This walk took me to the Meadowthorpe neighborhood, the first planned neighborhood in Lexington. This area is historic and it appears well cared for even though homes in the area I walked through this time are modest. I feel that most 1950’s neighborhoods reflect the optimism of the period in which they were built, but it’s underneath a veneer of despair. This neighborhood is different. It still reflects that older 1950’s optimism, but it has retained or modified its optimism. It doesn’t feel dated, as its cohorts do, but instead feels as if it’s adapted its optimism to changing times.
Monthly Archives: November 2015
Day 122-A winning formula?
This route took me to an area south of Lansdowne-Merrick park, around and along Tates Creek Road. In contrast to the area north of the park, homes here are multifamily, duplexes and condos. This area is also home to some businesses including the Lansdowne Shoppes. This seems like a good formula to me, similar to the Alexandria drive area. I need to remember to pass through here on a pleasant weekend day to see if it has a similar vibe.
Day 121-Behind the Arboretum
This route went through the Shadeland neighborhood, next to the Arboretum on the Tate’s Creek side. This area was dominated by sprawling ranch homes with large lots. Only the portion of this route along Bellefonte has sidewalks, providing a nice contrast between the two areas. Sidewalks don’t necessarily create a sense of safety here as they might along busier streets, but they do alter the relationship of houses and yards to the street. This neighborhood connects directly to the Arboretum and I’ve been anxious to walk through these areas. What must it be like to have the Arboretum in your backyard? Some green thumbs are in evidence. One of my favorite yards included the orange shrub pictured here.
Day 120-Parkways and Driveways
This route ran around the Ashland Park neighborhood and Woodland Park area, mostly covering Main and Central. The streets here were surprisingly wide for an area that predates car dominance. In some instances, streets had wide parkway areas, a common theme here and in nearby areas (see Mentelle Park, for example). It’s hard to tell whether these areas are generally significant from a public space perspective though the area enclosed by Desha and Fincastle streets has a tire swing and a bench.
Day 119-Keep Cool
Today’s walk was in Kenwick, not far from yesterday’s route in the Fairway neighborhood. Heavy rain dampened the leaves and made for a very different walk despite the still-pleasant weather. Handmade signs asking drivers to slow down are common in front of houses here. There are no tree lawns and yards generally feel a little less grand. Mentelle Park offers some common space, the only such space on this route.