Echos of the Past

As reported in another post recently, I went to Asheville, NC (US) to visit briefly with my sister-in-law who was in the area for the day. On the way to our planned meeting spot, I drove through an old neighborhood in which I once lived, and past the very address where my apartment once was located.

There are many lovely, old-style apartment buildings in the area, with red brick facades and wonderfully worn wooden flooring, interspersed among single-family dwellings, all build long ago. I had heard news years ago that the building in which I lived was destroyed by fire, but wanted to see the neighborhood again and find out what happened to the lot where the apartment building was.

I discovered that the lot on which the building sat now has a single-family house on it, and a fenced yard around it. It's lovely, but a far-cry from the beautiful, old, red-brick buildng that once graced the property. In the photo, below, the roof of the house which replaced my building is on the left, and the apartments next-door can be seen on the right.

_{I processed the photo in an artistic way, so I am hoping my use of the #creativecoin tag is acceptable.}


I loved that first apartment where I was able to spread my wings after college. It was a one-bedroom on the second floor with an old-timey, free-standing, clawfoot tub in the bathroom. It was the first time I had ever used a gas stove and was terrified of it until I got used to it. I had to ask the landlady to come down (she lived on the third floor) and show me how to light it the first time. The heat in winter came through radiators, fired by a huge boiler in the basement which was maintained by the maintenance man (who had a free apartment down there, in exchange for his work and a small salary). But it was a very comfy place, on a safe street with sidewalks, within walking distance of the downtown area (and bus service on cold or rainy days) where jobs abounded. It was the perfect place for a young person to begin making their own way in life. Fond memories.