Saturday, June 16, 2012

Reflections on the Neighborhood Sale

What did it accomplish? 

So the Academy neighborhood yard and garage sale has come and gone. I've spent quite a bit of time thinking about this question: Was it worth it? The answer I have arrived at is "yes" and here are a few reasons why.

Our neighborhood deserves what other neighborhoods have, and no one is going to simply give us these things. One of the small events that most "named" (Glenwood, Frontier) neighborhoods in the City of Erie hold every year is an organized sale. The organized neighborhood sale might not seem like much. But the organized sale acts as a signal to the rest of the city and region that the people living here have their act together. They are organized, care about their neighborhood, and want other people to visit their neighborhood. It's nice to make a few bucks selling cast-off items, but the real goal of the sale is much larger than that. The real goal is to draw attention to our neighborhood in a positive way.

Another reason, and hopefully the biggest reason, that the sale was a success in my eyes, is that it has started the ball rolling for our neighborhood association. I am hoping that the Academy Neighborhood Association does more than just organize a yard sale every year. There are many ways we can work together to improve our neighborhood: organized efforts to draw attention to blighted properties, fundraising for neighborhood beautification projects, and simply talking about our neighborhood in a positive light.

Making the Academy Neighborhood Association into an active, vibrant organization isn't going to be easy, but the work has already started. More than 30 homes participated in the neighborhood sale and our Facebook page has 11 "likes". I don't know the exact path we are going to take, but I'm glad we have started down the path. And I'm even more excited that you have chosen to join me!

Friday, June 1, 2012

Passed out more flyers in the rain this morning. Be sure to let your friends and family know about the sale! 

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Walking the Neighborhood

If you are reading this you probably received a small advertisement for the Academy Neighborhood Yard/Garage Sale on June 9th. I spent  the morning passing those out, placing them on people's porches. Walking the neighborhood so early in the morning reminded me of my days as a paperboy! It also gave me a fresh view of the hundreds of nice homes in the Academy Neighborhood.


So I guess I should tell you a little about myself. My name is Bob and I live on East 30th Street. I am a proud homeowner. I recently participated in the Erie Citizen Planning Academy, which was organized to try to get local residents involved in neighborhood revitalization. I had also been involved in our neighborhood's attempt (a few years ago) to form and maintain a neighborhood watch group. That group fizzled out but I learned something from my involvement with the group: There are many people who want to be more involved in their neighborhood.


So I decided to start this group, The Academy Neighborhood Association. My first goal was to organize a neighborhood yard sale. Glenwood has one, Frontier has one, why can't we? My next goal is to have an Academy Neighborhood meeting. I'm working on a time and place. From there we will decide as a group what our goals are going to be. I have a number of ideas and I'm sure you do to. Most immediately, our neighborhood needs some attention from the city. Our streets need to be paved and our street lights need to be fixed on a regular basis. These are the complaints I hear first from most people.


Thank you for getting involved! I'll keep you updated through this blog and through our facebook page.


Bob

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Share this! Email academy.neighborhood.erie@gmail.com if you plan on having a sale!

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Don't forget! 
Academy Neighborhood 
yard/garage sale - June 9th!
      I found these postcards on ebay a while back. They give you some perspective as to how Academy High was viewed by the public in Erie shortly after it's construction. Academy was a very high profile building!





Above: A great look at the school from the football field. If you've never seen the school from this angle I highly recommend it. You may have to sneak on to the field after a football game.




Above: The trees planted on the north and east sides of the stadium are long gone. There is much more development on the property between State Street and Glenwood Parkway. It looks like you would encounter nothing but trees the whole way to the Erie Zoo!


Above: Another on field look at the school. If you have any images like these or any insight into historic events that may have taken place in out neighborhood please let us know!

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Use this poster to promote the neighborhood sale. Let people know! It shows up a little small here on the blog but a larger version is available on facebook. Just share it on your own "wall" or tag yourself in it if you are planning on having a sale. 

Send a quick email message if you are going to participate in the sale. Thanks!

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Welcome to the Academy Neighborhood in the City of Erie. Our neighborhood is a few short minutes from downtown Erie and is full of charming homes and proud residents (And let's not forget Mighty Fine Donuts!).


The neighborhood is very loosely defined as State Street near Collegiate Academy. Also French, Holland, and German Streets from East 26th to East 33rd. This is by no means a definitive boundary! It is just the starting point for our neighborhood efforts.


Our first ever Academy Neighborhood Yard/Garage Sale is coming up Saturday, June 9th, 2012. It starts at 8 a.m. and continues through the early afternoon. Everyone is welcome to participate! If you have a garage, porch, or yard you can have a sale June 9th! If you want to have a sale contact Bob through this blog. I am compiling a list of all of the homes participating. As of right now we are not planning on spending money to advertise. We are going to rely on word of mouth, this blog, and the Academy Neighborhood Association facebook page to spread the word. 


So tell a neighbor! They may not have heard. And if you aren't having a sale June 9th take some time to walk the neighborhood, get to know your neighbors, and shop for bargains!