On Construction: Pros and Cons
Charles Village is a forest of construction sites right now. It started way back in 2004[1] on the corner across from where I used to live. Now, 2 huge 11-story complexes with a bridge between them fill that space. Meanwhile, the block of rowhouses behind my old place have been flattened and the old frat houses are about to go. The garages are gone too. Across the street from there, a condominium is almost finished where once were more row houses. The entire sidewalk for 3 blocks is ripped up. Coming to St. Paul St. from 33rd, one has to swerve numerous times to stay in the meneuvered lanes.
Anyhow, walking back and forth from my current home (before it was my current home) and my old home, I used to ponder construction. In one sense (men) it is very sad. All these rowhouses now destroyed, no evidence of their existence to remain behind. While falling apart and run down before their destruction, these places used to be people's homes. I am guessing that they were very nice homes when they were built, a nice archetectual addition to Charles Village at the time at a very convenient location to Homewood campus. I almost wish that the places were all renovated and repaired to look as they once had looked -- restoration of the once good instead of replacement, repair of the now bad instead of removal.
Yet on the other hand (de), it is good to see these rat infested, vine covered, broken-windowed, clashing-painted shacks go. In a few months, there will be clean and modern brick-faced complexes, repaved sidewalks, clean glass, newly planted trees and bushes. There will be no more obnoxious noise from drunk frat boys, far fewer rats chasing cats down the alley, no more stepping on other customers' toes due to overcrowding in mmeguilotn's favorite mini-mart, no more tripping on the gaping potholes in the sidewalks, and... *drum roll* ...parking.
Still, the desire for new and the nostalgia for old still conflict....
Anyhow, walking back and forth from my current home (before it was my current home) and my old home, I used to ponder construction. In one sense (men) it is very sad. All these rowhouses now destroyed, no evidence of their existence to remain behind. While falling apart and run down before their destruction, these places used to be people's homes. I am guessing that they were very nice homes when they were built, a nice archetectual addition to Charles Village at the time at a very convenient location to Homewood campus. I almost wish that the places were all renovated and repaired to look as they once had looked -- restoration of the once good instead of replacement, repair of the now bad instead of removal.
Yet on the other hand (de), it is good to see these rat infested, vine covered, broken-windowed, clashing-painted shacks go. In a few months, there will be clean and modern brick-faced complexes, repaved sidewalks, clean glass, newly planted trees and bushes. There will be no more obnoxious noise from drunk frat boys, far fewer rats chasing cats down the alley, no more stepping on other customers' toes due to overcrowding in mmeguilotn's favorite mini-mart, no more tripping on the gaping potholes in the sidewalks, and... *drum roll* ...parking.
Still, the desire for new and the nostalgia for old still conflict....