Improving Communities: What do you do?

[Matthew Dalton]

Most of us would probably claim that there is no sense of community where they live, not like that which was enjoyed in the Golden Era. I would be one of them. But do you do anything to try and improve things?

(This is not a jab anyone)

 

[deanglen]

One thing that comes to mind, thinking about my father's era, growing up in what I call the 'Our Gang' era, is the loss of neighborhood businesses, grocery stores, small neighborhood schools, even restaurants and dare I say lounges, where people in a small section of an area would meet and interact. When those things became centered in area zoned "commercial", and you had to get in the car and drive 10-20 minutes to get there, usually near an interstate, the chance to meet your neighbors, aside from the occasional contact was lost.

dean

 

[Viola]

I give my restaurant money to mom-and-pop places.

Better dead than Dominos!

Viola

 

[deanglen]

I realize my last post in this thread didn't give an answer to your question. So, actually, aside from my work which involves visiting people associated with the orgganization I serve in the community I live in, that's all I could presently offer. Makes me wonder about other things I could do. Go thread, Matt.

dean

 

[LizzieMaine]

Great thread! It's one thing to talk the talk, quite another to walk the walk.

I try to improve my community by being a *part* of my community. I don't live out in the suburbs, behind a gate, or way out off the beaten track, and I wouldn't even if I could afford to. I live *in town,* where I can walk to work or the store or the post office, and to the extent possible I patronize the businesses that set up shop in town rather than out in big-box land. The people downtown know me and I know them, we stop and chat at the newsstand or the lunchroom or the bank, and there's none of this "don't look anyone in the eye, don't talk to anybody" stuff. And I belong to organizations that work *for* the town, that work to promote the idea of a traditional downtown focus for the community.

In other words, I try to live the sort of life that I believe in -- because communities only die if we let them.

 

[Viola]

Maine has towns now?

j/k Lizzie. I was born in Portland.

Viola

 

[Atomic Glee]

I do what I can to promote and encourage denser, more traditional urban development over strip malls, big box stores, and suburban subdivisions, towards the goal of creating more walkable communities filled with people who actually meet and interact on a day-to-day basis rather than driving everywhere all day long.

 

[Matthew Dalton]

I often think up little schemes to try and make a change in mine, but they're always impractical and would require efforts and enthusiasm from others that makes them too improbable to seriously consider.

I just checked our city's site, seems they're laying out plans for progressing into 2025, I'll have to attend a meeting and see if there's anything I can do.

 

[jamespowers]

I am glad someone asked this as I posed a partial solution in another thread.
You touched on some in the intro really. I go out of my way to meet the neighbors. Maybe some like it more than others but that is fine with me. Having grown up in the city I live in and having family here for well over 100 years, you just can't help but know a few of them.
Geez, now here is the part I hate to list because it makes it sound like blowing your own horn but here it is. I go to school Board and City Council meetings as much as possible to remain abreast of what is going on before it gets too far along. That way we have stopped stupid ideas from gaining traction. If something doesn't seem right then we inform the neighborhoods---going so far as to hand out hundreds of flyers telling the community to call their Councilcritter to get things back on track. I have even run for office a few times and that will definitely get you noticed and in touch with at least a portion of the community.
I also go to many major events at local venues that think like I do. Don't forget your homeowner's associations. Most have no power at all in my community but it gives you an idea of what people are out there saying and doing. If you have children in school---private or otherwise---go to the school nights and meet your child's friends and their family. Exchange a bit of information that could be useful later. Ride along with your local police if they have such a program to get an idea what goes on when you are normally sleeping. You might find out that the peace you feel could be unfounded. It also gives you an idea what to bring to the neighborhood watch meetings in your area if they are out there---heck start one yourself.
In general make it a point o see what is being done by the people in charge at all levels as well. If you can't name your city council members, school board, closest neighbors and police chief then you have some work to get going on. The question is are there people out there willing to get involved and follow through? :cheers1:

Regards to all,

J

 

[Lincsong]

It all begins with the guy you see in the mirror. Doesn't matter where I live, I'll go walking around and about. If I see them in the yard or working on their car, I'll start up a converstion. I'm easy to talk to anyway.

 

[Elaina]

Nothing. I don't interact in my environment if I can help it.

Now that said, I'm usually one of 3 adults outside watching 12+ kids play. I make the snacks, have the kool-aid, and am the only parent that allows the kids inside their house. I'm the first mother called if a hand is needed by the school parent/teacher liasion, and the one the old man that doesn't talk to anyone comes by for coffee a few times a week. I'm also the woman in the Metroplex that all the homeless crazies know, and people that dump their pets seem to know where I live. I'm the crazy lady that goes to the VA once a month and screams at the nurses because these vets have no one else, and someone needs to stand up for their rights, because God knows no one else has. I'm also the woman that goes down several times a week and has coffee with the old men at Waffle House, and the one that seems to know everyone over 85 in a 50 mile radius.

 

[Lincsong]

bahahahahahahah Elaina! Stop it! You're killing me! bahahahahahahahahhaahalol lol lol lol lol

 

[happyfilmluvguy]

My neighborhood is actually that kind of community, and it frightens me a bit. I always say my neighborhood is like the one in the movie "The Faculty" or "The Stepford Wives". The other interesting part of this particular area is their christian and catholic traditional and conservative ways. It's supposedly the center of Christmas lights, and since I am Jewish, along with the rest of my family, we've never taped up lights in our lives! But they demanded it when we first moved here, so we gave in so we wouldn't get our heads chopped off over night. But back on topic. MOST of where I live is Mom & Pop businesses, with the exception of the 4 shopping centers at the corners of the area. It's a friendly place depending on who you talk to. They have special events once in a while, and we even have a City Hall in a small box in a corner and a Commerce in the same place. But not the traditional set up persay, but giving the same feel at times. I always like to walk around and greet anyone and believe me, I see a couple people I know every once in a while and I've witnessed ghostly similarities among other folks. I guess trying to improve the community to being more communitive is already being done. Where you REALLY should be taking a gander at is a little town known as Fillmore, out towards the mountains. They are actually one of the last small town communities of Southern Californa as much as they tend to be a tourist attraction at times, they are still keeping their small town charm.

