Do you remember picking the ripe blackberries on the empty lot down the street? Your first day at Lord Kelvin school. The day you signed the papers on your first mortgage on the fixer-upper on 8th Street. The day you finally finished the basement.
Or, perhaps you remember the kind elderly lady next door who always gave you a glass of cold lemonade. The neighbours who made sure your newspaper didn't blow away. The postie who always asked after your wife. The barber who still cuts your hair after 20 years.
We've been pondering what constitutes a neighbourhood as we launch our new neighbourhood series in The Record. The 11 different neighbourhoods - or residents' associations as they're officially called in this city - are bounded by streets and avenues, but they are grounded in history, political campaigns over speedbumps and side-walks, and memories of neighbours and relationships.
We had actually thought the neighbourhoods were named and designated before the 1970s - and were surprised to learn that city planners determined the boundaries at that time. But we suspect if you grew up in Queen's Park you knew where the boundaries were long before the city gave it an official stamp.
What we do know for sure is that the first neighbourhood we chose to kick off the series with is one of the most dynamic and interesting neighbourhoods in the city. What was once written off as a soon-to-be replica of Vancouver's downtown eastside has changed course to become a safe place to shop, eat and even raise your family in.
But its current success should not be taken for granted. It's liveability and economic stability depend on engaged residents and businesses who guard the area's future well being. Thankfully, it now has an abundance of residents and business owners who will do just that.
