Today, I went to the Short North for a day of studying and running some errands. I get out of class before 3 PM on Tuesdays and took a “2” on the COTA to run a few errands and go to the grocery, Kroger, to pick up snacks for my dorm and my favorite comfort food, potato soup. A dollar tree is situated right across from this Kroger and homeless/poor people are often outside that particular store and also in the surrounding blocks, which is important to note because there still is a large population of people in poverty, so close to the bustle of the city. For the next two hours, I spent my time in a small coffee shop called Impero and watched the customers as they came in and out and interacted with each other.
What is so interesting about the area in the Short North is that it is a very liberal, generally young, part of town that has a thriving LGBTQ community. This part of town is also very dog-friendly, so now of my favorite parts about visiting is seeing all sorts of dogs, big and small, for the couple hours that I am there. Another thing that is noticeable is the fact that everyone in the area is very friendly and familiar with each other. About half of the people that came into the coffee shop knew the one barista working and had lively conversations about their days and their lives. Looking out the window, I could see many people, usually the dog walkers, that were familiar with each other. By the dress of the people that seem to be living in the area, it is obvious that this neighborhood is full of people with a decent amount of money. They mostly dress well and in a modern, “hipster”-dress.