Changing neighborhoods
There are some good posts around today about changes in a few Columbus neighborhoods. First, in the Dispatch, a story about the Brewery District calming down after the heady 90’s:
The Brewery District is growing up.
A decade ago, the tiny neighborhood south of I-70, between the Scioto River and German Village, was the homecoming queen of the young singles scene.
But the spotlight has moved elsewhere, and residents say they’re happy to have a quieter neighborhood of familiar, friendly faces. Now, people take their dogs to bars and softball games, and poker nights have replaced ladies’ nights.
A once-hot condominium market has cooled to the point that homes remain unsold for more than six months.
The downtown market is similarly not red-hot, according to Columbus realtor blogger Joe Peffer (via Columbus Underground):
Downtown Condos aren’t flying off the shelf like much of the mainstream media seem to have portrayed, but they are slowly selling. What’s currently active on the market? About 141 properties representing just over 50 Million in list price, not even counting the FSB builders like North Bank.
I’m always surprised at the perception of who is buying downtown vs. the reality. It’s not all young professionals like many assume. There are far more empty nesters than most people think. Much of that is a result of the high costs of buying downtown. Affordable means something different to everyone but, for the most part, the youngsters are finding the affordable too small. Maybe they aren’t buying the whole, “Downtown is my back yard†mentality.
Moving out to the ‘burbs, ThisWeek has an outstanding story on the history of Canal Winchester and Pickerington:
Back then, in 1958, little differentiated the community from the homesteaders who settled in the northwest corner of Fairfield County a century and a half earlier, according to Gary Taylor, president of the Violet Township Historical Society.
As modern residents denote neighborhoods by the name of the subdivision, Taylor said in his youth, he could walk along the dirt roads and point out each farm by the name of the family.
It’s the first of three parts. I’ll be sure to check up on the next installments.
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