Putting on a Good Face

The older homes in Speedway have been undergoing 

a revival in recent years. When I moved here in the late

1970's, the town was nice, comfy and had good schools but

many of the houses looked dowdy in their faded, 

dull vinyl or aluminum siding and chipped paint. 

Slowly they began to change,as though 

someone discovered "good bones" beneath 

the ill-fitting wardrobes. The place has become 

brighter, and the houses are beginning to show bright

individuality, even with welcoming trees.  

Around the Neighborhood

After voting on Tuesday, I walked into the neighborhood to explore an area different to me, one where I don't recall having visited in the past. Technically, I don't think this street is a part of the Town of Speedway, 

being on the north side of  30th Street.

It was a pleasant day and a lot of people were out, 

mowing or raking their lawns, repairing their fences, 

using the leaf-blower to encourage the now brown detritus 

from the trees to navigate into paper bags. ... 

 Lots of large paper bags.

Mr. McCauley, seen here and in the top photo, was trying 

to repair the zipper on his lawn mower's leaf bag. When I'd first seen him I'd thought he was sitting in the sun, working on a needlepoint project.

I dunno, I guess it was the large piece of canvas in his lap

that made me think that.

About a half mile further along (and back in Speedway) 

I saw this home for sale. The information says that it has three bedrooms, two baths, a fenced in back yard with a hot tub. You get 1,623 square feet

of space with large front and back yards for just under $125,000.
An informal check of the prices in the area (obtained from sales flyers)
seems to indicate homes in this neighborhood sell for 
anywhere in the high $90's to $150,000.

The houses above are located about half a block from where I live. 
They were all built in the late 50's to early 60's. When the development was laid out, prospective buyers would meet with the builder to determine
the layout of their home; such things as what side of the house they wanted their main entrance and living room to be on, what the outside surface 
of the house would be - red brick, tan brick, limestone 
or a combination of the two. Some homes are split level, some have attached garages while others do not. 

Over the years, it's been interesting to see how the homes 
have evolved according to the personalities and changing needs of the homeowners. A lot of the homes have the same owners 
as when they were constructed  

The above home has also retained a lot of its initial look, 

with the possible addition of a two-car garage

The houses above and below reflect what seems to have been 
the basic footprint of most in the area, without the additions and personal touches shown by the other homes. The owner of the above home only 
uses the house during the race season, which gives it its lonely air.