OUR COMMUNITY
I started to think that not all communities are alike. So I decided to make a list of some of the characteristics of ours. Maybe you can do the same.
1. I live in a suburb which is part of a much larger city. (MONTREAL)
2. There are only two ways to drive out of our city. Both are through underpasses. I don’t know what we would do if they were flooded………………………….
3. There are many condos, apartment buildings………………..many single home dwellings………………..some are very expensive – in the millions. There are townhouses……………………….cottages and bungalows.
4. We have several schools……………….about four Jewish religious schools and about two public schools.
5. We have some small grocery stores. We have a small mall; which was one time much bigger but half was destroyed to put up more homes and eventually a condo. We have a few strip malls – mostly with food stores, hairdressers, bakeries and one bagel store etc.
6. We have an Aquatic center – some bike paths and all sorts of parks. We have a built in “lake” which has ducks and pedal boats.
7. We have a large church and several Jewish synagogues.
8. We have at least two large “hospitals” for the elderly.
9. We have at least one retirement home maybe more. I can see one out my kitchen window. Maybe we’ll end up there.
10. Most of the people are seniors but there are young families also.
11. Our mall has SUBWAY, MCDONALDS, CHINESE FOOD, COFFEE SHOP, BOOKSTORE, PHARMACY, CLOTHING STORES ETC. WE USE TO HAVE A LIQUOR COMMISSION, THEATER………………………………BAKERY.
12. I WILL GENERALIZE HERE BECAUSE OF COURSE I DON’T KNOW – MOST FAMILIES HAVE TWO CARS OR MORE.
MOST FAMILIES ARE “WELL-OFF.”
MOST PARENTS WORK. SOME MOTHERS DO STAY HOME OF COURSE AND ARE BUSY WITH BRIDGE AND GOLF AND HAIRDRESSERS
13. WE HAVE TWO SMALL MAJOR GROCERY STORES THAT SELL MOSTLY PREPARED FOODS. YOU CAN BUY ALMOST ANYTHING READY MADE INCLUDING CUT UP ORANGES, SALADS, ALL TYPES OF CHICKEN ETC. IF YOU WANT TO SERVE IT FOR SUPPER YOU CAN PROBABLY CAN BUY IT READY MADE AND A LOT OF WOMEN DO.
14. THERE IS A LOCAL MEDICAL CLINIC IN THE MALL. WE ARE ABOUT FIFTEEN MINUTES AWAY FROM SEVERAL HOSPITALS INCLUDING THE JEWISH GENERAL HOSPITAL WHERE I WAS BORN AND GAVE BIRTH TO MY THREE CHILDREN.
15.THE ROADS HERE ARE CRAP. THEY HAVE HOLES AND BUMPS AND YOU BETTER BE CAREFUL WHERE YOU ARE DRIVING.
16. WE HAVE A SMALL LOCAL NEWSPAPER………………….WWW.THESUBURBAN.COM
17. MANY OF THE STREETS ARE LINED WITH TREES, GRASS AND SOME FLOWERS.
18. WE HAVE ONE MAJOR LIBRARY WHICH IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK ALL YEAR FROM TEN TO TEN. IT HAS A SMALL BRANCH IN THE AQUATIC CENTER WHERE I SWIM
19. MOST OF THE PEOPLE ARE JEWISH. I DON’T THINK THERE ARE ANY BLACK PEOPLE. ALOT OF THE ELDERLY WERE IN THE HOLOCAUST.
20. THIS IS A FAIRLY SAFE AREA ALTHOUGH THIS WEEK A MAN OF SEVENTY TWO HAD TO BE PERSUADED TO COME OUT OF HIS HOME. HE HAD STARTED UP WITH ONE OF THE CITY WORKERS. HE HAD AN ARSENAL OF OVER 100 GUNS!!!!!!
21. MOST PEOPLE SPEAK ENGLISH BUT WE DO HAVE MANY THAT SPEAK FRENCH AND MANY PEOPLE FROM EUROPEAN COUNTRIES.
SO NOW YOU HAVE A GLIMPSE OF WHERE I LIVE.
NOW TELL ME ABOUT YOURS.
Interesting that you should do this. The school where my kids attended sent home a survey to get an idea of people’s perception of the neighbourhood. The questions covered just about the topics you did. I like that your library is open 7 days a week. Ours is open 6 days in the winter and 5 in the summer. Actually, only 5 1/2 days in the winter.
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Thanks for sharing your newspaper url. I will read a few articles. I wondered if you speak French and if you don’t do you run into any animosity because of that. I also wondered if you have read the Three Pines books by Louise Penny.
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We live in a fairly large city in Colorado, not as large as Denver though. There are 4 school districts in the city limits. You look to the west and all you see is mountains, going east is flatland. It is beautiful here. For a large city ours if fairly safe, but go to Denver and there is lot’s of crime. I love our city but think it is getting way to big. Love,
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I loved reading this, but I’m too lazy to take on the assignment suggestion and write my own. Besides, I’m thinking of moving to one of the two metropolitan areas in my state, probably in a year.
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interesting, and yes, very different to my little island community, which I have written about often. I actually have a different interpretation on the concept of community too. I see community as a mutually supportive area of people who pull together through difficulties, are neighbourly, caring and supportive of each other whatever the socio-economic or culture may be. I guess there are such communities within some cities, but I don’t consider a city in that context. Many cities people don’t even know or speak to their neighbours. I am not judging, just seeing how I understand community to be, not merely neighbourhoods. hugs p
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I live on a ranch, and my community is a small town of 300 people–1 grocery store, 3 bars and three churches. A fix it garage with some hardware for sale. The senior center on main street is the hopping place!
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