Woodland Heights // Why I Love My Hood

It's no secret I dream of moving somewhere new someday. Although I love NYC, there are lots of beautiful places where I would be happy to live. Moving across the country and adjusting to a new way of life is something I want to experience at least once in my life, even if I end up moving back.

But we own a house here. And it's not selling. So we're here for a while. 

I'm not too upset. Every winter I get deeply depressed about feeling trapped in a location that forces me to drive in bad weather, and every spring, my Seasonal Affective Disorder calms down and I realize that this is a lovely place to live and I could do a lot worse. So here's a list of the things that make Woodland Heights a beautiful district and a fun place to live. Because it really is.

10. // Beautiful Buildings

Do you have a giant minty green wall in your neighborhood? It has its perks, like lots of photo ops.

9. // Historic Homes

Most of the homes in my neighborhood range from the late 1800s to the 1930s. Lots of homes have been restored and look amazing, but there are many more that just need some love, like the one below. 

8. // Mature Trees

Giant trees are the best. I'm happiest when I'm surrounded by trees that are at least one hundred years old.

7. // Friendly Cats

There are a ton of cats in my neighborhood. For me, that's an advantage to living here. Some are even really friendly, like this guy, who was wearing a collar that said his name was Louie.

6. // Brick Sidewalks

Some are in desperate need of repair, but some are in incredible shape. I happen to find neglected old brick to be irresistible.

5. // Commercial Street

I'm a little biased, but I really think C-Street is on the rise. We have Decades Boutique and other vintage stores, plus several art and design studios, The Savoy Ballroom, White River Brewery, Lindberg's, and a weekly farmer's market. There's a historic firehouse where we see bridal parties posing for photos nearly every weekend in the spring and summer. There are also lots of art walks and live music on C-Street, and our home is less than a minute's walking distance from all of it.  I took it for granted for years before I finally decided to go for a flippin' walk one day.

4. // History

If you don't love old stuff, you might not love living here. I like old stuff, so I would call this a plus.

3. // Lofts

I spotted the sign for the C-Street Loft Walk the day after it was over, but I'm on the lookout for another. Lofts on Commercial are cheaper than lofts downtown, and from what I can see from the street, they look gorgeous. Those windows alone are reason enough to move in.


2. // Coffee Close By

Rand and I have started a Sunday morning tradition of walking to this little place and drinking lattes outside while we ponder life. I love getting lattes that have the fancy heart-shaped foam pattern on the top. Oo-la-la!

1. // Nice People

Recently I had some friends comment that my neighborhood was scary or unsafe. Crimes happen here, just like they happen all over Springfield, but I never feel less safe in my neighborhood. In fact, I always feel pretty safe because there are always people around. It's true that most of the residents here are poorer than in other areas in Springfield, though not as bad off as some. But I kind of like that. There are fewer snobs here. No one ever complains if we don't keep our lawn perfect all the time.

Or if we go weeks without mowing. Not that we've ever done that (eye dart).

When it's warm, people here love to be outside. Maybe they just don't have air conditioning or cars, but there are always families on porches and children walking to and from the public pool and people on bikes and scooters. And did I mention we have a really talented garage band in our neighborhood?  I love going for walks around Woodland Heights with Rand, or just staying home, opening all the windows, and enjoying the live music. It's heavenly.


So you see what a nice place it is? You should buy my house. Just kidding. Well, not really. It is for sale. But it's for sale because we want to go far away and have adventures, not because there is a more perfect place for us somewhere else in southwest Missouri. I don't think there is.