Nomads. Nothing but nomads.
That’s the stereotype of Americans–rootless, always on the go, strangers to their next-door neighbors.
But that reputation is overblown. Fewer and fewer Americans are on the move, says Lewis Feldstein, co-author with Robert Putnam of the 2003 book “Better Together: Restoring the American Community” (Simon & Schuster, $15, paper).
“Even though there’s a huge amount of relocation compared to other developed countries, there’s been a gradual slowdown,” he said.
Some of the strongest evidence of that comes in the form of the block party. In 1978, there were 1,500 block parties in Chicago. In 2004, that number was at 4,222. Yet this old-fashioned event has undergone a 21st Century update, becoming more elaborate as people put the same time and care into planning their event as they might for a PowerPoint presentation at work.
“When I started doing the book, I could not get over how inventive people are,” said Peggy Allen, author of “Block Parties and Poker Nights: Recipes and Ideas for Getting and Staying Connected With Your Neighbors” (Clarkson Potter, $18).
Allen’s hall of fame includes tractor races in Guilford, Conn., but also bowling in the street in Wilmette and a block in Aurora where every driveway features a different game.
The schedule for the shindig in Chicago’s 5400 block of North Bernard Street was typical of this trend: It was long enough to fill several Palm screens and placate any attention span; the “Candyland” theme was colorful enough to inspire the creativity of kids and adults alike.
Residents began by setting up the tables at 9 a.m. and called it a night after deejay Daniel Gonzalez (who also lives there and manages the Northeastern Illinois University radio station) got the neighbors dancing till around 10 p.m. And that was just the official part of the annual celebration, which usually concludes with a card game that lasts till 2 a.m.
The folks on Bernard have been doing this for 16 years, and they’re getting good at it. Resident Larry Ramos, who works for the Chicago police, says it’s made a big difference in the neighborhood. “Everybody knows everybody,” he said. “And I don’t think that happened before.”
Longtime resident Janet Hergenreder agreed. She sat at a table playing bingo with Rosemary Scaletta and her mother, Julia. The Scalettas moved to the suburbs five years ago but still come back for the block party each year.
“The block party has really helped,” Hergenreder said. “Before, it was like everybody stayed in their own little world.”
Not anymore. The line was long for the bratwurst and hot dogs. The games were silly but fun enough to entertain everyone, whether it was men racing backward, women trying to kick their shoe the farthest, or two teams building balloon towers with equal parts lung power and tape. There was a Scrabble tournament, a swap table with records from the ’70s and books, and temporary tattoos too.
Watching over it all was the block’s mascot, Miss Bernard, a mannequin who normally resides in photographer Bruce Van Inwegen’s basement and arrives each year in the middle of the street dressed according to the party’s theme. Last year’s “Under the Sea” moniker meant she came equipped with a fin and nurse’s hat as “Nurse Shark.” This time, for “Candyland,” she stood in a garbage can with canned food draped over her. Her name had been changed to Dee. (Get it? Canned Dee?)
“It’s just a really bad pun,” admitted Van Inwegen with a smile as he manned the enormous grill he’d received as a Father’s Day gift.
Golf by kids, for kids
Less humorous, but more enchanting, was the one-hole miniature golf course that had been created by the children of several families to resemble the “Candyland” game. Older kids supervised the younger ones and the result was a colorful course–it even had a water hazard–that attracted a number of under-10 golfers.
“We just looked at the board and came up with ideas,” said Anna Christianson, 13.
Author Feldstein, who is president of the New Hampshire Charitable Trust, is a big fan of block parties. As an aide to then-New York Mayor John Lindsay in the ’60s and ’70s, he actively promoted thousands of block parties as a way to bring neighborhoods together and reduce crime at the same time.
In the last two censuses–1990 and 2000–fewer and fewer Americans are on the move, he said. And statistics, he added, vividly show the effect that a sense of community can have on an area.
“Where social capital is higher–where trust is higher–people will literally feel better about themselves,” he said. “Their health will be better. They will be safer. The schools will work better with roughly the same budget.”
Feldstein attributes part of the continuing strength of the block party to post-9/11 desires for connection to other people. Author Allen, a former vice president of Lifetime Television who now co-owns a production company that she runs out of her Wilmette home, seconds that.
“I think this is Baby Boomers trying to refigure a little more quality of life,” she said. “I think there’s a great desire to feel a neighborhood vibe. Some people don’t know how to get that, and block parties are a really safe way to go.”
The vibe that the Haas family picked up at the 2002 block party on Bernard lasted long after the summer was gone. In January 2003, a fire gutted their home. Jo Haas remembers how her neighbors came to her aid that night.
“They helped out and I think it was partly because of the block party–people we had met,” she said. “That was great.”
When the Gonzalez family moved onto Bernard years ago, the very next day was the block party.
“It was wonderful,” said Norma Gonzalez, Daniel’s mother. “It felt like it was just for us.”
