Traveling In Style : Side Trips : My Hometown

The old joke about hometowns is that they’re nice places to be from . But some people actually have fond memories of their native cities. For instance:

Richard Tyler, fashion designer, Los Angeles. Hometown: Melbourne, Australia. “My parents are what I most love about my hometown. But Melbourne itself was great to grow up in because it’s a cultural and fashionable city. I did hate the weather, though: It rained a lot.”

Marion Cunningham, food writer (“The Fanny Farmer Cookbook”), Walnut Creek, Calif. Hometown: La Crescenta. “I love my hometown because it was easy to know everyone there on a personal basis. It was made up of an interesting mix of people who lived there for health reasons, because it was warm and dry, not for economic reasons.”

Richard Sylbert, motion-picture production designer (“Dick Tracy”), Los Angeles. Hometown: Brooklyn. “My hometown doesn’t exist anymore. There was a wonderful neighborhood, but now it is totally destroyed. I do have great memories, though.”

Juanita Moore, executive director, the National Civil Rights Museum, Memphis, Tenn. Hometown: Wilson, N.C. “The town where I grew up was small, and the extended family was very strong. You grew up knowing everyone in the community by name. When times were hard or you were in trouble, people helped each other.”

Michael Woo, city councilman, Los Angeles. Hometown: Los Angeles. “I love the jacaranda trees when they’re in full bloom. The Watts Towers. The landmarks of modern architecture in my neighborhood, Silver Lake. The secondhand book and record stores. The neon signs and ethnic murals. The lack of tradition or of a predetermined order.”