No. 806 – Scenery

Performer: Neil Young

Songwriter: Neil Young

Original Release: Mirror Ball

Year: 1995

Definitive Version: None

I’m on a real run about finding places to live, so let’s fast forward 10 years. When Debbie and I decided that Gahanna was where we should find an apartment, it turns out that finding where we would live (in sin) was actually a pretty quick decision.

As I mentioned, after I conceded that I wouldn’t be able to live in German Village any more, I needed an apartment that had character—something that looked cool if not actually cool or the opposite of Debbie’s complex. She was fine with that.

I don’t remember who found the place, but we saw an ad for a new complex that was just off U.S. 62. The good news there is that U.S. 62, turns into I-670, which is a direct artery to downtown Columbus from Gahanna. That would be a bonus if the complex turned out to be close to 62.

It was close all right. Basically, we drove to the end of 670, and at the first light after it stopped being a freeway, we turned left and turned left again almost immediately at the next light. On the drive, we noticed a brick apartment complex just off 62 that was under the beginning stages of construction.

That was the complex. Talk about brand new. We looked at an apartment that was in the first building to the left after you turn into the complex. It was right across the street from the manager’s office and one of the few occupied buildings. It was a four-unit, two-story townhome, and it was so new that there wasn’t any grass around the building.

The inside was nice and, of course, brand new. As I mentioned, the apartment had a double master-bedroom upstairs. Downstairs was a huge great room with a large living-room area and a large kitchen with eating area. The basement was huge but unfinished. All we needed there was storage and laundry anyway. The place had a one-car attached garage, which Debbie liked for her old car (older than mine anyway, although I think I had more miles on my car by that time), and an enclosed back patio.

I say back, because that’s what it looked like, with a wooden privacy fence, except that, as I’ve mentioned, the “front” of the building actually faced a taller wood fence that divided the complex from the shopping center that was next door, and the back and garage faced the street. If you parked in the adjacent lot, you went through the patio to the back door; no one walked around the side of the building to come to the “front.” The rent was about $650, which essentially was nothing for a two-income couple.

It might not have been the most character place. In fact, one could say that it had no character at all—particularly with no grass. But the location next to the freeway couldn’t be beat: I could be to work in only 15 minutes if traffic was clear, which it always was at 3 p.m. I decided that the brick exterior and surrounding trees constituted enough character.

We signed the lease. Now all we had to do was make the move—or rather I had to make the move for the both of us. But then I’ve already discussed that. Our new adventure soon would be under way.