Sunday, September 13, 2015

Buckeye Affluence

One of the things I like about exploring new places is being able to see homes in different neighborhoods around the country. And seeing neighborhoods with beautiful homes is at the top of my list. I love to drive (or bike) through a neighborhood that has me saying, "Look at that one!" to Ed as we pass house after house.

Upper Arlington, Ohio is one of those neighborhoods and houses like the one above dot the Historic District.  UA, as it's affectionately called, is on the National Register of Historic Places. Maps of the historic parts of Upper Arlington can be found on the UA Archives website.

It's an absolutely gorgeous neighborhood, with tree-lined streets, a few tiny parks throughout, and a private country club. The home styles were fairly similar, some in red brick, some Tudor style, but the majority seemed to feature the light-colored stone like the house in the photo. I wasn't sure what kind of stone it was and why it was so abundantly used, but after doing some research I found that the Marble Cliff Quarry was headquartered in Upper Arlington, and was the largest limestone quarry in the United States from the time it opened in the mid-19th century to it's closure in 1985. That explained the limestone homes.

The other thing I learned about Upper Arlington is that the developers included restrictive covenants preventing African-Americans and Jews from purchasing homes there, although the Wikipedia page states that the community now has representation from several nationalities. From the kids I saw playing in the streets, to the guy mowing his lawn - in a pink gingham long-sleeved button down, walking shorts, and loafers - who looked like a Ralph Lauren ad, to the 20-something I saw jogging, it doesn't seem as if it's transformed into a very diverse neighborhood. It still looked pretty white to me, and I've driven through it every day for the last three days.

That unpleasant little historical fact aside, it's truly a beautiful area. The Bush family even had ties to the area. The more we drove around, the more I felt like I was back in New York, in Westchester County or Coastal Long Island. Or even some of the gorgeous towns in Fairfield County, Connecticut (New Canaan, Darien, Westport, Greenwich). Central Ohio doesn't have a coastline like some of those areas do, but they certainly have the sprawling houses, lush lawns, and healthy green foliage.



~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2014: Snaking Through Idaho

2013: Fun Funky Freaky Friday The 13th
2012: Scooting Around Town
2011: Eureka! Sand For The Golden State
2010: Eddie Lounging In Black And White
2009: Not Quick Enough For A Sunset
2008: We’ve Got Onions, Cream Cheese, And Choppers!
2007: Just Steps Away From The River
2006: The Anything But Itty Bitty Co-Op City
2005: What The Hell Are You Looking At? 

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