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In the Hillside Neighborhood, the block of Ninth Street
between Peoples and Jacob is a special place.
"It's peaceful, it's extraordinarily peaceful,"
says Methyl Williams, a resident of the block for almost
50 years. "All the homeowners are trying to keep
up their houses and that's most important. You can go
to bed nights, and you can sleep nights. You don't hear
car horns honking and cars screeching. It's a pleasure
living here. People come by and they admire the neighborhood."
They do so with good reason. The entire length of Ninth
Street from Peoples across to Hoosick is tree-lined,
and the residents of this block, including tenants,
homeowners, and the block's one institution, Pahl House,
add to the graciousness of the trees by hanging flowering
plants at their doorways in the spring and summer. In
autumn, they rake and remove the leaves once they've
colored and crisped. In winter, the sidewalks are fairly
clear of snow and ice for people walking downtown, or
students crossing over the block to get to RPI's campus.
Such walkers may wonder if there is a magic secret to
this part of the Hillside. "What we try to do now
is try to make the neighborhood look presentable during
the springtime, during the summertime with planting,
flowers," notes Williams.
This hasn't always been the case. When Williams moved
on the block, the neighborhood was quiet, but it wasn't
immaculate. "It wasn't that people weren't taking
care of their property," says Williams, "but
some of the buildings have been torn down since then,
and we did have some buildings revamped, and that really
built up the neighborhood."
Frances Harrison, a resident for more than 40 years,
has also witnessed these changes. When she first moved
in, it was all families. A few residents passed away
and their homes were bought by other families, most
of whom are still living there.
"We had our ups and downs," says Williams.
"We had people in the neighborhood that used drugs
but they're all gone. We got rid of them with the cooperation
of the police and the people in the neighborhood working
together. It wasn't that the police did it all themselves,
the neighbors worked at it also. We cooperated. And
cleaned it up."
They had meetings on the block, meetings in the park
and in the United Armenian Calvary Congregational Church
- not just about the drug situation, but for bettering
everyday life, too. The church opens up its hall for
meetings and holiday parties for kids.
"I still feel there is a sense of people working
together," Williams says. "There's always
someone painting, fixing and adding, to keep it up and
keep it looking decent." "People take care
of their homes, inside and out," echoes Harrison.
"The sidewalk is swept. Everyone respects others
and when one person cleans or fixes up, it encourages
others to do the same." Harrison doesn't "make
a lot of noise unless there's a reason." If it
looks like there's a problem she will confront by saying
something to them; if it doesn't look like a big concern,
she follows up with the neighbor later to let them know
what she saw.
Listening to these women, you can find hints on how
to make your own block a pleasant place. "Just
start to make it look nice," says Williams. "It
will make people feel like they want to live there.
Mr. Reid has a garbage can tied to a telephone pole
to help keep in front of his house clean. If you keep
up your front, you can help people along."
Since it's hard for neighbors to ignore each other when
they're outside with a broom or shovel the amount of
time invested in maintaining houses and sidewalks leads
to other community benefits.
But is the balance delicate between minding your own
business and preserving the neighborhood? "No,
because it is an open setting. It's nice to be friendly,"
says Williams. Sounds simple, and it is, but in these
times, when people race between work and home, often
in the isolation of their cars, it seems important to
remember that friendliness is not an invasion of privacy.
Harrison is always ready with a smile and a greeting,
whether she knows you or not, as are the other longtime
residents of the neighborhood.
The easy hellos come from newer residents, too. "Sometimes
I just take time out, and I stop to talk next door to
Mrs. Holmes," continues Williams, "and sometimes
I go across the street to Pahl House.
I go over and I knock on the door, ring the bell and
we'll have conversation. At Christmas time I send a
card, Easter time. If I have time to talk to the kids,
and when the staff are coming and going we chat like
that. Ms. Reid, Ms. Harrison, we talk to each other,
and Ida, it's more like a family - it's a sense of caring
we do have. Quite a few of us attend the same church,
and so there's a lot of sharing and caring."
If you have a minute, take the time to enjoy a tour
of Ninth Street between Jacob and Peoples this spring
or summer. Take the tour on foot so you can fully enjoy
the flowers and greetings. You might discover a way
to invite some more peace into your own neighborhood.
Amy Halloran is a neighborhood resident.
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