New to the blog roll is Cafe de la Tulipe. This is Durwin Rice's blog -- Durwin is the mastermind and organizer of the Tulips on Troost initiative.
Reading the blog it reminded me that it is little neighborhood things that make great cities. When you think of great cities, you think of great neighborhoods. And it's neighborhood initiatives like the Tulips on Troost project that bring neighborhoods together. Small groups of people, that work toward a common goal, that make their neighborhood a desired place to live.
It may be picking up trash, planting tulips, or building a neighborhood dog park. None of these things compete with schools, crime, and murders for the most important things in the city. But they're achievable goals (fixing schools does NOT seem achievable right now). And by building good neighborhoods, and communities, in which people desire to live, little by little, house by house, block by block, and neighborhood by neighborhood, you build the entire city into a desireable place to live.
Not 20 years ago, Brookside was considered a tough place to live. Now it stands as one of the most desireable areas in the city for people who can afford to live there and don't have kids. Other neighborhoods have spawned out of this revitalization...and we're seeing it throughout the city.
The Tulips on Troost project is another one of these projects. While Tulips don't seem like the most important issue in KC, this neighborhood(s) project really developed a lot of good relations among neighborhoods that line Troost - -both on the east side and west side.
These types of projects are invaluable to the viability in the city. While these little things may not fix all of the city's problems (like our school system and crime), no one should understemiate how important these "little" things are for building a great city to live in.
Tip of that hat to Durwin, and check out the blog.
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