WHO IS A PART OF
YOUR COMMUNITY?
My building neighbors are part of my community! I live in an apartment building with 8 units (those are the 8 windows in my mushroom).
There are physically local communities such as a town, county, or region, but there are also global communities that identify with some other commonality, such as the global Jewish community or LGBTQ community. I don’t personally limit the scope of a community.
My immediate family mostly on my moms side, my best friends here in NJ, friends in Philly, my boyfriend, and the random neighbors I see outside but don’t know their names.
My community consists of family members and friends who are spread out over about 5 different states. I chose to draw my childhood home because it’s a place where the people closest to me have congregated over the years.
Local—neighbors.
Neighbors and family and friends.
My community involves people who are both local and far away.
Not sure how to answer this question... family, friends, neighbors, even the people who work at Stop and Shop...
Family living in Higland Park, NJ.
My neighbors, family and friends are a part of my community. I live in Highland Park.
My community is far away. I have just moved away from it.
My neighbors- even the ones I don’t know.
Highland Park Community. We are also part of the Rutgers community, the Highland Park Reform Church.
my parents and my nana we all live in the same house so local. i also have friends near Rutgers :)
Both [local and far away].
My whole family, who I live with while simultaneously residing all the way in Baltimore, Maryland.
My community lives close to me, but a lot of them live hundreds of miles away from me.
Family, friends, and neighbors.
Local people.
Family: Husband here in HP, son in AZ, mom & sisters in NY and north Jersey. Aunts/Uncles/cousins in Italy Friends: widespread NY/NJ/PA/CA.
WHO HAS MADE A STRONG IMPRESSION ON YOU IN THE COMMUNITY?
My downstairs neighbor Tommy is an amazing musician. I get to hear him play guitar all day long, and while some people might find that annoying, I find it to be a real highlight of my day. On thursdays, he plays music on a zoom for a nursing home, so I get to listen to all the classics!
My neighbor across the street has made a strong impression. When we first moved in, he immediately welcomed us to the block, introduced us to everyone else, and has subsequently been friendly, talkative, positive, and just generally a very nice neighbor.
At least near where I live, my cousins the Goldsmith-Wieners are some of the most lovable people I’ve ever known. Their humorous stories and extroverted nature has always played a big role on me growing from an introvert to an ambivert.
My next door neighbor always has a few minutes to talk to me whenever I am outside and he always has a smile on his face and something nice to say no matter the time or day. Whenever I talk to him I am reminded that it’s so important to take the time to connect with the people in your lives.
Seth, Stephanie Kaper Dale and Amos Caley I think the amazing work they are doing to support the community. Help those in need and fight for human rights and to provide for those no matter of religious backgrounds or social status.
Local baker who volunteers a lot.
My uncle is someone who impacted me a lot. Though he lives very far I learned a great deal from him! He always taught me to see an idea bigger than it appears to be. Also to be grateful for many things in this world.
Our neighbors Roberta, she is a Master Gardener. Her garden is beautiful and she is very Kind. She like to Share her plants and bulbs with her neighbors to help to make all Neighborhood more beautiful.
My friend Rusty.
My neighbor down the street has a huge beautiful garden.
This older woman who sometimes walks with her daughter and her granddaughter and their dogs. I don’t know her name, but she walks at roughly the same time everyday when the weather is nice. It’s like clockwork.
Most elderly people I meet in my community make a strong impression on me, especially given the COVID pandemic. That they yearn for human connection and take the risk of interfacing with the community is so brave.
My childhood neighbor, J.W taught me a lot about gardening, nature, and sustainability over the years, and also we haven’t been neighbors for years, I still think of her when I observe my neighbors gardens.
The person that made the strongest impression on me showed up when I needed them. They were there when no one else was and they showed empathy and kindness when I needed it most.
Mr Gross.
my nana cause she makes me laugh and is brutally honest.
A guy who gives words to classical music. He is just awesome!! He sells plants as well.
A person who helps many of us through her expert massage therapy and is also a kind, giving connector among us.
My friend from the neighborhood is a true good soul and is an inspiration.
Sara Blue she’s 103 yrs old
WHEN HAVE YOU BEEN GLAD YOU HAD NEIGHBORS?
We had a pet preying mantis named Veronica. My neighbor with the beautiful garden would bring her crickets to eat from her yard. When Veronica laid 5 egg sacks, we gave the first one to our neighbor.
One of my oldest teachers, who is sadly not mentally well anymore, lives across the street from my parent’s home, and she was always a wonderful person to talk to. The insight and kindness she had to people was always worth spending quality time with. Of course, I’ve had friends around the block who were kind in their own right, but most of my closest friends are from beyond my own street.
I’m always glad that I have neighbors when I walk out of my house in the spring and see everyone’s gardens!
I think one of the things I love about Highland Park is how kind and friendly people are and how they care about one another. My daughter fell outside and 3 of our different neighbors came running and helped her, got her first aid and gave her a juice and helped console her. It’s so lovely for my child to grow up having such support.
In a three month period, 5 of our units had smoke alarm scares. The first one was the scariest, as a fireman had to break through our neighbors window. We all came together and made sure we all were ok, safe, and warm. It’s moments like this where you are happy to have people around you.
We had Block party twice. Each time was looooots of fun. I wish we had them twice a year at least. It’s nice to feel safe in the neighborhood and share good times with our close neighbors. I like to share chit chat with our neighbors, share cakes, flowers, and seeing children playing with each other. I hope to establish neighborhood modeled on mushrooms network , depending on each other and helping each other feel good in our neighborhood:-)))).
My mushroom is inspired by the art deco buildings in my neighborhood.
The old house in front of me got bought by a fixer upper, who became really close friends with my grandparents. Sometimes I think they really only have us (me, mom, dad, sister) as friends, so it was nice to see them have the opportunity to connect to new people at their age.
I wasn’t feeling particularly sad or happy but once my neighbor start to have small talks with me every now and then, I always seem to be smiling and enjoying our conversation. It makes me think everyone is as kind and sweet like him!
Neighbor helps me get my car out of the snow.
On the Jewish holiday is Purim I am always so happy to receive from and to give food baskets to my neighbors. Whether it’s my next door neighbor who I see all of the time and know well, or the people down the street that I speak to once or twice a year, Purim is a time that we all connect.
i actually dont have any we dont really talk much to our neighbors :/
In Highland Park I have had countless memorable neighbors and interactions with neighbors, all quite positive in nature, that I could share. I could write my own thesis about how great Highland Park neighbors are.
I was jamming with my friends in my backyard and people appreciated us playing music. That was fun!! Also I get to play with my neighbors’ dogs!!!
When we had that huge snowstorm I was grateful for my neighbor because he helped me shovel my car out of the snow.
My neighbors help me with my trash cans. I know that sounds funny but I appreciate that so much.
I was always glad to have Keith and Judy, my landlords, as neighbors. They brought us eggs, taught us about handiwork, and were generally very hospitable. I felt safer that they were my neighbors.
During hurricane, and when we have shared party.
Early in the pandemic my husband became ill and my local friends and neighbors provided critical support - dropping off food, masks, meds and checking in daily. It was an outpouring of love.
I have appreciated the many kindnesses of my neighbors, enjoyed watching our children grow.