Lately I’ve been asked a very interesting question by several people – “Why do you live where you do, in Woodland Heights, and more importantly on the north side?” I think it’s a great question, and one that has caused me to stop and really consider. Here’s what I’ve come up with: I’m an artist and a person that likes to repurpose; making old things new or transforming them into something new, different and unique. How’s that answer their question you might ask? Well let me elaborate.
I moved to Springfield in 2005, but honestly it was never my plan to stay permanently. However, through a series of events, which I won’t get into at this time, I ended up becoming a resident of Woodland Heights eight years ago and now call Springfield my home. Here’s a sampling of why I live here and what’s going on in my neighborhood:
- We’re a family that potlucks together, cleans up the streets, alleys, and yards and has a great partnership with Habitat for Humanity.
- We build award winning parade floats, have an ice cream social, Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas Caroling, and Dirt Day in Lafayette Park, thanks to sponsorship from the Parks Department.
- There is a community garden that’s ever expanding, thanks to the support of The Rotary Club of Springfield North.
- We enjoy a nighttime tennis program that has garnered national attention.
- Moon City Creative District, Moon City Jam, and Springfield’s largest public art display – the Moon City Paint a Pole stroll, thanks to our wonderful City Utilities.
Since I’ve lived here I’ve learned that some of my neighbors are second and third generation residents, and every now and then someone who used to live here comes back, stops me in my yard and tells me their fondest memories about this neighborhood. Bill Goodwin is one such character who comes to mind. His dad built the house two doors west of me. He hasn’t lived here since after the war (WWII), and, come to find out, he has extended family still living in that home. Or the young man who stopped one day to introduce me to his new wife and share with me that he has a first child on the way soon, and wanted to show his wife where he grew up; so they drove down to Springfield just for that occasion. You know what that that tells me? Is says that there was, is and always will be pride in this neighborhood.
Did you know that the longest spanning footbridge in America is right here in Springfield and joins Woodland Heights to Commercial Street, which has coffee, restaurants, bakeries, lodging, shopping, galleries, and night life? Yep, the bridge spans the BNSF rail yard, and for a kid who grew up with a granddad that spent his career in the business it’s heaven to live here. Between the railway, bridge and C-Street I cannot count the number of visitors and residents I’ve met – it’s a destination location in itself.
Ok, I could go on forever, but I’m gonna go back outside and finish putting the last bit of paint on my historic Queen Anne style home before the snow starts to fly and hope that someone stops me while I’m out there and asks, or tells me why this is a great place. You see over here at this end of our great city we say, you live in a house, but belong to a neighborhood and that’s why I live where I do.