2 OCT 07: THE TIDEWATER BLUES
(BLOGGER'S NOTE: Guest bloggers are filling in while we slow our pace for vacation. This item was submitted by former WRBL news anchor Blaine Stewart.)
When Richard Burkard asked if I would be a guest blogger, I was honored. The man is sharp, witty and a talented writer. But what to write about? I began pondering that subject last week. I thought about all of the things in Columbus I'd left behind since leaving WRBL-TV and moving to Norfolk, VA, in January. That's when it hit me: There's so much I miss about Columbus, so much I didn't realize I'd miss until I was gone. So here it is... straight from the home office in Norfolk, Virginia...
BLAINE STEWART'S TOP 10 THINGS TO MISS ABOUT COLUMBUS...
10. THE FOOD
While my pants may thank me, my stomach misses some of the great restaurants in the Chattahoochee Valley. When I think of some of my favorite meals there, one place comes to mind: Country's BBQ. The fact that I lived a mere few blocks away from the Broad Street location did not help my waistline. Oh the chicken fingers, the fried pickles, the iced tea (unsweet, please), the list could go on and on. Of course, while there are great restaurants here in Hampton Roads, Country's will always hold a special place in my heart. Or would that be my stomach?
9. AUBURN UNIVERSITY
War Eagle! Yes, during my nearly six years in Columbus, I became a huge Auburn fan. I bleed Orange and Blue. Sadly, those colors mean you're a fan of the University of Virginia here. The great SEC football matchups are nowhere to be found on TV here. I feel like a fish out of water. More like a caged tiger. But my love for AU goes far beyond athletics. The campus atmosphere is like no other. Everyone was so pleasant when I was there to cover stories, or just to have a fun evening out. And let me tell you, the folks there are easy on the eyes, too. Some of the most beautiful people I've ever seen have been found on the Auburn campus. Maybe it's something in the water. Or the Toomer's lemonade.
8. HARTSFIELD-JACKSON ATLANTA INT'L APRPORT
I know, it's technically not in Columbus. But just an hour and 11 minutes after leaving my front door, I could pull up to one of the busiest airports in the land. Sounds fun, right? Actually, it was great! It costs so much less to fly out of ATL, than it does in this area... and we have two "international" airports. There were so many more choices of flights there too. Such convenience. You don't miss it until it's not a short drive up Interstate 85.
7. AFFORDABLE HOUSING
I know people who have complained about how much it costs to rent a place in Columbus. While I was there, I rented a two bedroom house in Bibb City for a little more than $600 a month. And it was a cute little house! Can I do that here? Wait a minute while I laugh. My small two-bedroom apartment runs $1100 a month! And I'm told that's a great deal. So just remember... it could me worse. Which brings me to number six...
6. TRAFFIC (ACTUALLY, THE LACK OF TRAFFIC)
Unless things have changed drastically in the past few months, there is no traffic in Columbus. Say what you want about Veterans Parkway or Manchester Expressway, it's not bad. At all. Here in this area, we have this thing called the "H.R.B.T.": The Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel. We have a few "bridge-tunnels" here. There's lots of water in this area, but there's a ton of ship traffic. This is a huge port city. So many bridges have tunnels connected to them, so the ships can pass through the bay. An engineering marvel... a traffic nightmare. It can take more than hour to get through the beloved HRBT. The interstates are a mess here, surface streets aren't much better. While this is no Atlanta, it reeeeally makes me miss the "traffic jams" near the 13th Street bridge.
5. BIBB CITY
What a charming little neighborhood! I lived there for part of my stay in Columbus. The sharp hills, the cute little houses, the short drive to downtown. Bibb City will always have a special place in my heart. It's a neighborhood on the move, certainly better than what it was five years ago, and it continues to improve. As long as people who have enough faith and cash continue to move there, this could be the next Lakebottom area. So much beauty. So much promise.
4. ARCHWAY BROADCASTING
I should reveal, I did work there for part of my time in Columbus. I was a DJ on Q 107.3 and Boomer 95.3. I've done radio in several cities across the country, but I can honestly say I have never been so blessed to work with a more talented, fun-loving group of radio people. I've made some great friends from my time there: Spikey Mike for one. He should be in a bigger market. NEVER have I had more fun in a job. Working at Boomer and The Q ranks near the top of my professional experiences. And they're great radio stations, too!
3. SHOPPING
Stop laughing. Really. I'm talking about shopping in Columbus. You know, at the Wal-Mart. Pick a Wal-Mart. There are so many of them back there. You were never more than maybe a five minute drive from one. You don't know how wonderful that is until the nearest 24-hour Wally World is a 20-25 minute drive. And just hope there's not traffic. Phenix City Super Wal-Mart, I miss you!
2. FOUNTAIN CITY COFFEE
I live in the land of Starbucks, now. There are three (soon to be four) within walking distance of my apartment. It's not bad, but it's just not Fountain City Coffee. Not that the coffee is any better or worse there. It's all about the people, the atmosphere, the cute barristas. I'd find myself in FCC probably five times a week. You never know who you'll find there. Artsy CSU students, 30-something soccer moms, homeless people: a smorgasboard of humanity. It was just a cosy, welcoming place, one I fell in love with. OK, the coffee is better than Starbucks.
1. THE PEOPLE
Yes, I'm talking about you. Southern hospitality, I miss ya. That's not to say that the people in the Mid-Atlantic are not nice. They're a friendly bunch. But it's just not the same. And when I think of all of the friends and contacts I made there over the six years I spent in Columbus, it makes me happy. Those years were alternately exciting, challenging, depressing, you name it. They were some of the best years of my life. And it's all because of the wonderful people of Columbus. Even Richard Burkard.
Blaine Stewart is a reporter/weather anchor at WTKR-TV, the CBS affiliate in Norfolk/Virginia Beach, VA.
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BURKARD BULK MAIL INDEX: suspended for vacation