Mayberry's downtown is too large

[Nedrta]

I thought they said that Mayberry has under 2,000 people. That dowmtown area looks like it's big enough for a population of 20,000 or more. It was the Culver City backlot and it was used on other Desilu shows and The Adventures of Superman (as the city of Metropolis). It really was too big for a small town of that population.

[sweetsuga]

Hehe! Yeah, Mt. Airy aka Mayberry's population NOW is about 8000, then it was less! I live 10 min. from Mt. Airy, in Pilot Mtn. aka Mt. Pilot, as referred to on TAGS!

I attached a pic of The Knob, in Mt. Pilot!

[sweetsuga]

Correction: 1998 Estimates of Mt. Airy: 8550!

[Barnabas1]

It was a tad large.....

[Will Dockery]

Originally Posted by Barnabas1

It was a tad large.....

The way they filmed the 40 Across lot, Mayberry wasn't really that big, as shown.

The shots of the hotel carefully cropped the upper floors from view, town square was about all there was, in a couple of blocks either way, you're already on the edge of town or in the country, only two residential streets are ever seen, the street where the Taylors lived, and Thelma Lou's street.

There was only one barber shop, one small grocery store, a two man police force, Wally's service station, although clearly on the edge of town, is within easy walking distance from both behind Andy's house (Opie is seen racing the little girl there from his front yard) and the Courthouse (Gomer or Goober walked it several times).

Maybe a tad big but not extremely so, if looked at from the right angles.

[Will Dockery]

Originally Posted by sweetsuga

Hehe! Yeah, Mt. Airy aka Mayberry's population NOW is about 8000, then it was less! I live 10 min. from Mt. Airy, in Pilot Mtn. aka Mt. Pilot, as referred to on TAGS!

I attached a pic of The Knob, in Mt. Pilot!

Interesting, about 11 or 12 miles away?

Must be cool to visit Mayberry so easily.

[SarahBellum]

Originally Posted by Nedrta

I thought they said that Mayberry has under 2,000 people. That downtown area looks like it's big enough for a population of 20,000 or more.

In one episode, it was stated the population was 2,000, but in another episode, it was 5,000. Either way, that's not very much and downtown Mayberry did seem to have too many buildings for its size.

[SarahBellum]

Originally Posted by Will Dockery

There was only one barber shop, one small grocery store, a two man police force, Wally's service station, although clearly on the edge of town, is within easy walking distance from both behind Andy's house (Opie is seen racing the little girl there from his front yard) and the Courthouse (Gomer or Goober walked it several times).

And apparently only one doctor who goes out-of-town when a pregnant woman is about to give birth.

[Will Dockery]

Originally Posted by SarahBellum

In one episode, it was stated the population was 2,000, but in another episode, it was 5,000. Either way, that's not very much and downtown Mayberry did seem to have too many buildings for its size.

True, I've never been to Mount Airy, and I wonder how it compares in size to Mayberry, I imagine them as sort of being alternate universe versions of the same place, or as the young folks call it, part of the "Multiverse."

[Will Dockery]

Originally Posted by SarahBellum

And apparently only one doctor who goes out-of-town when a pregnant woman is about to give birth.

Of course later William Christopher played the young doctor nobody trusted until he removed Opie's tonsils.

[TMC]

Andy Griffith's Mayberry: How a backlot came to life

Behind-the-scenes of TV's most iconic small town.

[Will Dockery]

Originally Posted by TMC

Andy Griffith's Mayberry: How a backlot came to life

Behind-the-scenes of TV's most iconic small town.

Again, interesting.

[vitoscotti]

One Mayberry inconsistency I enjoy is the Taylors drive to church. But, shown in non going to church episodes (and MRFD) the Taylor home and church are right across the street from each other. In the church episodes the two buildings are I assume intentionally not in view together.