After enjoying last night's summer concert at Narberth Park, I was reminded of how special our town is. Adults were enjoying the music. Next-door neighbors and cross-town neighbors alike were socializing, eating picnic dinners, and enjoying cool beverages in the summer twilight. Our children were alternately dancing to the music or playing in the playground. Eventually, they must decide whether to spend their pocket change on candy from the field house, or pizza and water ice from the 4th of July committee tables.
I'm sure we all have friends that don't get it. They want new construction, bigger driveways, wider roads, and huge lawns. They think we're a bit nutty paying top dollar for what has become, comparably, a tiny home in America. In 1950, the average American new home construction was 983 sq/ft. My own home is about that size. By 1990 though, that had risen to 2070 sq/ft. In 2004, the average had risen to 2349 sq/ft. The current Northeast region average is 2601 sq/ft.
As an avid garage estate sale enthusiast, I can offer a bit of wisdom I've learned over the years. "You fill the space you're in". The next time your home feels a bit small, just remember that millions of New Yorkers pay even more money to live in smaller spaces!
After enduring the standard insults from our friends, we nod and give a Narberthian smile. Moments later, we'll take a leisurely walk over to the American Family Market to pick up a few necessities before dinner. Along the way, we'll stop to speak with our neighbors and catch up on the latest news. It is a lifestyle which has become lost art in much of post-WWII America. Suburbia is now dominated by garage-front-entrances, porchless homes, and backyard activities behind 10ft fences. The home may be one's castle, but need it be a fortress?
Tonight, I found an online tool which quantifies the livability of our community. The website WalkScore, needs an address and then calculates the 'walkability' of a home based on its proximity to the commercial and retail spaces we all require for modern living. My own home qualified as "Walker's Paradise". I'll bet yours will as well.
Just remember that this paradise doesn't exist in a vacuum. It needs your local shopping dollars to sustain and nourish it. It needs your kindness and friendliness to your neighbors to strengthen our community.
It is a sad day in Narberth as Lenore Robison begins the process of closing Earthworks gift boutique on Haverford Ave. For personal reasons, Lenore needs to return to her previous occupation as a medical anthropologist. Lenore had really revitalized Earthworks and brought in a very tasteful selection of gift items. If you've every wanted to run your own gift boutique, this is your opportunity. The business is for sale here.
