009: Sinking City 111 / King Street & Mazyck-Wraggborough
King is commercial, and commercial is king. Along with St. Philip and Calhoun, these streets represent some of the highest land on the peninsula. The ridge line, so to speak. The spine is mostly high and dry, which left us wanting for telltale markers of former watercourses. In the end that was okay, as the sleepy morning quickly turned steamy. We found ourselves with sixteen-ish miles of mostly long lines, and plenty of time to survey a town still sorting itself amidst pandemic response and the amplified voice of a frustrated populace. On bold display was the ongoing fight for civil rights and equality, a coherent pandemic policy and the collective dismay at numbers on both issues heading in the wrong direction. Our community showed little of its once vibrant life. It was clear that as a city and a nation, we have a lot to figure out.
A bit of light at the end of the tunnel? The last few blocks delivered a chance encounter with a beautiful soul whose tale of grace amidst tragedy reminded us of the power of community and that maybe, just maybe, we can find our collective footing. Through our conversation we talked about the neighborhood, the generations on the block who have seen so many changes, the amazing lives lived and those tragically cut short, and the hope that respect, love and understanding will see us through difficult times now and ahead. Stay cool, Neesie, we’ll see you again soon.
Stats: A long and skinny 12.6 miles of street mileage for this neighborhood combo, King Street and Mazyck-Wraggborough. Long runs on St. Philip, King and Meeting streets made for more efficient running overall, and we totaled out at 15.26 miles (or 16.23 depending upon who's tracker you’re looking at) and 2 and a half hours moving.
King Street & Mazyck-Wraggborough
