Walking Neenah

From Downtown to Kimberly Point – A Walking Tour

My family has lived in the Village of Fox Crossings for almost twenty years. We often spend our weekends cleaning the house, running errands, watching sporting events, or spending time with friends and family. Whenever we go into downtown Neenah and walk around, it is always a treat. For being a family who is not used to the downtown atmosphere, whenever we go into town, we notice something unique about it each time. Throughout the few walks we have taken there we have noticed that Neenah is a historical community, a city with great beauty, and a place that gathers people together.

First and foremost, the city of Neenah is a very historical community. Walking down the streets of Neenah, the signs of its history are easy to notice. The beautiful old buildings have that old world charm. The bricks that make up the buildings really stand out as do the brick crosswalks. While I was walking I stopped to take notice of Neenah’s Statue of Liberty. I’ve been by it many times; however, this was the first time I’ve stopped to read the plaque on the monument. I didn’t realize that the statue stands in Neenah in honor of the 100th anniversary of the original Lady Liberty. After walking through the city I decided to walk down by the water. I noticed another piece of Neenah’s history, the Kimberly Point Lighthouse. Neenah is always changing, however, even with all the changes, it is a place that seems to want to embrace its history and not lose the roots of where the city developed from.

Not only is Neenah a historic environment, but it is also a beautiful community. The buildings in the city are old, but updated and fascinating. It almost gives me the feeling of being in the olden days. Even though I appreciate the feeling of the city, I truly feel the most beautiful parts of the city are among the river shore. The walk to Riverside Park was stunning. On that day I stopped to notice the large homes that were built so many years ago. Each house is unique and has magnificent architecture. I can only imagine the stories behind each of those homes. Riverside Park is absolutely breathtaking. It is full of large trees and interesting fountains and statues. The thing that caught my attention the most was looking out at the sparkling blue water and all of the boats that were out sailing that day. It made me feel like I was on vacation, and I realized how fortunate I was that this was my home.

Finally, Neenah provides a lot of events for everyone to attend. As I was walking through Neenah, I walked past Shattuck Park, where a band was setting up a stage to play on later that day. My mom and I went over and talked to them and they mentioned that they were playing for no particular reason, just to entertain as people wandered around the park. Another example of this is during the summer over Fourth of July weekend, taken place at Riverside Park in Neenah. It is accompanied by a huge firework show that approximately 10,000 people gather to watch and enjoy. In addition to that, Neenah has small farmers markets, parades, and many small community events sponsored by many of the businesses. For such a small community there always seems to be a gathering of people in this city.

To conclude, there are many pieces of Neenah that my family and I have not yet discovered, but I believe that we have found the three most important pieces of it. We have found that Neenah is a historical community, beautiful city, and welcoming place that brings people together. With that in mind, what more could we need?

Article by NHS Arete Student Ally Keach