Being the sort of person who doesn't "fit in" much of anywhere, I wasn't sure I'd ever find a neighborhood to call Home. I wanted a place that wouldn't just tolerate my minor eccentricities, but consider them inoffensive in the first place. I wanted neighbors who'd have eccentricities of their own, and would be interesting to talk to as they walked their dogs or their selves down my street.
To my great pleasure and everlasting gratitude, my neighborhood not only existed, but was affordable and close by, superbly located. We bought a house here in 1996 - the only piece of property this longtime real estate person has ever owned.
My neighborhood is filled with truly fine humans, smart and kind, yet realistic. They tend to be sensible, original, levelheaded, fun-loving, productive, tasteful, responsible, thoughtful, and tight with their community without expressing it by shutting others out. Tolerance and individuality live here.
From its beginnings in the early 1950's, this little urban town was mixed. It was built that way on purpose, perhaps as a marketing gimmick. I don't care why. The result is that we have whites and blacks, Spanish from many different countries, and likewise for Asians; people from everywhere, all over the world; and born and bred Floridians too.
They are straight and gay and in between, young and old, redneck and not, families and singles and couples. We seem to have at least one of everyone. There are a lot of small business owners here. Something about our little town attracts that independent spirit.
As different as they all are, and despite the fact that bigotry lives here as elsewhere, people tend to get along quite well.
It's also one of the hottest real estate markets in the country.
If you want a gated community, go to Boca Raton. If you want condo commandos, go to Pompano Beach. Here there is no Homeowner's Association, and I highly doubt there ever will be.
Are there jerks, too? Sure. It ain't perfect. And gentrification is upping one of the jerk factors, which is, Change your property because I don't like how it looks. OTOH: there's a good strong sense of individual sovereignty to combat that.
Overwhelmingly, it's just so likable, and comfortable...and home.
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2 comments:
Heh. I *hate* HOA's. I've sworn to never buy a house in a HOA. Freakin' Nazis. Especially here in AZ where so many HOA's are populated with retirees with nothing better to do with their time than make other people's lives miserable.
Yes! Most of them have never had an ounce of power in their lives. Get that ounce, they want to ramrod everyone else with it. Brings out the worst in human nature, IMO.
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