Block Party

To be honest, I didn't know block parties still existed. The idea of closing down a street and hosting a huge potluck, seems like a quaint event from my childhood. Except in the early 80s, we knew all our neighbors and a yearly block party was just another chance to have Mrs. Murphy's yummy potatoes.

Now, I'm the first to admit, I don't know all my neighbors. This actually surprised me when we moved to Clintonville, which is a inner ring suburb of Columbus with strong neighborhoods mostly built in the 1920s - 1950s. Our street isn't as close-knit as some of the streets seem to be, and we barely ever talk to neighbors other than our immediate next door ones. So, when a woman stopped us on our walk home from the farmer's market last week with a Xeroxed invitation to a yearly block party we decided to make an effort to attend.

The party was last night and it was quite fun and a great opportunity to meet some of the neighbors we may have just waved at over the past two years. We met people who have lived on the street for 50 years and have watched their families grow up and leave the nest and are still here. Although there were a few old-timers, the majority of the street has lived here for less than five years. It was decided that our street hasn't changed much over the years and there seemed to be a consensus that it is a good thing so many young couples and families are moving in.

With the baby coming, I feel like we should know our neighbors better. Last night we made a good start at that.