What Wasn't Lovely During the Vine Street Showcase this Year.

12th and Vine Streets, 12-12-2015 © B. Radisavljevic

As I took my preview walk on Vine Street Saturday afternoon, I couldn't help but notice that 12th Street is still under construction, being transformed into another 21st Street. It's not very pretty. I guess it's a good thing the darkness hid it a bit Saturday night. I rather doubt if anyone decorated the end of the street to cover it up,   but please correct me in the comments if I'm wrong. Maybe someone creative put a row of snowmen or Christmas trees in front of these signs and crime scene tape to hide this sight. I couldn't attend the event on Saturday night, so I don't know. This is the view of 12th and Vine looking south on Saturday afternoon. As you see, even the mail truck is having trouble getting where it needs to be.

Looking into the abyss at 12th and Vine © B. Radisavljevic 

This is the east side of 12th Street at Vine. You can get a great view of what is under the street surface, or what will be. This is a great place to bring your curious children so they can learn about how "green" streets are constructed.  If you need to know more about it to explain it to them and see for yourself what will happen to this street, the city explains its plan for 12th Street here. It appears that if you love 21st Street, you'll love the way 12th Street looks when it's finished. Perhaps you will think it's worth the over two million dollars it's costing taxpayers. The businesses probably won't love it as much, nor will the people trying to find a place to park to patronize them. It looks to me as though there won't be any more street parking. I hope I'm wrong.

Crime Scene or Beautification? © B. Radisavljevic

This is the west side of 112th Street at Vine. You'd think  they could have at least used red or green for those temporary barriers for road construction during the holiday season. (Of course my tongue is in my cheek.) This looks like a crime scene. Some folks think it is. Some folks think some simple resurfacing  would have  fixed the road and left the parking spaces.

What do you think?

If you want to know what's really happening behind the scenes that they are hoping you won't find out, get one or more of these books for the big picture. Today it's the streets. Find out what's coming after that.