We wanted to give a quick shout out to all the excellent neighbors immediately adjacent to the tiny house lot (and Councilmember McDuffie’s house) that we’ve met as we’ve knocked on doors and have been working outside each day (names abbreviated for privacy):
–S&T, who offered us power before our electricity was installed. (He also runs a very cool bike rental business, Bikes To Borrow). Brought us a bottle of wine to welcome us to the neighborhood.
–A&M, who stopped by with popsicles for us on one of the hottest workdays this year. A has been photographing the lot to document the positive changes, and sharing it with her class. Have a plot assigned in the community garden.
–All the workers rehabbing an old rowhouse next to the lot, who let us temporarily use water to keep the new trees alive, and who are always ready with a wave and smile.
–Mr. P, a long-standing resident of the neighborhood, who dropped by with cold water on the second hottest day of the year, and who also lent us a lawnmower to trim up the lot. So kind.
–Ms. N, who let’s us use her hose to fill up the garden cistern each week. She is gardening in the community garden.
–E, who lent us a hand installing windows one day, and who walks by and waves a friendly hello at least 4x a day.
–Gwen (President of a nearby Tenant & Civic Association), and Kimberly who live nearby, and brightened our day with their passion for affordable housing, and their enthusiastic support of the project.
It turns out that the alley along the graveyard is quite a thoroughfare for many folks in the wider neighborhood. At least 5-6 times each day we are greeted kindly by neighbors curious about what we are up to, and who all seem pleased with the progress on the formerly empty and overgrown lot (one of them even informed us that part of the lot used to be a garden decades ago!). So thanks neighbors, it’s been great to have so much positive energy out there.