The next couple of weeks, I am going to be focusing on the Hamilton Heights neighborhood, tucked up against the western border of the city with MLK on the north, Page on the south, and Union on the east. In my simplified neighborhood system, I have grouped the neighborhood with the West End, the large neighborhood to the south. But regardless, those blocks sandwiched between those two grand boulevards reveal some interesting finds. Largely built in the Twentieth Century (the Compton and Dry doesn’t even show the majority of the neighborhood in its boundaries), this neighborhood is startling in its abandonment and tenacity. I met some interesting people on the streets of this area, and many of them have lived here for decades. First up, I will show my view as we walked west up Wells Avenue. Beauty, decay, redevelopment–all unfolded in front of us. Architecture in the early decades had been become eclectic, playful, melding different styles together so that no one dominant style shows through, but rather the buildings represent a melting pot of ideas from past centuries.
Vacant lots allow the streetscape up side streets to unfold as one walks Wells Avenue.
That second floor porch isn’t brick, but wood with brick shingles. It’s coming down soon.
