Lexington Manor | Through the Interstices

Today’s walk required a short walk across New Circle Road on Winchester and the area immediately southwest of the interchange, which is one of the busiest interchanges in Lexington. The areas adjacent to the interchange are commercial and include a couple of self-storage facilities on James and a newer office building. Ashton and Forston make up a hidden residential neighborhood, very similar to the neighboring area I passed through on Day 23. The homes here are modest, generally 1940’s vintage though with some newer houses mixed in and some addition room for further infill. This is another neighborhood that isn’t self-conscious, and though this can sometimes result in some rough edges, this area exuded a sense of pride. There is probably a long list of housing qualities, objective and subjective, that you could measure–size and age to name a few. This area outperforms expectations for upkeep based on size, age, construction.

Looking east along Winchester toward New Circle Road interchange

Winchester and New Circle Road really isolate this area perceptually; from a car, it’s easy to pass without thinking of the side streets; on foot, crossing either Winchester or New Circle is an adventure. With the retail businesses on the north side of Winchester, it would be nice to see this stretch get some pedestrian improvements.

Today’s walk was though a little neighborhood just off Winchester and surrounded by Winchester Road and New Circle Road. I really expected an area of commercial property based on how this area appears from Winchester but was surprised to find that the entry street, Brown, quickly transitions to a residential street.

There are a mixture of housing styles and types, though frame houses dominate. Like the Golfview neighborhood, these appear to be mostly mid-century. Some of the original houses have evidently been torn down and lots combined, so some of these houses have some very neat, large yards. In some cases, remnants of the original homes are still visible. In general, it felt like residents here had an independent streak and value the fact that this neighborhood is hidden. My favorite moment came when I realize the “ding..dong” sound I heard was triggered by me walking past the last house on a dead end street and past a door sensor (such as you might see on a convenience store) nailed to a tree trunk.

The good: Some great lots, lots of character, mystery

The bad: Mysterious but also perhaps not entirely on the level.

Through the Interstices

Tag Archives: Lexington Manor

Day 69-Hemmed in

Day 23