Franklinton, sometimes known as "the Bottoms", is the neighborhood immediately west of downtown. It gets its colorful nickname because much of the land lies below the level of the Scioto and Olentangy rivers, and a floodwall is required to contain the rivers and protect the area from devastating floods. The fertile, low-lying bottom land was ideal for farming, with the river serving as a direct connection to the Ohio River and beyond. (Just to the west of Franklinton is a group of smaller neighborhoods commonly referred to as "The Hilltop.") More recently, "the Bottoms" has been applied to describe the low socioeconomic status and comparatively high crime rate of the area.
In an effort to convey a more accurate description of the historical Columbus neighborhood of Franklinton it is necessary to add the following facts as stated by the Franklinton Area Commission:
- Though Franklinton is the last downtown neighborhood to be redeveloped, it is actually the birth place of Columbus, settled 15 years before the city itself.
- Franklinton was once a separate city from Columbus, like the present-day cities of Bexley and Whitehall, which are both completely surrounded by the city of Columbus, but continue to exist as separate municipalities.
- Since the completion of the floodwall, the community redevelopment has included more than forty residential projects, a new firehouse, two new schools, new residential dorms at Mount Carmel Medical Center West and the esploration of countless commercial projects.
- This historic neighborhood is not only directly adjacent to downtown, but also has easy access to all of Columbus' major highways.
- The neighborhood is a recovering flood area with an eduring community network, a strong sense of history and a power vision for its future.
References
External links
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Last updated on Sunday June 01, 2008 at 19:14:35 PDT (GMT -0700)
View this article at Wikipedia.org - Edit this article at Wikipedia.org - Donate to the Wikimedia Foundation
Copyright © 2008, Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
