For my 35th birthday my in-laws bought me a subscription to Sunset magazine. This months edition has an article on "The Wests' Best Places To Live". Based on what criteria did they choose these places?
*Sense of Community (interaction with and feeling responsible for...)
*Pedestrian Friendly (wide sidewalks, courtyards, and low traffic)
*Functionality Packed into a small area
*Ability to Form their own identity while respecting heritage
*Remaking/refurbishing space
I found this interesting, with the growing emphasis on being 'culturally relevant' within our family's hearts and the church in-general, that this periodical would list much of what we feel God speaking to us about relevancy as a way of building a neighborhood into a community! It still all boils down to 2 things ~
RELATIONSHIP and being
intentional!
by Amelia Ashton (abridged)
3. Organize regular wine-tasting parties. You’ll be surprised at all the local sommeliers.
4. Hold small music concerts on a common green. Encourage karaoke (responsibly).
5. Sponsor a holiday celebration such as an Easter egg hunt, a summer solstice party, a Fourth of July bike parade and party, Oktoberfest with grilled bratwurst, or a Halloween block party.
6. Start a regular “Mom’s night out.” Wine and dine, or catch a late-night mani/pedi.
Help each other
7. Create a new kind of Neighborhood Watch: Build a “care force” that helps out with dinners and errands when neighbors need a hand, and/or host an emergency preparedness night in which you get organized and learn about your neighbors’ special skills (CPR training, etc.).
8. Schedule an annual “barn raising,” at which a volunteer work crew helps neighbors with household projects, from fixing the pipes to mending a fence.
12. Host movie nights, using a garage door as the movie screen. Alternate which home gets to pick the rental, and don’t forget the popcorn.
13. Consider building a gate in fences between backyards to foster camaraderie and use for emergencies.
Develop community spaces
Communicate
18. Put up a community website and a Yahoo group site for public notices, referrals, ads, and event notices.
19. Got a swimming pool? Use a flag system to let neighbors know when their kids can join your kids for an adult-supervised swim. Green flag, come on in. No flag, don’t ask.
Create a community-friendly front yard
20. Plant a colorful perennial border between your sidewalk and the street, put a chair or bench in your front yard, then prepare to say hi to your neighbors when it becomes part of everyone’s stroller route.
21. Instead of tall, narrow walls or fences that close neighbors out, build half-walls wide enough to function as a seat.
22. Plant in front of as well as behind perimeter walls. “It’s like a gift to the neighborhood,” one homeowner said. It also inspires adjoining houses.
23. Build a firepit in front of your house. On cooler nights, throw down some beach blankets, share a glass of wine with the neighbors, and watch the kids play. Or just settle down out front in some folding chairs on a Friday or weekend afternoon, and invite the neighbors to join you.
24. Hang a swing from your porch to get you out front and socializing.
It's all about loving people and wanting to be a part of making their lives better. How cool is that? It would mean that, in my little microcausim of the universe, Jesus' vision for His world would find life!
In order of appearance:
