I Drove Down A Street Past An Apartment Complex I Used to Live At & Then Continued Past The Dorm Area At The University, Stadium & Some Academic

Buildings on the edge of the campus. I hadn’t driven all the way down that street for many years, at least 8-10 years. I felt like Rip Van Winkle and that I had just woke up from a long sleep. I realize that so much has changed, about half or more of the apartments have been torn down and new additions to the girl’s softball stadium and the football stadium, huge new dorms replacing some of the oldest ones, and the academic buildings have been built on almost to the sidewalks where they used to have a lot of green space. Made me feel disoriented as I was driving to see so many changes all at the same time. I know things change and got the feeling what if I don’t return for 20 years how much would be different.

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Heartlander · 80-89, M

For me, It's like I have to emotionally brace myself when I drive through old neighborhoods where I once lived :)

After just 10 or 12 years, even if you want to, there's no going home again :(

cherokeepatti · 61-69, F

@Heartlander they tore the apartment buildings down on one side completely, over 100 units, and at least half of the other apartments, probably 100 more. The park in the middle of those two doesn’t look the same either. That threw me off because I lived there a decade.

Heartlander · 80-89, M

@cherokeepatti We lived in Columbus, Ohio in the late 60's. Just 10 years later I was passing through and thought I'd drive through the old neighborhood. I couldn't find that old neighborhood by just diving the old streets I was familiar with so stopped at a convenience store to get a map and discovered that the old neighborhood had been bull-dozed and replaced by a major interstate highway exchange.

cherokeepatti · 61-69, F

@Heartlander they want to put a toll road through the area about 4 miles north of here and residents are having fits because of it. Every time I drive through different green areas around here I see new developments and bulldozing of woodlands, pastures and other green areas.

Heartlander · 80-89, M

@cherokeepatti We are going through something similar. A big golf club sold to a developer who replaced the golf course with a village. Thankfully they left 4 or 5 acres for a public park. A win-win considering the village is now just across the street from practically a private park.

Now, the next door city is doing the same thing. Likewise controversial with rezoning, etc. passing with just a 3 to 2 commission vote.

Huge, village like apartment complexes have popped up all over the area, at least a dozen over the last 10 years.

cherokeepatti · 61-69, F

@Heartlander Seems like everything is for the wealthy or upper middle class. Sure feel for the people who are struggling and trying to pay rent, many working 2 jobs and not much change left at the end of month either.