Victorian Village

Victorian Village is a neighborhood located north and near west of downtown Columbus, Ohio, USA. It is an older area with a fair number of established trees for an urban setting. Neil Avenue, a street running north/south and eventually crossing through the campus of The Ohio State University, is its main thoroughfare.

Most of the houses within the village were originally built in the early 1900s, when a streetcar line ran through that part of town. [Citation
last = Williams
first = Sherri
title = Successful rebirth
newspaper = The Columbus Dispatch
year = 2008
date = 2008-09-07
url = http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/09/07/Victorian_Village-WWL.ART_ART_09-07-08_B1_GQB88NP.html?sid=101] Some of the wealthier citizens wished for a location convenient to the train, so residences quickly sprang up in the area. Today some of the homes have been split into rented apartments, while others remain as historical landmarks. Still others have since been purchased and restored to their original style.

The neighborhood, along with nearby Short North, is considered a gay village. Many of the homes are owned by same-sex couples, contributing to the diversity of the neighborhood. Gay gentrification was instrumental in the redevelopment of Victorian Village after the area declined in the 1960s and 1970s. The area has an architectural review commission to oversee renovations and ensure that the neighborhood retains its character. [http://www.victorianvillage.org/index.php?dir=7]

Once a year, usually in September, the community holds an annual Parade of Homes event, with approximately a dozen houses opening their doors for people to walk through and admire. The night before, an additional "bonus" house not on the general public's list is toured as part of a fundraiser for the area. Dinners served in local restaurants, and occasionally individuals' homes, also support it.

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