10 August 2009

Coming Home

Driving into the greater Cincinnati area from the south is pretty impressive. I had driven over 1,000 miles, but hadn't seen a "big" city for over 10 days. As we begin to enter the region we notice how much energy is here. It builds, starting at the I-74/I-75 split. And there is tons of illuminated signage, lots of shopping and activity. Upon returning my first thoughts are that our center city does not reflect the size of the whole. The impact is too spread-out.

But since I-75 comes right down out of Kentucky into the heart of the city, the visual impact of driving through Cincinnati is quite impressive. All the tall buildings and lights in a tight valley make for a beautiful sight. And as I'm thinking how nice it is to come home, my 8 year old son has to ruin it all and say: "I always forget how junky Cincinnati is." He is anticipating the return to OTR. And sure enough, we exit onto Fifth Street we turn left at the Convention Center, and each block further north, the street gets darker and more vacant. Even Music Hall was dark this night.

1 comment:

Jim Uber said...

hmm. I grew up in prototypical post-WWII suburban development, bought my first home in a rural Exurb near Huntsville, AL, from there to Mt. Lookout, then to West side of downtown, then to Prospect Hill, then to OTR. I've been spiraling in toward the center, and I think enjoying the differences from where I started.

I wonder what your son will end up thinking, growing up in OTR, when he is my age?