Walkabout 2 – Federal Heights Neighborhood

It was a brisk fall evening, and our group got out of our cars to take in the grandeur that is Federal Heights. This walkabout was truly an area that needs to be walked about, because you really need to be able to take it in slowly, stop, and look at each amazing home in the area. We had a lot of fun, and it was quite the adventure! Federal Heights is a neighborhood that begins east of the Avenues, across Virginia Street, where it meets First South. While both of these areas are historic, Federal Heights is definitely where the higher – income residents live, and it is very evident that you need to have a lot of money or be part of a prominent family to live in Federal Heights. Many people did not greet us or even get out of their cars until we had moved on further up the street!! There was one woman who we talked to very first, and she was extremely nice and helpful. She told us where the most historic homes were, and which streets to go to. Her house, which was being remodeled, was built in the 20s, and was not really one of the fanciest or historic homes we visited, but she was nice enough to take our picture, and let us take pictures in front of her house.

For this walkabout, we were supposed to focus on architecture, and what styles we saw in our particular neighborhood. These homes, as I said, are very historic, so they had the elaborate architecture and decoration that is seen in homes that were built a long time ago. We saw a lot of colonial, which is a style that I absolutely adore, as well as more contemporary styles, ranch houses, Victorian revivals, and even a house that had some Spanish influence. There was even a house that had a palace-like turret built in, fit for a princess! Historic architecture is always fun to look at, and the more established neighborhoods of cities like ours are the best places to go to find it. One way we knew we were in an established neighborhood was the trees, simply because they were big and beautiful, and it was obvious that they had been growing in front of these houses for years and generations. This neighborhood and the houses can be used as landmarks; this could be especially true for the people who have lived there for years, and know every turn, and which houses are on them. Even for people who don’t live in Federal Heights, it is apparent that the history is important to the people who do. The residents show this by taking good care of their lawns, yards, and houses. They were all decorated for Halloween when our group went, and after going to Rose Park on another walkabout, the contrast is significant. While it was apparent that Rose Park is an established area, as well, there were a lot less decorations, and seemed to be unkempt and just not as nice and…cozy, you could say, as Federal Heights. It is a higher economic echelon, and you can feel that, especially in neighborhoods. It is great to be able to see so many places in the city, especially cool historic districts such as Federal Heights.