Neighborhood Changes

 

Your neighborhood has undergone significant changes over the past decade. Write an essay about these changes. The essay should be at least 250 words long. The first paragraph should describe the changes. The second one should explain what appeal to you and what does not.

     Over the past decade, my neighborhood has undergone tremendous changes. More people have moved in because of some major housing projects completed in recent years. The population has substantially increased from about 200,000 to nearly half a million. As part of the one of the housing projects, a huge commercial complex has been constructed. It boasts a variety of much-needed facilities, including shops, restaurants, cafes, cinemas and open spaces. It has become a magnet for locals, particularly on weekends when families and young people spend a whole day there. In the light of the population increase, the government has upgraded infrastructure. Roads have been widened to cater for more traffic flows, both from the housing projects and the commercial complex. An existing park has been expanded to provide more soccer fields, a brand-new stadium and an extension to an existing swimming pool.

     What appeals to me most is the commercial complex and the upgraded swimming pool. My friends and I love going to the complex whenever we have time because we can hang out there, be it going to our favorite restaurant – an Italian restaurant with mouth-watering pizzas and pasta – or going to the movies. Sometimes we go shopping there as we can easily hop from one shop to another; this saves us a lot of time and energy. The upgraded swimming pool is what I need most. I usually go there every evening for a few laps in the pool; this is the most relaxing exercise for me when the pressure from my studies can be overwhelming. Despite all the attractions, I hate the traffic congestion brought about by the commercial complex and increased population. It has taken longer to go from one place to another, particularly at rush hour when a ten-mile journey can take at least an hour.