Photos courtesy of Jacque Spurlock
The iconic American front porch, gathering place for family and friends, is as much a part of our culture as baseball, apple pie and the Fourth of July.
As American homebuyers’ tastes have shifted over the years, porches are no longer linchpins in builders’ plans for new developments. But for the residents of Upper Clarenton, their homes and neighborhood wouldn’t be the same without their porches.
Upper Clarenton – or “The U.C.,” as residents like to call it – is one of the northernmost neighborhoods in New Albany, situated just south of Walnut Street and west of Bevelhymer Road. It consists of 103 homes that were built in three phases between 2005 and 2011 on land that once belonged to the Dean family, the namesake for Upper Clarenton’s main thoroughfare, Dean Farm Road.
Events such as this neighborhood race are commonplace in tight-knit Upper Clarenton
Of all the neighborhood’s distinguishing characteristics, from the light paint colors of every home’s siding (there are no brick facades), to the massive green space, to a fully stocked fishing pond, the front porches remain its unmistakable signature. While some are larger than others, every home in Upper Clarenton has a front porch, and it’s clear that the porches play a role in the togetherness of the neighborhood because the residents actually use them.
“We love all the inviting porches,” says resident Meredith Murphy.
This togetherness is something Upper Clarenton residents strive for, and it can be seen in the 10 major events the neighborhood holds every year.
Though many neighborhoods in New Albany have Halloween gatherings in the fall and block parties festivities in the summer, Upper Clarenton raises the bar. Last year, Sunny 95 hosted the Upper Clarenton block party and came with vendors and a DJ, says Jacque Spurlock of the neighborhood’s events committee.
While the last day of school is a celebration for kids throughout New Albany, in Upper Clarenton, “Our last day of school party will start with the bus driver dropping all of the kids at the green space for water guns and a silly string fight,” says Spurlock. This is followed by a food truck visit in the evening.
Residents truly make time for one another, too. Whether it’s carving out some guy time through the annual fantasy football league (the winner gets an engraved championship belt and the last place finisher must display a garden gnome in his yard for the next year), or the ladies’ night out that occurs on the first Friday of every month, the relationships among neighbors take high priority here. They even have their own Upper Clarenton cheering section in the stands for New Albany High School football games on Friday nights.
The neighborhood also takes care of others by sponsoring two families every year through the Salvation Army during the holidays. This past year, the sponsorship resulted in more than 200 gifts for the families.
From many of the front porches in the neighborhood the residents can see one of New Albany’s new crown jewels: Rocky Fork Metro Park. Located just across the street from the northern entrance to Upper Clarenton, Rocky Fork has the neighborhood focusing on healthy outdoor activities now more than ever.
“There is always someone up for a run or a walk,” says resident Heidi Harper.
With the benefits of the close proximity to Rocky Fork also come the traffic, and crossing Walnut Street can be challenging. But Jason Milburn, president of the Upper Clarenton Home Owners Association, sees solutions ahead.
“We hope, in partnership with the city, to have a posted speed limit on Walnut Street, along with putting in sensors when pedestrians are crossing to notify the oncoming traffic,” Milburn says.
And at any rate, the active residents of Upper Clarenton are not deterred.
“Many neighbors participate in Pelotonia, and it’s typical to see training rides start off from here heading to Granville and back,” says Milburn.
The togetherness that Upper Clarenton neighbors experience isn’t something that just happens; it’s made. As resident Alex Lowery explains, “Many of us have made a concerted effort for Upper Clarenton to be a neighborhood, not just a group of houses.”
It’s an effort and spirit that likely began on a front porch.
New Albany resident Bob Valasek is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
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