I know this is not quite the same, because I live within the same little towns that I was born and raised in, but not near the neighborhoods I actually lived. On rare occasion I will ride back through those areas, look at all the changes and all the things that are still basically the same as it was when I grew up there. It is a beautiful feeling and seeing it brings back so many memories of my childhood, so close and easily remembered in my mind, but so far away in years.
Glad you chose to go and that it turned out to be a good day.
It's the memories that mean the most I guess. As I drove to places I went as a kid today it brought them flooding back and it brought with it that happy feeling of good times. You get it as you describe the same thing above.