A highway bridge over Interstate 70 is all that separates the German Village Historic District from downtown Columbus, but as one looks east from the interstate, the difference between old and new is glaring. A 20+ story structure sits just north of the interstate bridge, and just south, in German Village, no structure is higher than three stories. Five blocks south, the spire of St. Mary Church stands 197’ off the sidewalk and towers over everything around it. Structures and sidewalks are orange masonry, and many streets (about half) are still brick pavers. German Village does not have a recreated sense of history or kitschy Bavarian feel ~ rather, it is a neighborhood with architecture dating from the 1840s-1890s that has been preserved, and its use as a shared residential and commercial neighborhood has been maintained. People walk to their destinations, park on the street due to the overwhelming absence of driveways, and live life at a very pedestrian level. The neighborhood is extremely dense ~ very often only inches separate neighboring structures, and many structures were built for multi-family use. German Village is notably different because its appearance has changed so little.