Stoops.
Ξ June 2nd, 2008 | → | ∇ Blog |
Its time to move from my co-op in Queens. In truth, we can’t afford NOT to move. Interest rates are very low, and with a tanked housing market, and a need for further tax write offs, Rosie and I have decided to move on. We’ve been working on our home for quite some time and will be finished sometime in early July at which point, we’ll put the home on the market. We’re planning on moving to the suburbs. The suburbs have a lot to offer. More room, great schools, bigger homes, back yards, swimming pools, etc. We’re really looking forward to starting out new someplace else. That being said, we’re really going to miss our co-op. There’s something to be said about living in a community like this where everyone knows you. In our area, one of the things that I love is that people sit outside with each other and really get to know each other. When I get home from work, my neighbor Ed is always sitting on his stoop, and quick to offer a beer. People Bar-B-Q in our court yeard all Spring, Summer and Fall. Our neighbors always invite us over for dinner outside. Essentially, a lot of people sit on their stoops in small social groups. Its nice. To quote a blog entry by Dr. Goodness:
“The street was the stage for public life, and adults and children were outside all the time, sitting on stoops, playing in the alleys, walking to see and be seen, talking with neighbors and friends. The closeness of the houses created a strong sense of community and shared public life, and the inhabitants of a particular block knew each other well and watched out for each other’s children.”
I couldn’t have said it better myself. Everyone knows everyone else on our block. We keep an eye on all the neighborhood kids, we socilaize, and know each other very well. I’m going to miss that in suburbia where people tend to hang out separately, in their back yards.
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