By Ris Twigg
A photographic look at the socioeconomics of five neighborhoods within Columbus, Ohio.
iPHONE SELFIE AD
Finding outdoor public art in downtown Columbus can be difficult — and deceptive. What appears to be art from a distance is actually an ad promoting the latest iPhone’s camera quality.
ABANDONED BUILDING MURAL
A family. Trees. Birds. Music and dancing. An old abandoned building. Located on Cleveland Avenue.
MANDY MANGINI and CHARLIE THE GOLDEN RETRIEVER
“I’ve lived in Clintonville my whole life. It’s a very friendly community. It’s a very walkable community. That’s how we like it. We’re on the bus line, so we get downtown quickly. Our neighbors are wonderful, very helpful,” said Mandy Mangini as she brushed her golden retriever, Charlie, on a yoga mat outside her home.
“It’s diverse, a lot of diversity. My kids go to school at the top of the street. I feel like they’re in a safe neighborhood to walk around and explore without me having to hold their hand. It’s a friendly place and it’s diverse.”
Of the 3,122 residents in Mandy’s neighborhood, 2,962 are white, 73 are black, and zero are hispanic, according to 2016 Census Bureau data.
Franklinton Housing
To the left, a family home. To the right, a boarded-up, abandoned building. According to Real estate website, Zillow, the median property value of a home in Franklinton is $59,600. In 2010, there were approximately 815 vacant properties in the area.
Franklinton Economic Opportunity
The Gravity Project is a mixed-use development effort currently under construction on the corner of W. Broad Street and Anson Street. “A live + work + learn + impact community” space with over 50,000 square feet of “creative” office space. In the background lies the Columbus skyline.
The average income of residents in Franklinton is $21,602, and approximately 34% of residents are unemployed. The poverty rate (above: below poverty) fluctuates between 0:1 to 2:1.
North Linden Housing
The median value of a residential property in North Linden is $71,500. In 2010, there were at least 758 vacant properties in the neighborhood.
North Linden Economic Opportunity
The average income of a North Linden resident is $33,619.30, and approximately 12% of residents are unemployed. The poverty rate (above: below poverty)
K.G.
“It’s hard living downtown without a car, you know. There aren’t any grocery stores, and COTA doesn’t really take you anywhere. And nobody wants to carry armfuls of groceries onto the bus, it’s way too inconvenient.”
Disabled, without a car, and constantly relying on public transportation. I met K.G. at a bus stop in Linden on his way to purchase a pair of work boots. He said downtown is a nice place to live, but doesn’t have much to do and lacks a grocery store.
“I’m disabled, so I’m subsidized, but I still work when I can. My buddy owns a Mexican food truck and he calls me in to help sometimes. The extra money helps me put food on the table.”