My neighborhood touches downtown on one corner. Touches a beautiful river on two sides. Touches a historic canal on another side. Touches an historic Olmstead designed park. Has a street designed by Olmstead as a major thoroughfare. Has two places to launch boats from. Has five bridges that cross that river, three of which are pedestrian bridges for walking or biking, Has miles of walking/biking trails. Is across the river from a major university and is within walking biking distance of a community college and another major university. Has two year round ice rinks. Has two outdoor public pools. Has two awesome public libraries. Has four other public parks. Has 5 to 6 neighborhood associations. Has two hospitals within walking/biking distance. Has 8 baseball diamonds, and 2 football fields. Has the Susan B Anthony House. Is within walking/biking distance of a public golf course. Has eight outdoor tennis courts. Has bus lines, and is within a good walk or bike ride from an airport (but better to drive). Has bike lanes and sharrows for biking to work. Has a very helpful neighborhood service center. Has 6 elementary schools, 1 middle school, and 1 high school. Is in a city with 3, count them, 3 beautiful waterfalls, and has its own unbelievable gorgeous gorge. You can actually catch, real to goodness spawning Salmon in the Fall. Or just go have great fun, fly fishing, underneath a waterfall. Has its own seasonal public market. Has numerous restaurants and diners. AND many, many, more things. I haven’t even gotten to the nearby music and art scene, MAG, MUCC, RPO, Lyric Theater, GEVA…. Let alone the great PEOPLE of all races, colors, sexual orientations, and nationalities. How about your neighborhood?

© words by Dan DeMarle 2017