Won't you be My Neighbor?

We just love our neighborhood. Last Christmas we were lucky enough to find our 1920's home and move in. Not only do we adore our house which was gutted and restored by the last homeowner who also happens to be a talented contractor, but we also love our neighborhood. The tree lined streets, vintage homes, and hills really give this neighborhood character.

This August we hosted our first neighborhood block party and had so much fun getting to know our neighbors. I was inspired by my friend Angela with her "just do it" attitude who has a root beer float party for her neighborhood each summer. So we simply knocked on doors and handed out fliers. The city of Salem also gave us free party packs with games and activities for the young and old. We were also given Neighborhood Association info to hand out. Then we asked our neighbors to add their contact info to a list inorder to make a neighborhood map. Gosh, that reminds me I still haven't handed out two neighborhood maps. Ahem...I'm not the model neighbor when it comes to follow through.

This summer I also designed a new website for our neighborhood association, SCAN. I've been going to our neighborhood association meetings since February and have really enjoyed learning about local government and how our city works. There are lots of talented and well educated people who attend and it's so refreshing to see neighbors who are committed to making the community better. One such member even advocated and raised enough money to get lamps for our local park. It's just so darn inspiring to see people with great ideas who take action.

What kind of activities do you have in your neighborhood that makes it a special place to live? I'd love any ideas you have the bring your neighbors together.