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South Clintonville has always been one of my favorite places in the world. It's always held a special place in my heart. I've loved the architecture and the parks. How, quiet it can be once you get into the areas further away from high street.
One of my favorite things to do was to walk through the parks and ride my bike through the olentangy bike trail at night. There's just something about experiencing nature at night, while everything is quiet and still that offers a tranquility that I don't think you can get anywhere else.
One thing I liked about clintonville is how dark it was at night. I've always felt clintonville connected to nature better than anywhere else I've ever been. I always had a spiritual feeling when walking through como park, mostly at night. And I liked the kind of dark, mysterious feeling of the neighborhood.
I've only lived in clintonville for about 6 months now but visited it sometimes more than my own neighborhood when I didn't live here. Here's the problem. I moved to clintonville in the late fall and didn't really get to enjoy the neighborhood at all as I was working two jobs, one which was a night job and another day job.
So, really, tonight was the first time that I have really walked the neighborhood since I moved here and it's probably the saddest time that I've had walking through the neighborhood ever.
EVERYWHERE seems to be lit to the tee. I really first noticed it when walking through the section of the bikeway that faces the back of the condos at the back end of the olentangy village apartments. Every single one of those houses has very bright lights that shine down at the backyard section of the condos. This light spills into the bikeway and the small forest.
That was, now that I think about it, my favorite section to walk through. Now it feels like if there are spotlights shining down at me, saying "STAY AWAY" . I was kind of bummed about that and it kind of ruined my walk. I walked back to the exit of the park and started wondering if the rest of the neighborhood that I've loved but have neglected for maybe too long is like that, also.
I started noticing that everywhere did seem lit. It doesn't even look like the same neighborhood anymore. For a place that I always felt closest to nature was to feel so unnatural now is pretty heartbreaking.
I understand that there were a lot of break ins in the neighborhood last summer and it seems like they are trying to put more measures in place to deter crime, but in doing so they've completely changed the look of the area.
I guess all good things come to an end.
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