Make Mine a "Kinky Twist," Please

I biked out to Easton today to do an on camera interview with Amanda, an OSU grad student, who is making a documentary to promote active transportation as a solution to the obesity epidemic ravaging America, especially the south where she's from.

I biked straight out Morse Road which is one of the few roads in Columbus with a bike lane--this is very helpful because there is lots of traffic averaging 45+ mph. The bike lane was clear most of the way but I did encounter debris and thought for sure I was going to flat when I ran over a broken beer bottle.

 
I'm in favor of bike lanes, but they have to be kept clean or cyclists will avoid them.

There's parking for thousands of cars at Chase's Easton offices, but not a single bike rack, so I tied up to a light post.

 

There was a steady stream of cars with couples in them, pulling up to the drop-off area to let one of the people out to go to work. It reminded me of parents dropping their kids off at school--at least they're carpooling!

 

After my interview, I headed downtown to my office via Cleveland Avenue. I really enjoy biking  through Linden and some of the other historic city neighborhoods--they're so..........real. The diversity of the architecture and the residents is a stark contrast to Easton and New Albany.

There are sights that are sobering and sad.

 

 
I envision young children walking by these storefronts and wondering why these buildings are vacant and have bars on them.

Most of the advertising features exclusively African American models and advertises things I've never heard of, like the "Kinky Twist."

 
 

Bill Dawson and my other friends at the Franklin Park Conservatory are active in our center city communities, working with folks in the neighborhood to create and maintain beautiful community gardens on vacant lots, like this one right on Cleveland Ave in the heart of Linden.

 
 
Way to go, Bill! (Please tell your volunteers I love what they're doing here!)

It appears that God is alive and well along Cleveland Ave, with churches and neighborhood ministries on almost every block. 

 
This also indicates that there is much pain and need for God's grace here.

 

The Columbus Commons opens today--looks like they're getting ready to party!

 

These are the things I saw and thought about on my way to work this morning--I feel pretty lucky.

Comments

[Bill]

Thanks Doug! I did pass this on to Kwodwo Ababio at the New Harvest cafe and is working diligently to make Linden great again, puting the neighbor back in the hood!

[Kwodwo Ababio]

Hi Doug,

My name is Kwodwo Ababio and the owner and founder of New Harvest Urban Arts Center. We have been operating in the Linden Community for over 8 years started "Ama Vera's Garden" in 2003. "We build gardens without fences and lives without barriers". Bill has supported our efforts in changing the community "One Block at a time"

[תאורת לד]

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