Indiana University - Arbutus Yearbook (Bloomington, IN)

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So close, but yet so far Dorms can be bad places to live sometimes — dirty bath- rooms, incinerators overflowing with pizza boxes and beer cans, and cramped rooms. But, most students do not realize that far worse housing conditions exist in Bloomington. Those who never wander past the College Mall or downtown area miss a view of a completely different side of Bloomington — the Miller Drive neighborhood. A No Dumping sign hangs on a tree surrounded by a yard full of old tires, trash and weeds which lie between two houses with rusty tin or torn shingle roofs. Cement block steps lead up to homes which bear spray- painted house numbers. Tattered curtains blow through broken screens while the windows in other houses are com- pletely covered with boards. Faded plastic flowers and old Christmas decorations adorn the house fronts, as plastic pink flamingos and horse-carts brighten lawns. These last decorations stand in the front yards of a small gathering of trailers, located near the Miller Drive area. A toilet and an old mattress sit outside the door of one of the rusted pink, white and turquoise trailers, as if someone had set up house in the front yard. Not far from this outdoor room stands an abandoned mail truck shadowing a garbage heap. Close in distance, but miles apart in appearance are the homes located on Sheridan Road and Southdowns Drive. Large brick structures with big bay windows lie beyond carefully-sculpted bushes and well-kept lawns. One home in the Southdowns neighborhood displays unique graphic designs on its garage doors, as brightly col- ored wheels and sails serve as markers for the car and boat storage areas. Rather than the sun-bleached wood paneling which cov- ers some Miller Drive homes, this house displays varnished wood siding placed at diagonals to form neat rows, giving it a rustic appearance. For students who know little about the city of Bloomington, the sights around the Miller Drive area and the contrasting views on Southdowns Drive and Sheridan Road can be quite an experience. Marianne Gleissner Ha; 2:s ' -ii,

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Not only can Taylor recall tenants from a year ago, hut she also has memories of tenants from years gone by. Her first roomer was an 18-year-old hoy named Edgar Whitcomh who went on to serve a term as Governor of Indiana. I n Schwalni (ABOVE) As one of four Bloomington landlords in his environment. lU se- nior Rick Wood nails weathering around the door of his Orris Drive home. (TOP RIGHT) Don Coller stops before he enters his 1,5-year-old realty com- pany located in Colstone Square. (TOP LEFT) Holding a photo of Chateau Villa, the complex where Hour House is situated, is landlord Lillv Taylor. (OPPOSITE) William Gosser poses on the porch steps of one of the many houses he owns throughout Bloomington. 19

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(BELOW OPPOSITE) If you ' ve never ventured from the immediate sur- roundings of campus, it ' s likely tfiat you aren ' t familiar with this southside scene. This Miller Drive area covers about a four-block region near Ind. 37. (LEFT) A garbage dump lies adjacent to a trailer near the Miller Drive area. (BELOW) Only a matter of blocks from Miller Drive is this First Street resi- dence. 21