Granville

I spent many years in New England, many of my formative years.

And then I spent a lot of my 'adult' years in California, getting a masters degree, getting married, joining the most challenging yet rewarding career also known as parenthood.

So Ohio (and the midwest) is new to me: the way the houses look, the way the neighborhoods are designed, the fact that there is a lawn in front of each house instead of a garden or a fence, or both. I am getting used to it, slowly.

But then, just 40 minutes from here, there is Granville.




I have been told by many that I need to visit Granville, Ohio. I heard about their fabulous farmers' market, about their famous resident, about their small liberal arts college not unlike the one I attended in New England.

Yesterday was the day I was introduced in person to this sweet little town. We could not have ordered a more picture perfect September day either. My neighbor, an artist, needed to drop off some of her fabric pieces to the Gallery M in Granville, so I tagged along.


I was surprised that we could take E. Broad St. all the way from Bexley to Granville. Soon after leaving the strip malls and busy intersections that are far too common around here, we entered the tranquil countryside, corn fields and farmland. Before I knew it, we were entering Granville. I felt like I was back in New England.


We drove through downtown which has that familiar small/ college town feel with coffee shops and ice cream parlors and small locally own stores. We parked and walked around under shady trees to check out Denison's campus which purges on a hill. Walking back down to town, I noticed the houses with front porches, big gardens with beautiful flowers, some of the houses that have been standing since the early 19th century.


We poked into a sweet smelling tea shop, ate lunch at the Granville Inn, and ice cream at Whit's. We rummaged through someone's barn full of vintage and not so vintage stuff for sale. I felt like a tourist in a familiar land, and glad to know that I can return if ever I am feeling out of place, like a stranger in the greater Columbus area. There is this little village that can me feel at home.