Neighborhoods. Streetscapes. Where we live. Cities, even CoMo, are made up of neighborhoods, often with a streetscape, a way the area looks that’s uniform — or not.
These neighborhoods with their own streetscapes are the places where we live, it’s where you and I might actually know the people (and, for me, the dogs) who live there.
And each one is unique. What neighborhood in CoMo do you think has its own look, a unique or unusual look? Does your neighborhood feel cohesive? Quirky without common features? Or even cookie cutter with reassuring similarities? Share comments or photos below.
Here’s a link to a post on the blog B.E.L.T. about an area that has a quirky, yet delightful streetscape. B.E.L.T. stands for Built Environment in Layman’s Terms and it highlights what’s called Mid-Century Modern, MCM, buildings built from 1940-1970.
The article highlights the Berkeley, Missouri’s Frostwood Subdivision, a North County St. Louis neighborhood made up of Mid-Century Modern homes.
The subdivision, built between 1952 and 1956, has a quirky streetscape. The homes don’t all have a single set-back or orientation, so some of the houses look directly onto streets and some are sited on a slight tilt to the street, giving each home its own view of the area.
Definitely not a cookie-cutter subdivision!
Is there a CoMo version of this kind of subdivision?
The subdivision I live in is the new Southwest, just west of West Boulevard, including Sunset Drive, Crestland, Francis Drive and the saints — St. Christopher, St. Michaels and St. Andrew. It feels like its own community within Columbia. I know if I go for a walk, I might see Ginger, Loki or Guinness and their owners. (Yes, I’m a hard-core dog owner.)
The homes are mainly one level — or look like one level. Many have a walk-out ranch layout like mine with a full basement used as living space, but you can’t see from the front that the lower level even exists.
As our neighborhood has aged, it was developed in the 1950s and 1960s, houses have changed the way they look. One house was recently rehabbed and now sports a front porch with room enough to gather outside under the new small porch roof. We also have in our neighborhood one of the very few houses I’ve ever seen painted all black. I always wonder if the house color affects their cooling bills in the summer.
Of course, some changes involve landscaping. A new shade tree gives a house a settled look. A fresh front door color highlights the 50s look of our long, low Mid-Century Modern homes.
But whatever the landscaping or home improvements, our streetscape stays basically the same, a look that tells me I’m home in my own neighborhood.
What are your favorite neighborhoods in CoMo? What kinds of different streetscapes have you noticed in Columbia? Leave comments or photos in the comment section!