I’m willing to bet you’ve done it. Giggled to yourself. A silent giggle that comes from a plan you’ve set into motion that is so creative and perfect, you can’t wait for its completion. I was giggling to myself like crazy that Christmas morning in 1981, when I was tying a string to a canoe at Ozark Outdoor Supply. It was 32 years ago, and I can still feel the cold — not bitter cold, not overpowering, but chilly. I can remember getting warmer, too, as I executed the plan, unraveling the string off the big ball as I walked up the street past Ken Anderson’s gas station (now U.S. Pizza) and across Taylor, unwinding the string into the Heights Theater parking lot (now a bank and ZaZa’s and Feinstein’s) through the parking lot and back down Stonewall. Carefully and meticulously, I took the string off the big ball, making sure it didn’t snap. I did this for four blocks as the sun rose on Christmas morning.
The plan of the silent giggle was this: My wife Jane would come down with the kids. We’d give them their gifts and then when it was time for her big gift, she would open the wrapping paper to reveal a ball of string that would lead her out the front door, up the street and eventually to Ozark Outdoor Supply, where the other end of the string would be tied to the red canoe she’d always wanted. In essence, I was using The Heights to gift-wrap the canoe. The kids were in on the joke. Like me, they couldn’t wait for the adventure to begin.
“Open it, Mommy,” they giggled. “Open it.”
Jane picks up the package. She opens it and laughs at the ball of string leading out our front door. She takes two steps toward the door, which the kids are holding open. Jane turns to me and says: “IT’S A CANOE!”
The plan blew up so quickly, and with the instant realization I’d gone to so much trouble and looked so stupid unraveling string down the block at 6-ish on Christmas morning, I could do nothing but laugh. We all bundled up, walked to Ozark Outdoor Supply and she loved her canoe. As for the string, I never went to wind it back up. It’s still there in the form of a story told by all of us, including my now-adult kids. The story is connected to the subjects of Christmas gifts, surprises that backfire, canoes, marriage or anytime there is need of a fun story.
Oh, and it’s connected to The Heights. It points to how The Heights becomes the setting for family lore. It’s more than an area or neighborhood. It is a foundation on which great family stories are built. In our 37 years here, we have seen so many changes — in neighbors, stores, architecture, restaurants and all those things that contribute to the culture of a neighborhood. But the one constant is the nurturing, creative spirit that infuses all who live and work here.
No matter what changes we may see, they are all connected to the past and they all become a part of the story, like a string tied to a canoe that in the end becomes a cherished gift.
Heights Top 10
1. St. John’s Seminary (2500 N. Tyler St.). This lovely brick and stone 1916 Gothic structure with its wide green lawn sits like a crown in the lower Heights and serves as a popular gathering place for more than the Catholic Church. To children, it’s a castle or a fort — the perfect setting for make-believe. To walkers and bicyclists, it’s a destination included in daily jaunts. It has been home to the ASO, retired priests and a small herd of young deer during the summer months.
2. Majestic trees. Especially the huge old pin oaks and magnolias on Hawthorne Street.
3. Pedestrian-friendly streets. We have sidewalks and safe streets. People are out strolling at all hours.
4. Great neighbors. There have been so many that we’ve known and loved for over 30 years now. Even though our famous block parties have become part of the past, we still look out for each other and visit in the streets and front yards.
5. Plenty of great places to eat. There are 10 great restaurants within walking distance that offer a wide variety, including smoked turkey, pizza, Chinese, sushi, Mexican, French bistro, gourmet deli and burgers! We eat at Cheers and Boulevard Bread most often.
6. Forest Heights Service Shell (5801 R St.). This is a real service station with trustworthy mechanics that can fix almost any problem. In addition to self-serve, they still offer full-service and will pump gas and check under the hood for you. We old ladies appreciate that!
7. Smith’s Country Club Pharmacy (5114 Kavanaugh Blvd.). Smith’s has the best, most helpful staff with some toys and candy to sweeten things up.
8. A wide variety of shops/boutiques. One year I did all of my Christmas shopping on my bicycle!
9. WordsWorth Books & Co. (5920 R St.). WordsWorth is one of those rare and precious small bookshops.
10. The Toggery (5919 R St.). Where I once shopped for my children, I now take my granddaughters for special event dresses and well-fitted shoes. They also have a fine selection of toys.
The Heights – Craig O’Neill and Jane Hankins
Urban Archaeology: A renovation of Jane’s garage-turned-studio revealed artifacts from a long-ago get together tucked into the crawl space above, including a couple of whiskey bottles and a metal purse that appear to date back to the 1930s.