A walk in the park...

Maggie and I picked Dan up for lunch today to enjoy a nice stroll and picnic lunch in the park. We are trying to get a real feel for the neighborhood of the Dennison Place house. The Clintonville house on Northridge is a known quantity. We picked Dan up, went through the drive through and then headed over to the house. The house is extremely close to Dan's work and that's hard to argue with. As we were pulling up, Dan noticed a neighbor working in her yard and he asked if he could go talk to her and get a feel while I got Maggie into the stroller. Good Idea! He went over and struck up a conversation. I piled our gear into the stroller and then headed over to join them. Marjorie, as we learned, runs the bed and breakfast that sit just about across the street from the house. She and her husband have lived there for 28 years. She loves the neighborhood and takes pride in it. And she runs the bed and breakfast that caters to doctors, lawyers, and other professional that may need accommodations close to downtown. She noted that she has seen an increase in single family homes being converted back to such from duplexes and triplexes. The renters that still are in the area tend to be professionals. There used to be a large student population, but not anymore. There is much more affordable and convenient housing closer to campus. We thanked her for her time and strolled off toward the park. The park was mostly deserted during lunch hour on a Thursday, but it was nice to see some strollers go by, as we ate. Also, the park was pretty decent and had baby swings...a definite plus. We walked into the Thompson Park Rec Center to check things out and it seemed like your average neighborhood rec center, but definitely nice enough for $1 per year membership fee. There is also an aquatic center in the same block, nearly attached to the rec center. They have a big indoor pool, diving pool, and baby pool. They offer swim lessons and have open swim times throughout fall, winter, and spring. It was pretty nice and a BIG plus for the area. As we walked there were people working in their yards and most all said hello. The houses were nice and I enjoyed looking at the interesting architecture. It reminded Dan and me both of some of the houses you will find in Annapolis, MD. We loved looking around at the interesting architecture when we lived there. The houses were all so old! One thing that Marjorie mentioned when we spoke is that the neighbors in Dennison Place may not know each other's names, but they make a point of saying hello and that makes people feel welcome. She mentioned when she lived in Upper Arlington, people got in their cars before the got out of the garage and nobody took the time or made the effort to say hello. It was a very anonymous neighborhood. All of this makes me lean even more toward Dennison Place. Now, I wonder where Dan's head is at? And feel free to make the obvious joke here...I am laughing as I write this :) !!


In case you're curious, the bed and breakfast is located at 78 Smith Pl, Columbus, OH 43201. I have found it listed as either Jones & Jones or Victorian Bed and Breakfast. The lodging price that I found listed was $75/night. Call (614) 299-1656 to make a reservation. Here is a picture: