There’s an old-school community feel in my neighborhood. When I wander through it—say, up Eberwhite Blvd. to Lutz, then right on Crest to visit one of the last enormous elms of Ann Arbor—I usually run into someone I know. By the gazebo behind Zion Church, I might stumble upon a neighbor-organized concert, a three-piece band playing to a small audience that includes gardeners working in their community plots. A Memorial Day potluck on Elder St. has been a tradition for almost forty years, replete with the adorably wholesome ritual of a bike parade around the block and the beloved water balloon tossing competition.

When I asked some lifelong locals (aka my kids) what they love about their neighborhood, they had immediate answers. Max, age eight, praised Front Yard Friday, an informal monthly gathering that happens on our dead-end street in the warmer months (think hotdogs and popsicles and kids running in packs up and down the block). Lev, age ten, said, “I like being able to walk to school and see friends.” It’s true that during the school year there is a lively stream of kids and families walking to the elementary school, which is at the heart of the neighborhood. They both mentioned the school playground. It was rebuilt in 2019 in an extraordinary volunteer effort, with hundreds of neighbors coming together to create one of the most beautiful playgrounds in town.

The neighborhood is well-situated between the interest of downtown and the conveniences of W. Stadium Blvd. My house is almost exactly a mile from Main St., and many of my neighbors walk or bike to jobs in town or on campus. A short drive up Liberty gets you to Westgate shopping center, where you can get groceries, fresh bagels, used sporting supplies, shoes, and books (to buy at Schuler’s or to borrow from the library), among other necessities and pleasures. At the western boundary of the neighborhood is the wonderful Stadium Hardware, where you can find anything you need for house projects; their staff are knowledgeable, patient, and supremely nonjudgmental, even if you, like me, are not particularly handy.

And then there’s Eberwhite Woods, a little treasure along the edge of the elementary school grounds. The U-M gifted the land to the Ann Arbor Public Schools in 1946, on the condition that it would not be developed or sold. Much of the stewardship of the woods is informal, done by neighbors who volunteer to weed invasive species, organize trail wood-chipping days, or put up signs to protect the great horned owl fledglings in the spring.

After dropping my kids off at school, I often walk in the woods and run into neighbors walking their dogs, or jogging, or just slowly strolling through and stopping to admire a bloom of mushrooms or the turtles sunning themselves in one of the three little ponds. When we pause to chat, we often share our delight at having landed in this place that is so full of life.