Resident Profile – Kirstin Kiefer

1.       What is your full name and its origin, or how was it given to you? Are you named after anyone? Do you have any nicknames?

Kirstin Elizabeth Kiefer – my first name came from a woman who was on a rafting trip that my parents took before I was born.  The only significance is that my dad liked the name and that my mom lost the coin toss for who got to name their firstborn.  My family name is Swiss.  Nicknames?  KK is probably the most common.

2.       How old are you?

Closer to 40 than I care to think about.

3.       Where do you live in Harrison West? Do you own your house or rent?

I live on the corner of 2^nd Avenue and Harrison.  I own my home.

4.       If you own your house have you done any significant renovations to it? Please describe.

I am just completing a rather major renovation.  The project included ripping off all of the old wood siding (down to the studs), putting in new insulation and installing new siding.  I also took the opportunity to replace a few windows, add a much needed roof to the front porch, rebuild the back deck and add a small roof over the back door.  The renovations will be complete with the installation of a few stained glass windows that I’ve having built.  The renovations took the better part of the summer and I have wonderful neighbors who were very patient and understanding during the construction process!  One interesting event during the renovations was the discovery of an old cistern in my backyard.  This probably isn’t all that uncommon in this neighborhood, but I had no idea it was there!  When the builders went to replace the footers for my back deck, they discovered the brick “roof” of the cistern.  I had to uncover and remove the roof and fill the cistern in with gravel before replacing the deck.  One upside to the cistern remediation was the discovery of some cool old glass bottles.  There was evidently a whiskey drinker living here at some point!

Before

After

5.       How long have you lived in Harrison West?

It will be 10 years in December.

6.       What brought you here (HW) and where did you live before?

After starting my career in San Francisco, I decided to transfer offices and move back to Columbus to be closer to family.  I wanted to live in a diverse neighborhood that didn’t require me to drive everywhere.  After looking at German Village (where my sister and her husband lived at the time) and Italian Village quite extensively, I found my current home here in HW.  I fell in love with the home’s bay window as it reminded me of San Francisco…and the location was perfect!

7.       Where were you born and where did you grow up?

I was born in San Diego (Coronado) and I grew up (mostly) in Wooster, Ohio…with a few years in San Diego (Point Loma) and southern Ohio thrown into the mix.

8.       How did you end up in Columbus if you are not from here?

My first stint in Columbus was to attend Ohio State.  After graduating I was offered a job in San Francisco and I jumped at the chance to see what SF was all about.  After 5 years, I decided to move back to be closer to my sister and her husband, who live here in Columbus, and my parents, who are still in Wooster.  Columbus had changed a great deal while I was gone and I’m always amazed at how rapidly Columbus continues to develop.  I really like that aspect of living here.  I feel like Columbus does a good job of continuing to evolve to be a great place to live.

9.       Did you go to college? If so, where and what did you study?

I graduated from Ohio State with a degree in Civil & Environmental Engineering and a minor in German.

10.   What do you do for a living? How did you end up in that occupation?

I have a role in the HR organization at Accenture.  I started with Accenture right out of school in San Francisco doing IT Consulting during the height of the dot com craziness.  It was an amazing experience, but after the dot com bubble burst, the economic state in SF was pretty bleak, so I decided to transfer to a Consulting role here in Columbus with Accenture’s Financial Services group.  When the constant travel schedule of Consulting got to be too much, I decided to move over to Accenture’s HR organization, which afforded me the ability to work from home.  This was a big adjustment to working in an office every day, but it was worth it!

11.   What do you like to do for fun?

I tend to be a bit of a busy-body…so I’m kind of all over the place.  My first love is travel!  I’m always looking forward to my next trip.  I also love to go to concerts (CD102.5 bands mostly), try new restaurants, volunteer and I am one of the Directors for the non-profit animal rescue Peace for Paws Ohio.  I started fostering dogs back in January of this year after volunteering with a large animal hoarding case, and the rest is history.  I couldn’t imagine my home without one or two foster dogs in addition to my own dog, Callie.

12.   What do you like about living in Harrison West?

I think Harrison West is filled with great people and is situated in a wonderful location.  I feel very safe here and I think our neighborhood will only continue to improve!

13.   What are your favorite places to go out?  Do you frequent any of the neighborhood businesses?

You’ll most likely find me somewhere in the Short North.  I’m a big fan of the North Market, Surly Girl, Press Grill and Ladies ‘80s at Skully’s can’t be beat!  As for neighborhood businesses, I always enjoy Katalina’s and Apropos.

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