August - September 2001 Edition

What Makes A Neighborhood   By Sunny Schlenger    What makes a neighborhood, a neighborhood? Is it just a random grouping of houses, cross-streets and perhaps some stores? Maybe a park with a playground?    I’ve had the opportunity to really think about this in the last few years. As a 22- year resident of Fair Lawn, I’ve come to consider this town as more than my place of residence. Yes, I’m “from” Baltimore, but I see the people and issues here as mine now. And so it was with some bemusement that I learned to view Fair Lawn through the eyes of a newcomer.  My fiance, Roy, is from Long Island, New York, and had lived there all of his life – until his move to Fair Lawn not long after we started going out together. His perspective certainly was unique to me; things I had never thought about, or took for granted suddenly came into sharp focus.  His first question to me was, “What kind of neighborhood do you live in?” “Hmmn,” I thought, “What kind of neighborhood do I live in?” “Well,” I said, “it’s a mixture of older and younger people, with no kids, young kids, and grown kids; people who are married, divorced and widowed.” “That’s not what I meant,” he replied. “I wanted to know if it was a friendly neighborhood.”  Oh.  Okay, I can answer that: “Yes, it is”. Folks don’t get in your face here, but they do smile and wave, share information if they know you’re interested, and help out whenever they can. That was borne out through Roy’s experience with the shops here: “I see that there are many Mom and Pop establishments”, he said. I like the personalized service when you go into a place. I get to see the same faces, for the most part, and that feels good.”  One of the other things he inquired about upon his arrival, was how to contact the local American Legion post. To be honest, I had never thought about the Fair Lawn American Legion before. But Roy had been a member in Wantagh, and wanted to join here, so he could march in the Memorial Day parade and participate in other activities. He said, “I was impressed with the friendliness of the post members. I’ve met a wide range of people, from World War II to Viet Nam veterans. They were quick to offer me their recommendations for local restaurants and businesses, and made me feel very welcome. Another thing I like is their long-time active support of a local veterans’ home. I absolutely would encourage any eligible veteran to join.”  And he noted, “I was especially honored to be part of the Memorial Day parade, where I could see firsthand the support of the townspeople for all the participants. The crowd was enthusiastic, and really applauded each group as they passed.”   There are many ways of defining a neighborhood, but ultimately, it comes down to a group of people, living in close enough proximity that they have to work out mutually-satisfying ways of co-existing. These days the concept applies world-wide, but neighborliness always begins at home. (Maybe that’s why Mr. Rogers is so beloved ;-).   As Roy pointed out, “I’ve noticed that the Fair Lawn community seems to be very involved with both the kids here and senior citizens here. There are a variety of youth programs, sports activities, and senior groups. In my opinion, the true pulse of a community, and the neighborhoods within it, can be measured by the involvement of its residents. After all, if the people who live there aren’t involved, who will be?”   He said, “To be honest, moving to Fair Lawn was a big adjustment for me. It’s hard to be so far from the beach, which was a big part of my life. But I’m closer to the mountains here, and the Long Island beaches are only an hour and a half away.”   It’s true, we may not be able to surf in Fair Lawn, but the town has definitely taken these two non-natives, and made them feel very much at home.       Read Sunny's Past Columns in Fair Lawn News Follow Your Passions  (June 2001)  In Spite of Ourselves   (April 2001)     What Do You Think?: Send an e- mail to editor@fairlawnnews.com or post a message on the Fair Lawn News Discussion Forum.