Neighboring Tip of the Week - Research the story of your neighborhood.

Greetings, friends!

This week’s neighboring tip is short and sweet: Research the story of your neighborhood.

Every neighborhood has a story. And from our experience, they’re all so fascinating! Over the years, our Neighboring Movement team has come to know the story of our neighborhood, SoCe, so much more, and it’s been such a joy! There are a lot of ways to do this research, but we think one of the best is to have conversations with your neighbors who have lived in the neighborhood the longest. These people have witnessed the transformation of your neighborhood over time, and even if they don’t know how your neighborhood was established, they are sure to keep so many memories and stories of its earlier days. Plus, this is a fantastic conversation starter and way to continue fostering deeper relationships with those very neighbors! So, this week, we encourage you to find a way to ask your neighbors about your neighborhood’s past while also practicing physical distancing. We know that having these conversations safely can be hard, and we also know that the temperatures are cooling, so if you cannot yet have these conversations in person, that’s alright! Perhaps you can call these neighbors and talk with them on the phone? And even though we think the best way to do this neighborhood research is to have conversations with your neighbors, we would also encourage you to do some online research. While less personal, online research through your local library, or even a quick Google search, can help you learn all kinds of things about the history of your neighborhood.

Over the years, we have discovered that lots of our neighbors have lived in our neighborhood for a very long time, many of them since childhood! It’s crazy, and it’s one of the most joyful experiences to hear these neighbors reminisce about their younger years in the neighborhood! We’ve learned about the people who used to live here, the businesses that have taken root here, the way the natural landscape used to look, and so much more. And, on top of all of this, we’ve learned lots about our neighbors’ shenanigans in the neighborhood over the years! All of these stories help form the fabric of our neighborhoods. Let’s discover them, allow them to be conversation starters, and be filled with joy as we experience them!

Happy neighboring!