 

[Lady Day]

I live in one of those cities where the lack of community would be said to be just that. But I have lived in the area I live in for over two years, and the family that runs my corner shop knows me and asks me often how I am

There is so much diversity in my city that I think a big thing we all need to do is look people in the eye, smile and say hello when we see someone you would otherwise not speak with. We box ourselves up, and weather we want to or not, draw on our only interaction of a type of person with whatever we saw on the tube, heard a friend talking about, or nothing at all and zap, its fear.

If we make most of our reasonable judgement on plain old face value, then I think our aspect of community will grow for the better.

LD

 

[Rosie]

I grew up on the street I currently live on so, I know many of the older people as they were friends of my parents, still friends of my mom. Truthfully, I don't do much in my community though, I think I should. I live in the city so other than saying hi and bye to people, I don't do a whole lot. My saying good morning, how are you? is seen as a big thing because most people don't speak at all. [huh] I'd like to move to a smaller community. I'd like to know my neighbors and have a cute neighborhood store instead of a Dunkin Donuts and McDonald's (neither of which I patronize) in the neighborhood. I'd like to have tea and coffee with my neighbors. Sadly, other than some of the older people in the neighborhood, I don't seem to have much in common with most folk around here. [huh] However, it wasn't always this way. I remember as a child my parents visiting neighbors, having meetings and signing petitions, my dad was head of the block association. I honestly wish there was a way to get that back.

 

[Twitch]

I live in a city adjacent to Long Beach which has traditionally been called "Iowa by the sea" to denote the stunted attitudes portrayed in may aspects of the people and city operation.

Lately the newspaper has been full of letters that just deteriorate into one huge whine. Why? Because some people welcome a Home Depot to the east side of town and others don't. They act as though it will end their lives. It's been a bitch-a-thon of whing about possible extra traffic and they should really turn the area into "wetlands." Yeah, it's the remnants of a tank farm now. Uh huh, tanks as in petroleum. So anyone beyond an industrial/commercial use like Home Depot is pretty much out.

Of course they'd rather have nothing then. Our city of South Gate was looted by crooked politicians and damned near broke. Hey we'd love the income of a Home Depot but not the self centered Iowans by the sea.

We're living in the environs of L.A. for crap sake people, not Hooterville. Ya can't have it both ways. While people decry ubiquitous businesses they need to ask themselves how much their property taxes would be is all those businesses weren't around to pay their share.

I live in a section of the town called Hollydale which is a microcosm of the rest of the urban layout. Small stores, library, school, gas station etc. It's like a mini town and people here feel community because the main South Gate area is across the river and freeway- very alien really since no one from my area patronizes the area.

 

[jamespowers]

I live in a city adjacent to Long Beach which has traditionally been called "Iowa by the sea" to denote the stunted attitudes portrayed in may aspects of the people and city operation.

Lately the newspaper has been full of letters that just deteriorate into one huge whine. Why? Because some people welcome a Home Depot to the east side of town and others don't. They act as though it will end their lives. It's been a bitch-a-thon of whing about possible extra traffic and they should really turn the area into "wetlands." Yeah, it's the remnants of a tank farm now. Uh huh, tanks as in petroleum. So anyone beyond an industrial/commercial use like Home Depot is pretty much out.

Of course they'd rather have nothing then. Our city of South Gate was looted by crooked politicians and damned near broke. Hey we'd love the income of a Home Depot but not the self centered Iowans by the sea.

We're living in the environs of L.A. for crap sake people, not Hooterville. Ya can't have it both ways. While people decry ubiquitous businesses they need to ask themselves how much their property taxes would be is all those businesses weren't around to pay their share.

I live in a section of the town called Hollydale which is a microcosm of the rest of the urban layout. Small stores, library, school, gas station etc. It's like a mini town and people here feel community because the main South Gate area is across the river and freeway- very alien really since no one from my area patronizes the area.

How interesting. My great Aunt Emma lived in South Gate for over forty years. She lived on Roosevelt off of Paramount if I remember correctly. You guys still have the two rail cars that were a restaurant down there? I forget the name of the place. I think it was italian.

Regards,

J

 

[Viola]

It's supposedly the center of Christmas lights, and since I am Jewish, along with the rest of my family, we've never taped up lights in our lives! But they demanded it when we first moved here, so we gave in so we wouldn't get our heads chopped off over night.

I saw strings of light up driedels and menorahs at the store. I couldn't figure out WHO was buying them. Now I know.

Viola

 

[Twitch]

No rail car restaurants long as I been here- since 1980. But you aunt lived near me in the Hollydale are for sure.

 

[jamespowers]

No rail car restaurants long as I been here- since 1980. But you aunt lived near me in the Hollydale are for sure.

Yep, her 1959 Oldsmobile that I have was bought in Hollydale. Says so on the license plate frame.
I'll have to check next time I am down there. Does Foxy's restaurant ring a bell? There is a historic old home across the street from it.

Regards,

J