Meanwhile a few hundred of the forty or so thousand cars per day passed through our neighborhood and I'm betting not one of them noticed.
Many are called to pass through our neighborhood but few tarry here long enough to appreciate it. And though we want more people to appreciate it, we're not keen to have more people pass through. We're a fairly friendly place but I like to tell 'outsiders', "When you drive through and see us out and about, just remember, wave but don't honk." Our neighborhood is a wonderful treasure - nestled alongside the lake and the Yahara River, close to many workplaces, served by our very own neighborhood business area, within a walk or an easy bike or chair ride of culture, cuisine and a dozen parks, outstanding neighborhood schools, an overflowing abundance of talent, creativity and character. Sure there are plenty of challenges to work on but this is a great place. We know it. The assessors seem to know it. And we are seeing an influx of new families into the neighborhood who have figured it out as well.
Sometimes, I think we should keep it more of a secret. Let's tell people that when they drive by at night and see skaters gliding and laughing on Tenney Lagoon, framed by the trees and the proverbial winter wonderland, like a scene out of Currier and Ives - "Oh that, that's just the latest in outdoor Imax. Olin has its light show. We do that fake skating thing. Looks good though, don't it?"
Let's not tell people how easy it is for us to walk to Fyfe's or the Avenue for dinner, lunch, or an evening out. Keep mum about the sunsets at Giddings. We can at least be a little bit possessive about it - OK, you can go into Spruce Tree and pet the golden retrievers, just kind of look at the beautiful guitars and relish the ambience. Right, other businesses are that welcoming too. Yes, people have commuted to the University on their cross-country skis along the lake. Our children have gone to school in canoes and kayaks. Marquette School just beautifully expanded its space and resources. Lapham has that song, "Our school is really cool. It even has a pool." Housing has become more expensive but to exactly replace the quality of construction, design and character of many structures would cost three times as much but then there's the maintenance.. really that's a pain.. There are some great routes for running and biking but umm.. I forget where you go exactly.
New Urbanism? We know where the best of urban life is but we're not telling. Tell them please, pay no attention to the world beyond your windshield as you drive by.
The problem is, as so many of you know, hiding out in our nice neighborhood and enjoying it quietly is not enough to sustain it. We have to begin with taking the time to meet and greet one another, to revitalize our community, to reach out and garner support and cooperation from the rest of the city. Ignoring problems that we don't want to deal with is not going to make them go away. Hard work is involved in protecting the qualities we enjoy and a great deal more effort is required to realize the full potential of our gifted locale and inhabitants. The good news is that we have many individuals who can and have ably assisted us in many ways.
As the new TLNA President, I get to say thank you. Thank you. And keep up the good work. This newsletter points out many of the great qualities of our neighborhood and presents both problems and possible solutions. There are lots of opportunities to find good work that you can do, like to do, and can deservedly feel proud of doing. We'll still keep quiet about a few of the gifts of our neighborhood. But when the time comes to defend and sustain it, let's continue to speak clearly and loudly and do what needs to be done.