However, the Gray Lady no longer serves as an escapist refuge when it features real estate in Calvert, Texas. Survey the "Great Homes and Destinations" article (and slide show) for yourself.
Not to be mistaken, 19th century homes are rare and captivating in these parts, but here are the parts I find objectionable:
- "This house is on a corner in the city’s historic district, a section of homes and low-lying businesses dating back to the late 1800s." I've driven through Calvert several times, and having grown up in a similarly small town about 60 miles north of Calvert, I can tell you this description is over-romanticized; by "historic district" they mean a row of dismal, dusty and vacant store fronts, where there's been very little sign of life since the late 1800s.
- "There are a few shops and restaurants along Main Street, including a European-style chocolatier." A European-style chocolatier? I bet that means they sell Ferrero Rocher and Godiva instead of Hersheys. I can guarantee you that Juliette Binoche wouldn't dare step foot in Calvert, Texas, and the same goes for the rest of the cast (and crew) of Chocolat.
- "For more options there is Hearne, a city about nine miles down the road." Here the phrase "more options" is used very loosely. There might be one or two fast food chains in town, plus a "small-town cafe" where the gravy on my chicken-fried steak once wreaked of household cleaner, but I doubt Hearne's grown big enough for a Walmart.
- "The closest big city is College Station, home to the main campus of Texas A&M University, about 45 minutes south." If you're reading this in New York City, you're not going to find a big city by driving to College Station. You could drive another 100 miles to Austin or Houston, but upon arrival, you would continue to wonder where the closest big city is.
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