What better way to celebrate your neighborhood than with good food, friendly faces, and a chance to meet the people next door?
On Saturday, September 19, Lexington residents celebrated National Neighborhood Day with parties held for every precinct. Organized by Town Meeting members, the gatherings gave neighbors a chance to meet, get to know their precinct’s Town Meeting members, and enjoy food and conversation.
“The spirit of National Neighborhood Day encouraged folks in the Town Meeting Members Association to have, essentially, a block party in each of the nine precincts,” said Taylor Singh, a Town Meeting member in Precinct 6. “It’s about warmth and community building. We build a more resilient community when neighbors know each other.”
For residents who are often caught up in the bustle of everyday life, the neighborhood parties offer people a chance to slow down and converse with those living around them.
“One person who attended told me they had expected to come by and stay for 15 minutes, and they kept meeting people and having conversations,” said Sean Osborne, the Town Meeting member who originally proposed the idea of neighborhood parties. “Their 15 minutes became an hour, and then an hour became an hour and a half, and then almost two hours.”
Carolyn Fiore, who attended the party for Precincts 3 and 9, found a similar sense of connection among her neighbors.
“It’s nice to meet some neighbors that we don’t know,” Fiore said. “Most of the people we know come from our kids and their friends and their parents. We don’t know a lot of neighbors because my husband and I both work full time, so we’re not out and about as much.”
The gatherings also gave residents a chance to share food with their neighbors through a sign-up sheet, and there was plenty to go around. At the Precinct 7 party, Town Meeting member Catherine Yan brought homemade chicken parmesan, pinwheel samosas, pesto bread, white chocolate brownies, and other treats.
As neighbors talked and got to know one another, some even discovered familiar faces.
“All this time I’ve known him, but I didn’t know he was part of Precinct 6,” said Zuby Singh, pointing to a friend standing beside her. “That was a nice surprise.”
Besides meeting neighbors, the parties also provided an opportunity for residents to connect with Town Meeting members and talk about issues affecting the town.
“I think that this is a good start to how people can communicate and get more citizens informed about town politics,” said Olga Guttag, who attended the Precinct 6 party. “Using technology to reach out to people misses a large number of people in the town whose opinions matter. That’s why I’m here today.”
Osborne stressed that even though this was not a political gathering, it still provided the chance for residents to meet their elected officials in a neighborly manner.
“The more accessible we as elected officials are to people, the better it is for governing in general,” Osborne said. “It’s always good to have a face with a name.”
Osborne initially proposed the idea of National Neighborhood Day precinct parties to Sarah Higganbotham, the president of the Town Meeting Members Association.
“Detective Aidan Evelyn from the Lexington Police Department actually put the idea of a neighborhood gathering into my head when we both served on the Human Rights Committee,” Osborne said. “When I was elected to Town Meeting, National Neighborhood Day seemed like a good avenue to bring that idea to life and give residents a chance to get together and connect with their elected officials.”
After the proposal, the Town Meeting Members Association launched the gatherings as a pilot last year, when several precincts held parties. This year marked the first time all precincts participated.
With the initiative still in its early stages, organizers are already thinking about how they can grow and improve the gatherings in the years ahead.
“One of my long-term goals for the event is that attendance at each one grows to at least 60 people,” Osborne said. “Another long-term goal is that the TMM-hosted precinct parties inspire others to host National Neighborhood Day parties on the third Saturday of September.”
Osborne emphasized that the precinct parties are open to all Lexington residents.
“Everybody’s welcome, no matter how old they are or how long they’ve lived in town.”