My Neighborhood: What do we know about home values?
Monday, July 26, 2010 at 12:00AM (This week, welcome back veteran communicator Terry Gallagher. If you’re just joining us, here’s Part 1 of Terry’s eye-opening series on the “Real World,” last week. Starting today, please enjoy Terry’s look at values in our neighborhoods. Then, I’ll return next week. —Dr. Wayne Baker.)
“Why is it that in an age of discount airlines, unlimited cell phone minutes, and the Internet, when we can create community anywhere, we often don’t know the people who live next door?”
That’s the question that led journalist Peter Lovenheim to invite himself into his neighbors’ homes, to explore their lives more closely over the breakfast table. His experience led to a book published earlier this year: “In The Neighborhood: The Search for Community on an American Street, One Sleepover at a Time
You know what most of us really want to know about our neighborhoods, based on the latest Internet search trends? Home values. The vast majority of us are checking on real estate. That’s perhaps understandable given the widespread anxiety about our economy.
But Lovenheim wanted to know more when he became aware of a very disturbing event close to his home. On his street, a man killed his wife and then himself, their children went to live with the grandparents and the house was put on the market. “Yet my neighborhood seemed little affected,” he wrote in the Huffington Post earlier this year. “A family had vanished, yet the impact on our neighborhood was slight. How could that be? Did I live in a community or just in a house on a street surrounded by people whose lives were entirely separate?”
I haven’t read Lovenheim’s book yet, but I am really interested in this subject: how we live in neighborhoods, and how the relationships we build with our neighbors are essential to the quality of our lives, for both good and ill. We don’t have to have a murder/suicide on our block to realize that we could be better connected with our neighbors. And that our lives might be fuller, richer, safer and healthier as a result. Our lives are more than a matter of housing values. Our relationships with our neighbors say a lot about our personal values, and I hope to look at a few of those this week.
And the main question I’ll be asking this week: How well are you connected to your neighbors?
Please, click and leave a “Comment” below!
Our readers appreciate hearing from other readers just like you.
ABOUT TERRY GALLAGHER: After working more than 20 years in higher education, Terry Gallagher is exploring new ways to use media and messages to build stronger institutions and communities. Most recently, he has joined the board and helped launch communications efforts at the InterFaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit, a new group with a long history.
Reader Comments (3)
I live on a private road. All of us have 10 acre parcels, or larger. It is a dead-end road and we get no traffic other than neighbors. We all know each other and wave as we pass, but only stop to talk with a few.
We all live in the boondocks to be left alone. Our local "town" has 2000 people, which is just enough. Neighbors all know that no one knocks on the door at night - unless it is a dire emergency.
A couple of years back one of the newcomers burnt his trash. It is legal here, we burn just papers, garbage is composted and metal or plastic is recycled. This neighbor was in a hurry, lit his fire and left it. The wind picked up and blew cinders around... I lost about 2 acres in the fire. The only way we knew it was burning was when the neighbor behind this fellow came to tell us with concern that the local marsh could catch fire -- peat fires burn forever. With myself, the back neighbor and one other neighbor we were able to get the fire department to the right place (not easy here) and help them put the fire out. I lost brush and trees, thankfully the burning neighbor lost his entire woodpile - serves him right. But to this day he has NOT come around to apologize for his stupidity and lawlessness - when burning trash someone is supposed to keep watch with a charged hose nearby.
So what do you think, will I respond to his needs quickly next time? Its unlikely. Its just too bad his house didn't burn down, then maybe the city fool would understand the ways of the country.
National Night Out is designed to address this social ill. The 27th annual celebration is coming up on August 3. Find out if there's a party in your neighborhood or - if no party is planned - throw a party yourself! More info at http://www.nationaltownwatch.org/nno/.
Terry
Just a day or two ago one of my neighbors came across the street to inform me that a tree had been felled by a recent storm and his power was out. I offered to help but he professed that he had things managed as well as they could be for the time being. He then asked me about the health of my next door neighbor. I knew he had had some health issues in the winter and had talked to him recently but knew none of the specifics. My next door neighbor can be garrulous and I am sure would have filled me in had I asked. Then my across the street neighbor asked about my other next door neighbor. He is elderly and was he still living in his house. I had to confess that I was not sure. It raises the questions you address. How come I am not more connected to my neighbor's lives? I do not feel particularly good about this. I wonder if I will correct this or go on being, what?, "too busy" I guess.