This year, the same thing happened for the Peters family in northwest suburban Trout Valley.
A neighborly welcome
The secluded village along the Fox River (about 200 homes) had a block party on the day they moved in. Sure, it was a bit commercial–Mayor Bob Baker was one of the winners of an essay contest sponsored by Edy’s Ice Cream, so he earned a “Two Scoop Neighborhood Salute” for which the manufacturer provided free ice cream for everyone.
Afterward, Heidi Peters was overwhelmed with gratitude and a sense of belonging.
“It’s just picture-perfect,” she said. “We’re standing under these oak trees eating ice cream and [the neighbors] are meeting us and they’re genuinely nice people. I’m so very happy.”
The neighborhood’s reputation for friendliness is so strong that the Peterses moved from a much newer subdivision less than a mile away to be part of the Trout Valley community, which once was a vast estate belonging to the Hertz family of car-rental renown.
“There’s just a huge support system,” said Jenny Liautaud, part of a three-generation family that has called the area home. “If I needed anybody to watch my kids because I got stuck somewhere, I could pull out the [neighborhood] directory and call anybody and they would do it. It’s just a great sense of security.”
Back on Bernard, party organizers Rich and Lynn Lapka were more than sure where they belonged. That’s why they decided to add on to their house instead of moving.
“We don’t have a lot of family that lives this in this area,” Lynn said. “So this is our family.”
Here are the building blocks for throwing a terrific party
There’s more to making a block party successful than barricading the street and cranking up the grill. Peggy Allen, a TV producer from Wilmette who wrote “Block Parties and Poker Nights: Recipes and Ideas for Getting and Staying Connected With Your Neighbors,” leads us through what she calls “Block Party 101”:
Get permission: Don’t forget to contact your municipality for a permit and to arrange for the street barricades.
Map out your area: It sounds simple, but make sure you decide what area your block comprises. Sure, that one couple is grumpy, but invite them anyway. Why not invite the 12 units in the condo building on the corner? “Anything that suggests you’ve been arbitrary will come back to bite you,” Allen warned.
Create a crystal-clear flier: Which side of the street brings salads, which brings desserts? How much of a donation do you want for the bratwursts and burgers? Does that include the soft drinks? Details are critical, Allen said.
Pick your organizers carefully: Don’t fly solo; find one or two other people to be part of the initial planning and flier distribution. If you have young kids, pick a single and some empty-nesters to help. “If all three names on the flier are moms with toddlers,” Allen noted, “people will ask, `Is this just for kids or is it really for the whole block?'”
Target a terrific turnout: That means choosing an appropriate day. Although some blocks have the party in June or July, Allen said vacationers may miss out on the fun. For that reason, she suggests a Sunday afternoon after the kids are back to school.
Make tasks manageable: Create small chores for many hands so no one person gets stuck doing most of the work, Allen said. Plus, if somebody forgets to do something or bring something–and that will happen–the party can easily recover.
Get people talking: With new people moving in each year, Allen suggests using a neighborhood trivia contest as an icebreaker. Who has a dog named Ralph? Whose tree was knocked over in the last storm? “People who don’t know a soul have a reason to go up and introduce themselves,” she said. “We’re both looking at the same sheet of paper.”
Invite the authorities: Ask the police officers who patrol your area to stop by for a bite, Allen said. “Cops love this; they love the neighbors to know about them,” she said.
–P.K.
What about the 364 other days?
Creating a sense of community in your neighborhood doesn’t have to be limited to a once-a-year block party, says Peggy Allen, author of “Block Parties and Poker Nights.” Here are a few more ideas for getting to know one another better all year long:
Progressive dinner parties. “That’s the next extension of the block party,” she said. “Bringing it in-house, sharing the workload with a combination of potluck and migrating house to house.”
Create a neighborhood directory. List adults, kids, pets. It’s equally helpful for finding a babysitter or remembering if the guy down the street goes by Will or Bill, Allen said. A neighborhood newsletter also helps, she said.
Ditch the back yard. “Nothing breeds neighborhood warmth like porches,” she said. If you don’t have a porch, sit on the front steps or pull out a lawn chair and read the paper.
Sporting-event party. Wherever Allen has lived, she and her husband, Todd, have always hosted a Kentucky Derby party with 55 or 60 people crammed into their living room. Whether it’s the horses or opening-day baseball or the Super Bowl, “it’s an easy icebreaker,” she said.
Share and share alike. On Allen’s block, three snowblowers handle 12 houses. If you’re renting an aerator for your lawn in the spring, let the neighbors know and split the rental. If you’re changing your flower bed, maybe a neighbor can use the perennials you’re digging out.
Group garage sales. Clean out your clutter together and attract a lot of customers, Allen said.
–P.K.
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On the radio
Share your block-party stories with Kathy and Judy between 9 a.m. and noon Monday. Tune in WGN-AM 720.
