From the Interstate east between 10 th and 26 th Streets, the homes are generally modest and many show their age. Whether they were built in the '50s or the '90s, most of these homes are ranch style or split level. The houses in a good share of the neighborhood are finished with the wider vinyl and masonite siding used from the '50s into the '70s. Drive through these neighborhoods and you find houses in teal, baby blue, gold and gray mixed in with white and taupe. You'll find trailers in many of the yards and chain link fences where there are fences.
Homeowners stick to a few shrubs for landscaping.
The big plus in many of these neighborhoods is that the trees have had 40 years to grow up, shading the streets of Hilltop and the surrounding areas. This is also where you find the nearly 31 acres Frank Olson Park on either side of 18 th Street. The city bought the park property from farmer Frank Olson in 1964 when the area was still mostly rural. The city added a swimming pool in 1972. When it opened, cornstalks from the farm field to the south kept blowing into it.