Writing a book about the cities of the Southwest for @PantheonBooks // Articles in @thenation , @harpers , @nymag , Components, etc. // KPaoletta@gmail.comSource
Western states have plenty of wide open land. So why can't they build more homes? Tucked in the far southwest corner of Colorado is the historic city of Durango. Built in the 19th century at a railroad junction, it's nestled in a bend of the Animas River as it flows through the magnificent San Juan Mountains. Stunning scenery and copious amenities helped attract 460 new residents to the town of 19,000 during the pandemic. That may not sound like a lot, but it was enough to juice median home prices by 50% in just three years, with them soaring from $500,000 in 2019 to over $750,000 by 2022....…Western states have plenty of wide open land. So why can't they build more homes? Tucked in the far southwest corner of Colorado is the historic city of Durango. Built in the 19th century at a railroad junction, it's nestled in a bend of the Animas River as it flows through the magnificent San Juan Mountains. Stunning scenery and copious amenities helped attract 460 new residents to the town of 19,000 during the pandemic. That may not sound like a lot, but it was enough to juice median home prices by 50% in just three years, with them soaring from $500,000 in 2019 to over $750,000 by 2022....WW…