I admit I'm fifty fifty for that reason exactly. I technically shouldn't be watching the show outside of online clips. And the kids watching the show will either be just old enough to realize something's different or just starting to watch the show, so everything's new to them. The show really has like a couple years turn around, and the only ones who really would care about change are too old to be the demo, unless they're parents watching with kids. And if I want to be a complete butt and point out all our ages, these are parents that (and feel free to stop reading if you don't want to go into an age funk) grew up with Elmo's World in the series. (okay, see, my birthday's in a few days and I'm going through some really emotional stuff about it, to say the least the realization of the age I'm getting has driven me almost mad, so this is pretty much me freaking out and venting, not trying to be a jerk or anything).
Anyway, It's natural for a street to change over time. And to Sesame's credit, they have emulated what happens to an innercity street to a freaking T! I grew up in a weird not quite suburb, not quite urban area (a subsuburb?!) I mean, you could walk to places, but it wasn't a big Boston/New York like city. Like there were buildings that only got as big as 3 floors maybe 4. It was never a gritty, dirty place, but years and years after I moved Yuppies flooded it and the rent went the heck up. And yes... cupcake freaking shops! Little artisan stupid places that Yuppies hang out. I'd like to think that everyone on Sesame Street is doing well enough to still live there, and that Hoopers would sell cupcakes if it wasn't for the preapproved healthy snack food movement (Cookie Monster got grandfathered in at least). I'm sure getting rid of the doors (again, real life subtext) would make those property values jump up even more. The street got much cleaner after time, as most streets get. I'm more annoyed with the constant Yoga based inserts.