Residents and visitors alike love Newburyport for its history and quaintness, said Bruce Vogel, a city councilor at large and the proprietor of two independent coffee shops, Plum Island Coffee Roasters and Caffe di Siena, where locals meet to work, relax, and, of course, talk about the city.

One hot topic of conversation has been developer Stephen Karp’s plans to build high-end condominiums and a hotel along the area known as Waterfront West, an expansive boatyard between two restaurants.

After falling into decline in the 1950s and ’60s, Newburyport has become a model of preservation for the city’s revitalized downtown, which retains its classic architectural heritage while accommodating a lively array of restaurants and small businesses. The city takes pride in its history, having been home to journalist and abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison.

Vogel was born and raised in Burbank, Calif., but fell in love with Newburyport when he and his late wife moved here in 1992, when both were working as flight attendants for TWA out of Logan Airport. He first became civically engaged when he joined the Youth Commission, which was created to address the needs of the city’s school-age population. When the MBTA’s commuter rail line was reinstated in Newburyport in 1998, the value of his home doubled overnight, he says.

“There’s a tremendous amount of pride in this city,’’ he says. “Beautiful river, beautiful architecture. We saved the city from being bulldozed.’’

James Sullivan can be reached at jamesgsullivan@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @sullivanjames.