Neighborhoods: Franklin Quest

Group 4

by Krystal Villanueva and Audrey Bradshaw

Whenever our group begins our walkabouts, some kind of adventure is always expected. We never know what we are in for. Just like the previous adventurous walkabouts, this one did not fail our expectations.

Franklin Quest Field probably isn’t the first place one would visit upon first coming to Salt Lake City. Located off of 13th South and West Temple, an uneasy feeling enters the pit of your stomach the moment you step off the Trax. In a first attempt in finding Franklin Quest Field, we passed the Spring Mobile Ballpark, home to the Salt Lake City Bees. Recognizing this area as a rather tattered part of town, we came to the conclusion that it would make sense to have a type of landmark in this area, in hopes that it could bring some sort of revival. Continuing about four blocks down 13th, we realized we weren’t going in the right direction, which tends to be typical of us on every walkabout we go on. Retracing our steps, we noticed a different type of demographic compared to the heart of downtown Salt Lake City. Having numerous cars honk and yell at us and walking a few steps behind a man who had a rather colorful language, a change in demography wasn’t hard to notice. It wasn’t long after that we were approached by two different men, within five minutes of each other, asking us for money because they were a few cents short of a taco. Th

ere weren’t any places even remotely close that served tacos.

Finally approaching Franklin Quest Field, the pit of our stomachs grew deeper. Though the streets were wide and we could hear the voices of children playing not too far down from us, the houses surrounding seemed uninviting. Unkept yards, dark color schemes on the houses, and a basketball hoop with a backboard that had broken glass gave us the hint that we should probably make our way home, especially considering how dark it was getting. As we continued around the block, finding our way out, we noticed the variety of houses. Some were bungalow style and others were Victorian. Or at least an attempt at Victorian with intricate architecture. The creativity of each house seemed to have a purpose of attempting to bring lively character to the run down and uninviting neighborhood. At the end of the street we came across an apartment building that looked well kept and possibly new within the last few years. However, seeing a Public Safety Car drive by only made us make our way out faster.

Finally getting on the Trax and out of the bitter, cold weather, a sense of relief came upon us as we were finally heading home. Though Franklin Quest Field is a short drive from the heart of Salt Lake City, the atmosphere easily changes within a few minutes. Everything from the surrounding businesses to the

rough neighborhood and even the different crowd of people all contribute to the environment of the Franklin Quest Field neighborhood.