One of the signs of University City's ascendance is the massive influx of young families. Drawn by the neighborhood's history and diversity, and assured by a good public school and a safer street environment, many more well-educated parents are choosing University City as the place to raise their children. One of the best side benefits of this is a Google Group called Clark Park Tot Lot. Amy and I have used it to give away a crib, get leaves for our compost pile, and find out about a recent shooting. The participants are unfailingly polite, generosity abounds, and the forum has proven to be an efficient means of allowing neighbors to help neighbors.
It is, in short, how a community should function. Contrary to what some haters think, technology doesn't always have to destroy social fabrics; sometimes, it can be used to strengthen them.
3 comments:
Hey Lee, is this the sort of group my friends with a six-month-old who live in U City could benefit from? Is anything required for membership?
Nicholas, this is absolutely a good resource for your friends. They should join - it's easy (go to Google Groups) and it's useful.
Nicholas - PIC has a playgroup on Mondays and Fridays that is wonderful. Although many of the children are around 2yrs there are a handful of folks that bring little ones like yours. It is more social for the parents and often leads to some good networking with other parents in the neighborhood. I took both my children there from the time they could sit up and found they were always entertained, even if it was just watching the big kids.
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