Group 1

Neighborhoods Walkabout

9th and 9th

Ninth and Ninth is an intersection and neighborhood of community. The stores are riddled with public places and friendly environments where people can come and just talk. the people working at the stores - Tower Theater, Dolcetti Gelato, the coffee shop. The only store that you'd expect to have less of a friendly environment is Great Harvest, but they are just as friendly as they are at the other stores, always offering free bread samples and chatting with customers.

The street has tables to sit in front of the coffee shop, and benches all around various areas of the sidewalk. The whole thing is also artsy, giving it a very welcoming aura.

The intersection on ninth and ninth has a variety of things to do and places to go. Kinetic sculptures were added in 2007 created by Troy Pillow to all four corners. These are supposed to represent the Greek mythology Muses that make ninth and ninth a more poetic, knowledgeable, and cultural community.These were all really fun to look at, especially the ones that turned with the wind.

The buildings have some business feel, while others seem like houses turned into businesses. The tower theater brings history and tradition to the community with recurring showings of black and white films, and the Halloween tradition of Rocky Horror Picture Show where fans dress up and perform songs. And the feeling of local continues to nine boutiques and clothing stores featuring local artists and fashion designers.

Ninth and Ninth also holds meaning for the surrounding community. High school students from Judge Memorial and East High could always be found in the coffee shops after school was let out, sometimes around during free periods and lunch. There are always people exchanging pleasantries and running into people they know in the shops. As was mentioned, the neighborhood focuses highly on the local shops and stores (Starbucks used to be there but was replaced by a quaint gelato store). That's the real meaning of Ninth and Ninth, a place where people can come and be friendly, feel welcomed, be a part of a community, and support their local area.

Although when we went to go do our walkabout there was no street vendors, in the warmer months of the year there is a street fair located at 9th and 9th. We had gone to one of these at the beginning of the year, and it had been dominated my locals and other small businesses looking to sell usually handmade items. I feel that this street fair really captured what 9th and 9th is like all year. The shops along the street are also mostly locally owned. It is really a testament to the loyalty of the people that live in the area that shop in those stores and keep them going.

The street itself is really cute. The dominant color is purple, and lampposts line the street on both sides. On the corners there were sculptures up on posts. It is obvious the people who live in the area have spent a lot of time ad effort making their main street welcoming and attractive. It is clear this is a well-loved and well cared for area, and it was definitely one that we enjoyed going to.