Picture the "Whaling City" in the days of Melville's Moby Dick: busy streets lined with shops and counting houses; docks bursting with the activities of whalers. New Bedford is the setting and Not Just Anywhere is the triumphant story of the preservation of this rich slice of New England history.

Not Just Anywhere is the story of an intrepid group of people who took on the task of preserving a valuable part of American history and brought New Bedford, Massachusetts - the "Whaling City" - back from the brink of decay and destruction.

Fascinating reading for anyone interested in historic preservation, architecture, urban studies, or regional history, Not Just Anywhere looks at one of the most challenging restoration projects ever attempted in New England--the creation of a living, working museum in the city streets. Readers will learn how individuals and an organization called WHALE banded together during the onslaught of urban renewal and inner city demolition to stop the bulldozers and preserve a city's unique architectural identity and history.