If you close your eyes and listen close, you can hear the sounds of 'Hey Jude' and 'Mrs. Robinson' playing on the radio as the hot rods roll down the streets. It was certainly a simpler time in 1968 America.
In 1968, ERA Grizzard Real Estate's Founder, Tom Grizzard, was getting his start at creating the Real Estate company we know and love today. As we commemorate our 50 year anniversary, we thought it would be fun to take a stroll down memory lane and reminisce on what life was like back in 1968 when ERA Grizzard began. Enjoy!
Fashion & Film
Society was enjoying a plethora of movie picks, and Hollywood was creating scripts that are still popular today. Dick Van Dyke thrilled the kids with Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Barbra Streisand had her break out movie with Funny Girl. Thrillers like Planet of the Apes, Rosemary's Baby and Night of the Living Dead made their debuts and are still popular today.
Mister Rogers invited the world into his neighborhood and 60 minutes debuted its still running news show. I Love Lucy, the Mod Squad (with Samuel Jackson), Mayberry RFD and the original Hawaii 5-0 filled our evenings on the three available networks.
While some girls still teased and coiffed their hair, legends like Cher were wearing theirs long and natural. London girls like Twiggy were cutting it boyishly short. Everyone was saying "Cool, man."
How We Got Around
In the sky, Boeing introduced the first 747 "Jumbo Jet." On the ground we rode in the cars that are still popular today, but now we call them classics.
Chevy came out with the first generation of its Camaro Convertible. We fell in love with the sporty Pontiac Firebird, Ford Mustang, the Chevrolet Corvette and the Mercury Cougar. And we could still carry the whole family around in the roomy Chevrolet Bonneville or the Pontiac Grand Prix.
On Christmas Eve, December 24, 1968, Apollo 8, the first manned spacecraft to orbit the moon. The crew, lead by Borman, activated a small hand-held TV camera and showed the world what the moon looked like from almost 70 miles above the surface.
Homes in 1968
In home fashion, the scene was set with wall-to-wall shag carpets, bright oranges sofas, apricot walls, and Tahitian green appliances.
According to Stephanie Granada, interim home editor of Woman's Day, there were "bold patterns and a fearless approach to color, as well as global motifs, lightweight furniture, and graphic black-and-white schemes."
The median price of homes in 1968 was $25,000, a far cry from the prices paid today. However, the median income, of course, was only about $7,200 compared to today's salaries.
Buying a Home
In 1968, there was no internet and no instant connection that we enjoy today. Moving across county may have even meant taking a chance on it being what we need as we packed up and traveled across the country, stopping at phone booths along the way.
So come back to the present. Download those favorite old tunes on your technology of choice. Peruse the homes you want to move to on up-to-date websites. While you're at it, look up the town, the schools and the neighborhood, take a virtual tour of a home, and find the Real Estate professional that specializes in your unique needs. Remember the past with pleasure but enjoy the endless options we have in Real Estate today!
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