I apologize for being behind on my blogging....
I promised(long ago it seems) a post with pictures of my unique neighborhood.... so here they are.
Every neighborhood is special. Perhaps what makes where we live most special are the people who we are blessed to live alongside. Many times, these same people we would never necessarily choose as friends but they become friends just by proximity.
Our family has been fortunate to live in many special neighborhoods.
I feel like I have become somewhat of a professional neighborhood-picker, given all of our moves. I have a criteria - not one I am willing to put out there, but it's there up in that crazy idea filled head of mine.
Our Minnesota neighborhood is called Cottagewood and has to be the most unique place we have lived. The store pictured above is called the Cottagewood Store and is really the center of our small community. It is a gathering place for neighbors of all ages - mostly the neighborhood children who love to ride their bike or scooter to the store for the candy, ice cream, soda, pizza and smoothies they sell. I knew that a neighborhood that had a store like this had to be a warm and fuzzy place.
Cottagewood is on a penisula on Lake Minnetonka - so it feels safe. My kids ride their bikes freely to friends houses, without adult supervision. It reminds me of how I grew up and just what a luxury that is these days. The neighborhood has two beaches where neighbors gather to swim and enjoy the lake.
The Lake Minnetonka Yacht Club is on an island right off the shore of Cottagewood so we are able to watch lots of sailing regattas! Many kids in the neighborhood attend "sailing school" in the summer and go on to compete in races.
The neighborhood park is right across the street from the store and is a wonderful spot for the kids to gather to play. Often you see kids playing a pick-up game of wiffle ball - with big kids right alongside little kids.
There is a mixture of home styles in the neighborhood - from grand to modest. The neighborhood was once a weekend destination for Minneapolis families who then called our homes "summer cottages". Some of those "cottages" remain others have been torn down to make way for modern luxury homes - most still built in a cottage style.
I love the time and effort that my neighbors put into gardening. I love going for walks and enjoying all the beautiful perennial gardens and flowering window boxes.
Now don't let these beautiful pictures fool you - many might argue with me - but summer is really the best time to be in Minnesota. Perhaps I will do a winter tour of the same spots - all will be covered in a blanket of white SNOW! That has been the difficult part for me.....oh, I know people have bigger problems than 80 inches of snow and sub-zero temperatures for days on end.....still.........
What makes your neighborhood special?
Have a wonderful Monday!
I promised(long ago it seems) a post with pictures of my unique neighborhood.... so here they are.
Every neighborhood is special. Perhaps what makes where we live most special are the people who we are blessed to live alongside. Many times, these same people we would never necessarily choose as friends but they become friends just by proximity.
Our family has been fortunate to live in many special neighborhoods.
I feel like I have become somewhat of a professional neighborhood-picker, given all of our moves. I have a criteria - not one I am willing to put out there, but it's there up in that crazy idea filled head of mine.
Our Minnesota neighborhood is called Cottagewood and has to be the most unique place we have lived. The store pictured above is called the Cottagewood Store and is really the center of our small community. It is a gathering place for neighbors of all ages - mostly the neighborhood children who love to ride their bike or scooter to the store for the candy, ice cream, soda, pizza and smoothies they sell. I knew that a neighborhood that had a store like this had to be a warm and fuzzy place.
Cottagewood is on a penisula on Lake Minnetonka - so it feels safe. My kids ride their bikes freely to friends houses, without adult supervision. It reminds me of how I grew up and just what a luxury that is these days. The neighborhood has two beaches where neighbors gather to swim and enjoy the lake.
The Lake Minnetonka Yacht Club is on an island right off the shore of Cottagewood so we are able to watch lots of sailing regattas! Many kids in the neighborhood attend "sailing school" in the summer and go on to compete in races.
The neighborhood park is right across the street from the store and is a wonderful spot for the kids to gather to play. Often you see kids playing a pick-up game of wiffle ball - with big kids right alongside little kids.
There is a mixture of home styles in the neighborhood - from grand to modest. The neighborhood was once a weekend destination for Minneapolis families who then called our homes "summer cottages". Some of those "cottages" remain others have been torn down to make way for modern luxury homes - most still built in a cottage style.
I love the time and effort that my neighbors put into gardening. I love going for walks and enjoying all the beautiful perennial gardens and flowering window boxes.
Now don't let these beautiful pictures fool you - many might argue with me - but summer is really the best time to be in Minnesota. Perhaps I will do a winter tour of the same spots - all will be covered in a blanket of white SNOW! That has been the difficult part for me.....oh, I know people have bigger problems than 80 inches of snow and sub-zero temperatures for days on end.....still.........
What makes your neighborhood special?
Have a wonderful Monday!
Posts
What a beautiful neighborhood! You're very lucky!
ReplyDeleteYou know what's sad is that I don't think anything in my neighborhood is special. Goodness that sounds pathetic.
ReplyDeleteOK...we definitely need to plan a trip to Minnesota!! Absolutely stunning! Sorry we have been a little MIA lately. This BH thing has gotten the best of me this season. One day I will share the war stories! lol
ReplyDeleteThat you live in a place called Cottagewood is dreamy enough, but those photos are something else! Really beautiful. There are lots of things that make my town special, but it's the history of the place... a 100 yr old town in So California where everything shiny and new is most celebrated... now that's pretty special all by itself!
ReplyDeleteSwoon... What a gorgeous neighborhood. It combines everything I could ever want in a dream home, a cottage and lake side living. I think I'm moving.
ReplyDeletei've never wanted to move any further north but now you make me want to move to minnesota;-)
ReplyDeleteWe almost got a transfer from The Accountant's company and that was the place I wanted to live...it is magical to me and I am so happy someone like you lives there and appreciates everything it has to offer!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy ...its gorgeous.
Janet
I'm so happy to find another Minnesota blogger/homemaker/cottage lover like me! I came over from a Junk Bonanza link on Facebook...
ReplyDeleteYour neighborhood is indeed amazing. I would so love to visit! We don't have Lake Minnetonka and all that, but in St. Cloud my neighborhood (near downtown) is unbelievably friendly and nice. The kids play wiffle ball and four-square and bike all over the sidewalks and (relatively) safe streets. We get together every Friday night to sit around the fire, and have at least four planned neighborhood parties each year--Christmas, 4th of July, a Fall Potluck, and more.
I feel so lucky to be here, but now that I know it's possible to have a neighborhood like this, I think I'd encourage others to make it happen in your own 'hood. It makes life so much better, when right out your front door are people you know and trust and hang out with.
Lisa
St. Cloud