Even without a “why,” one has hopes of what might happen on a wander.
I might experience something new. I might meet someone fascinating. I did.
I might find reason to smile, laugh, make someone else smile. All those happened as well.
Hungry at the outset, I wandered into Morsel and Nosh, where the friendly folks greeted me with an inviting menu of unique sandwiches. Knowing I’d need to come back to try them all, I settled on the Chicken Pesto Panini. It didn’t disappoint. Neither did the unique Ginger Espresso beverage at Sidewinder Coffee next door.
Like so many of the small businesses in Northside, there’s a cooperative spirit that makes it feel totally normal to bring take-out from one place to another to enjoy in the shared outdoor area behind the shops. Conversations with strangers come easily there.
I found that same spirit throughout the afternoon.
I met some young artists hanging fliers for an upcoming show.
We played a quick game that I often carry with me — more on that in a future post.
When I passed a shop that intrigued me, I went in.
There’s a combination bike repair shop and art gallery called Spun.
The name is apt — the owner spun some tales about his art and his passion for bicycles.
And nearly an hour after wandering into Anybody’s Dream convenience store, I emerged with a new friend. Reginald Stroud owns a store that still sells penny candy. (It costs two cents now, but still!)
His story is rich. At sixty-plus, he still teaches martial arts, though his own mobility is a bit limited.
His story echoes the other side of gentrification — the kind that both improves and threatens neighborhoods.
In 2014, he was ousted from his storefront in Over-the-Rhine to make way for new development.
Now, as Northside becomes another attractive area for redevelopment, he and others wonder:
Will there still be affordable spaces for us?
Plenty to wonder about on this wander through Northside.