Around the Neighborhood

I've fallen in love with this neighborhood.

I love that it's eclectic.  I love that it's real.  I love that there's so much to do and see within walking or biking distance.

I love that there's so much diversity in people and architecture.  As we walk or bike around the neighborhood, we see all sorts of stuff:

• a beautifully restored Victorian next to a forlorn house of faded glory divided into several apartments
• a multi-generational family sitting out on their porch with great Spanish music blaring and wonderful smells coming from their kitchen while a young couple paints the house they are renovating next door
• a lovely New England-style Baptist church across the street from a simple store-front style Pentacostal church
• a pretty young mom gently urging her toddler along on his tricycle while a frazzled mom across the street yells some choice words at her own nonchalant toddler who's trying to get the gate in the rusty chain-link fence open
• a fancy brand-new Spanish market offering everything from fresh pigs' feet to fresh cactus down the street from a shabby market with bars on the windows that sells a very random assortment of products
• a guy covered from head to toe with tatoos complimenting the twins' great scootering skills as we pass each other on the sidewalk
• the old Weber College main building with its stately pillars next to an empty lot that's usually occupied by a "free spay and neuter" van with pictures of cats and dogs all over it
• a cute yuppie-style family with a stroller and a couple kids on bikes heading into the library where a man and woman with all manner of bags strapped to their bikes and grungy clothes hang out on the front steps
• a family with five ragamuffin kids in cut-off shorts and old t-shirts on hand-me-down bikes heading off on an exciting mountain bike ride on the trails that start a mile or so up the hill, or skateboarding/scootering to the library down the block for story time, or wandering up to the new Spanish market to pick up some milk and pick some wildflowers in the empty lot on the way home, or walking a few blocks downtown to get 50 cent samples of delicious bread at Great Harvest or go to a minor league baseball game or watch a free concert at the amphitheater.  Oh wait, that's us.

Here's a collage of the houses we see when we walk around the block.

And here's a collage of the churches within two blocks of our house (if we go out 3 blocks, there are way more).

I love diversity.  I love the conversation-starters afforded by a simple walk around the block.  I love the chance to show our kids a good slice of the world right in our neighborhood.  I always dreamed of showing my kids the world, but for now, it's nice to have bits of the world come to us.

P.S.  Today's the last day to vote in the Power of Moms "Best Blog for Deliberate Mothers" Contest.  Please take a moment to check out the great finalist blogs and vote for your three favorites!