The State of the Neighborhood - 2008

An annual statement to the members of BelmontNA

Greetings from the heart of the 'Hood.

Here on the fringe of lower Greenville Avenue, we are fortunate to be living not in a cookie cutter suburb like Plano, not in a generic exurb like Grapevine and not in a sterile fiefdom like Highland Park. We are lucky to be living in one of the last remnants of the soul of Dallas: a vital, throbbing, edgy, folksy, hip inner urban neighborhood with a long history as one of Dallas' first and oldest residential areas, a mere gallop from downtown.

This period of our neighborhood's history is one of intensity - intense in its throes of transition. On one hand, it's sad to see a lot of old houses being torn down, on the other hand, none of us miss the pit bulls tied up on the front porches, the mattresses on the curbs, or the crackhouses. All the neighbors around here are feeling the growing pangs of this change, while also welcoming the fresh new faces we see walking their terriers 'round the block, jogging and waving, populating the new influx of coolness around here.

This transition, ultimately, is for the better, but like all transitions, it can be a rough ride. Those of us who choose to live here are well suited to helping shape this transition. We're flexible, congenial, and not afraid of change. We also cherish our peace, autonomy and privacy as much as we enjoy a good party and lively nearby cafés that put us within a stroll from dinner or a drink with friends.

With all transition comes some conflict, as the forces of change sweep through, colliding amid the process of fusion. Here in the Belmont Neighborhood Association, we are no strangers to the news media, to City Hall, to DPD's commanding officers on patrol, or to the owners of business establishments that think this is a frontier in some funky urban Wild West saloon town. We are used to butting heads with the fraternity inebriates of nearby colleges who mistake our streets for parking lots, and our requests for civility as the tired platitudes and complaints of parental figures that they unthinkingly, instinctively rebel against.

We are also, regretfully, frequent sparring partners with other Old School neighborhood associations. They claim to be our voice at City Hall, making every effort to make sure our problems stay tucked away down here in lowest Greenville rather than help us deal with those problems. That way, they can have their nice little neighborhood association picnics and balloon-punctuated block parties in peace further north. To them, we are renegades. And that is a colorful profile we are glad to embody. It's a thankless job, but if we hadn't been out on the streets running interference for the past ten years, if we hadn't been interfacing constantly with the City of Dallas, if we hadn't bothered to knock on our neighbor's doors and engage them in the process, if we hadn't taken the time and interest to talk with developers about their plans, things here would be a lot worse than they are today.

The temperature of progress is apparent in many ways: Year by year, we call the police less often, we have fewer complaints to make about noise, and we have far less altercations with parties going on at the curb in front of our houses at 2am on a Saturday night.

None of this happened by itself: It happened because we MADE it happen by sheer persistence. It took a village called BelmontNA to turn this around.

Every week, the officers of your association field calls from people in entirely different parts of Lower Greenville, some not even within the boundaries of our association, asking us for help to solve problems in their own neighborhood. Why do they call us? Because we have earned a reputation for getting things done against all odds.

This past year has been a banner year for our neighborhood. We are now 185 members strong. We have succeeded in establishing Resident Parking Only districts on four streets, with two more under review by the City of Dallas. Remarkably, we have been able to pay for all the expense ourselves, freeing up our neighbors from this burden, thanks to having healthy funds in our coffers. And that's why we are only asking our members to pay $2 a year membership dues.

But that doesn't mean we don't have picnics...  sort of.

Last August, to celebrate National Night Out Against Crime, we had a fantastic party at the Lakewood Garden Center on the old Arcadia site, complete with a live jazz band and tons of food and drink donated by local eating and watering establishments. In fact, there was so much food and drink that we had to donate boxes and boxes of food to the police and fire stations after we wound down a great party. Stay tuned, this party happens every August, and we have plans to maintain our reputation as the Best National Night Out party in the inner city!

Other opportunities to come together this next year are in the works right now, so if you think this renegade lifestyle might suit you, by all means give us a call. And if you would kindly please renew your $2 membership, we promise to do our best not to spend it all in one place. Quality of life can be enjoyed on a budget around here, and we're committed to keeping it that way.

And, we're committed to helping keep the peace on the streets, no matter how many tow trucks and emails to the City of Dallas it takes. All in all, I have to say: Life in the 'hood is good.... and getting better.

Thanks to all of you who make that dream a reality, every day.

Respectfully,

Diana Souza, President
Belmont Neighborhood Association
February 15, 2008