A reader (Phil W. - see second post below for details) thinks his neighbourhood is perfect for his lifestyle and he made some good points in its defense. I’ll share my thoughts in next week’s column. First, some pictures.
Below: A street in Phil’s condo complex. Very quiet. But too quiet for me. Would the neighbours complain if I used my table- or chop-saw in the driveway? Could I paint my front door a bright red, unlike all the others?
Behind Phil’s fence is farm land upon which he cross-country skis. Enjoy it now, I say. London has a reputation for building large single-family units on our best land.
A bike path is nearby, linking Phil to many amenities, plus downtown London. If I had my way, I’d sink more money into those bike paths and stop accommodating cars in 1000 different ways.
Too much concrete and tarmac for me, though I have nothing against apartment buildings. They should be spread equally throughout the city, even in ‘exclusive, gated communities’, in order to create more green space, which would be a nice contrast to the tarmac.
Visiting neighbourhoods by bike has been an eye-opener.
***
What are some pros and cons about your neighbourhood?
Is traffic a nuisance or are you in a quiet zone?
.
2 comments:
I live in a little village in Minneapolis nestled between 2 urban lakes. The lakefronts are public, wrapped with separate bike and walking trails. One-way car traffic is the next ring around the lake and the street is bordered on both sides with trees.
All or streets have sidewalks and boulevards.
Within walking distance for everyone in the village are: a bakery, a butcher, a children's bookstore, a food co-op, 3 coffee shops, two children's toy stores, one children's book store, a hardware store, a Tibetan gift shop, 5 small cafes, 2 florists, a violin maker, a pilates studio, a bike shop, a nice-sized park with tennis courts, soccer and baseball fields, playgrounds, and picnic tables.
In the winter the park is flooded and turned into a skating rink.
Linden trees bloom in June, and there are many. Our village is called Linden Hills.
It's almost perfect.
What's missing is a community center large enough to allow for intergenerational events or for teens to gather. We lose the energy, humor, idealism, and delight of teens because there is no place (other than the coffee shop) for them to congregate or mix with adults. I consider that a shame.
I love the idea of exploring neighborhoods by bike. I biked to my hair stylist on Tuesday (on the other side of Lake Harriet) and saw a heron in flight along the lake. Not sure I'd have caught that if I'd been driving.
Thanks for asking!
Kathleen,
Thanks for telling me about your village. It sounds idyllic.
Your comments re teens are thought-provoking. You are right - a centre that allows them to make use of or show off their talents would be beneficial. Towns, villages, cities need to think about that.
Keep on that bike. There's fun to be had on two wheels.
Cheers,
Gord
Post a Comment