it was a fairly relaxed time in some ways- people didn't seem to be as obsessed about money/ companies seemed less greedy, prior to the greedy money attitudes of the 80s.

[cleveramerican]

31. Oklahoma

seemed sorta like the 70's to me