So after all these years of being a Studebaker owner I finally made it to South Bend and visited the museum. The impression the town left on me was very different than what I expected. I came in from the west side on 20 (2?) and there was a detour that led me through an entire section of town that looked like it had been neglected for 50 years or more. I could hardly believe what I saw it was so bad, and I would have expected much of it to be condemned. Upon finding downtown I was surprised by the obvious efforts to make South Bend more beautiful alongside buildings and sections that had a ways to go in that direction. The Studebaker corridor was really much more dilapidated than I imagined, and I shuddered to think what the town looked like with even more of the old buildings standing and deteriorating.
Then I visited Notre Dame and the contrast to what I had seen elsewhere could hardly be exaggerated. There was nothing that wasn't first class as far as I could see. And the Studebaker museum was just as good as I thought it would be, though a little smaller than I imagined.
I'm glad I went and I'm glad I can put a new light on the corporation and the business. I think South Bend is trying hard to remake itself, but to be honest the work that has to be done to lift the whole city is immense and I think it will take decades.
I don't mean to offend anyone about the city, but after being all over the country and seeing hundreds of cities and towns, this is my first impression.
Then I visited Notre Dame and the contrast to what I had seen elsewhere could hardly be exaggerated. There was nothing that wasn't first class as far as I could see. And the Studebaker museum was just as good as I thought it would be, though a little smaller than I imagined.
I'm glad I went and I'm glad I can put a new light on the corporation and the business. I think South Bend is trying hard to remake itself, but to be honest the work that has to be done to lift the whole city is immense and I think it will take decades.
I don't mean to offend anyone about the city, but after being all over the country and seeing hundreds of cities and towns, this is my first impression.
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