Post by mikef6 on Aug 8, 2023 3:47:22 GMT
First there was the 2014 TV series “Manhattan” set in the town of Los Alamos during the building of the first atomic bomb and now there is the monster hit movie “Oppenheimer.”
Los Alamos is a town located on a high mountain mesa at 7,320 feet above sea level in northern New Mexico. For centuries the only visitors were Native Americans until early 20th century when homes, classrooms, and a dormitory were built for a remote school for boys. Discipline was very strict and the students sometimes had to sleep outdoors during very cold and snowy winters. In 1943, however, the U.S. Army showed up and ordered the school closed and everybody out. Los Alamos (“The Cottonwoods” and same name as The Alamo in Texas) was the perfect site for the secret location of a top secret project. It was remote, the only access being a long winding unpaved and dangerous road (you can still drive that road which is now paved with safety features). There was also access to water.
The Army added buildings and dwellings. The top scientists took the already existing houses. Oppenheimer, wife, and children moved into what had formally belonged to the school Headmaster. The street where Oppenheimer and the other leaders was dubbed “Bathtub Row” by the rest of the new city’s residents because these were the only houses to have, well, bathtubs.
The modern city of Los Alamos, a 90-minute drive from our house, is still home to an government atomic research facility. A replica of the iconic Security Gate greats you as you enter the city. Los Alamos has the highest per-capita income, education level, and property values in the state. We haven’t seen much of the residential areas, but the downtown is kept scrupulously clean. Some may think that this sounds like a perfect place to live. Others might fear Yuppie Hell. There are a couple of fine museums. One, The Bradbury, is located on the otherwise restricted research site. We have always enjoyed visiting regardless of the difficult drive.
The Oppenheimer House. 1967 Peach St.
Los Alamos is a town located on a high mountain mesa at 7,320 feet above sea level in northern New Mexico. For centuries the only visitors were Native Americans until early 20th century when homes, classrooms, and a dormitory were built for a remote school for boys. Discipline was very strict and the students sometimes had to sleep outdoors during very cold and snowy winters. In 1943, however, the U.S. Army showed up and ordered the school closed and everybody out. Los Alamos (“The Cottonwoods” and same name as The Alamo in Texas) was the perfect site for the secret location of a top secret project. It was remote, the only access being a long winding unpaved and dangerous road (you can still drive that road which is now paved with safety features). There was also access to water.
The Army added buildings and dwellings. The top scientists took the already existing houses. Oppenheimer, wife, and children moved into what had formally belonged to the school Headmaster. The street where Oppenheimer and the other leaders was dubbed “Bathtub Row” by the rest of the new city’s residents because these were the only houses to have, well, bathtubs.
The modern city of Los Alamos, a 90-minute drive from our house, is still home to an government atomic research facility. A replica of the iconic Security Gate greats you as you enter the city. Los Alamos has the highest per-capita income, education level, and property values in the state. We haven’t seen much of the residential areas, but the downtown is kept scrupulously clean. Some may think that this sounds like a perfect place to live. Others might fear Yuppie Hell. There are a couple of fine museums. One, The Bradbury, is located on the otherwise restricted research site. We have always enjoyed visiting regardless of the difficult drive.
The Oppenheimer House. 1967 Peach St.
