Bring back the block party
By samanthaorwell on February 11, 2008 - 3:39pm
Read full post here:
http://thevancouvermanifesto.blogspot.com/2008/02/bring-back-block-party...
For some time now I have wondered where all the block parties at.
Seriously, is there anything more beautiful than residents streaming onto the streets, fired up barbeques, kids running about in a totally safe space?
Maybe its a combination of the rainy weather, or the NIMBYism, or the culture of fear and overprotection of kids that has let the block party die. Did it even exist in the first place? Anybody older than their mid-20s reply..this is not a point I want to google only to find a million unrelated links.
I was recently talking to a buddy of mine- I told him that I wanted to bring back the block party. He was telling me about his time in Cuba, and apprently everyweekend that's just the culture. Swaths of people on the streets just having various parties in their respecrtive neighbourhoods. He said he never felt more welcom in his life. (Buddy, speak up and leave a note describing the awesomeness of the block party).
Anyhow, I did do some googling which involved "vancouver" + "block party". I can't believe I found this on the City of Vancouver's website:
http://city.vancouver.bc.ca/engsvcs/filmandevents/events/blockparty/
For many generations block parties have served as a way for neighbours to meet each other. Some block parties are organized around Canadian holidays such as July 1 (Canada Day) or BC Day in August. People may decide to get together because of an issue (such as traffic or vandalism) affecting the neighbourhood. Whatever the motive, block parties often lead to further gatherings of neighbours and may lead to neighbourhood improvements such as a crosswalk, new playground equipment, or a neighbourhood clean up campaign.
One does not have to live in a district of single family homes to be involved in a block party. Block parties can happen in common spaces in townhouse complexes, in front of apartment buildings or in a park near a condominium. A block party is simply a group of neighbours working together to organize an event for their neighbourhood.
Block parties are not costly to organize. Thanks to the cooperation of the City's Engineering Department and your local community centre, costs for insurance, barricades and permits have been eliminated.
This site is organized so that all necessary information, forms, and do's and don'ts are included. In addition, your neighbourhood community centre may be able to direct you to others who have organized block parties and can answer your questions.
So do not hesitate, gather a couple of neighbours, fix a date, and invite others to join in!
The site then goes on to give you 10 more reasons to have a block party (so if my post doesn't convince you, let the City), suggestions to begin organizing block parties, and the procedures and tips for holding block parties.
Residents dont' speak English? No problem, the city even has block party directions for you in 11 different languages. ELEVEN. (English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Punjabi, Tagalog Vietnamese, Somali, Farsi, Kurdish, and Arabic- Kurdish? good lord...sounds like The City really wants you to organize a damn block party!).
Okay now, lets look at the problems of this set up- if you see the website you start to see that it gets a little bureacratic. You have to get residents signatures, which I guess shouldnt' be a problem as they have to participate anyway), but then you have to fill out an application and then get it approved. bleh...it's starting to sound like work.
The problem with this concept of "block party" is that it's turning more into a festival than just a .......
Keep reading: http://thevancouvermanifesto.blogspot.com/2008/02/bring-back-block-party...
...question of "why aren't there any good block parties any more?" Bureaucracy, that's why!
Establishment, that's why! Dumb-assed politicians over-mothering us, that's why!
They've taken a fun-loving population and beaten all the impetuousness and spontaneity right out of it, leaving nothing but hordes of whimpering, subservient wimps totally devoid of any real sense of adventure.
I'm so old, I can remember our friendly neighbourhood witch, Rocky, and her famously impromptu block parties, movie nights, full moon howlings, and smoke-'em-if-you-got-'em and BYOB parties. These didn't have the prior blessings of the city fathers, or even the neighbourhood mothers - they just simply happened. Rocky got on the phone, and called everyone she knew who wasn't at work or in jail, and said, succinctly, "Get your ass over here (tonight, tomorrow night, or whenever) because we're having a (name optional) party! Bring ( mentions what you can contribute) and don't forget something for the punch. It starts around ( usually, after the kids' bedtime)." She never said when it ended, because sometimes it almost didn't. I've seen some last for two or three days. For those, we often had to send out for reinforcements and more supplies. Life was a movable feast back then.
You really should have been there - you'd have loved it.
There are good block parties and we have them.
Ray, it must be a mountain air north shore thing. .>)
Our hood has 3-5 going every year. Eazy-peezy to set up as well.
http://www.carfreevancouver.org/
larry- read the whole post, carfree days are explicitly the type of block parties i am NOT talking about
Give 'em hell, Baby!
If you'd like to check out Radio Havana Cuba, then here's where to find them and on there you will also see a link to their live broadcasting, mostly in Spanish, of course.
But Lourdes Lopez, their Manager of Communications, would love to have more listeners in
North America, I'm sure. She seems very glad to hear from any of us who care to write.
Check it out, folks...
ok so now having read the entire post (stupid me to have a knee jerk reaction).
I see it as a time co-ordination problem. Everyone's life is diverse. Few people I know in any profession really do have that kind of flex time where you can just hang out. Of them all, I am probably the most flexible and even then when the phone rings I gotta go. It's no fun but it's why I'm paid the big bucks.
To the point - our lives are scheduled.
The mom's with the two kids that they just picked up from school after a full day at work. Ditto for the single dads. It's even tough with two parents, two jobs and a nanny.
Simply, the pressures of the city, getting supper on the table,PTA meetings, blogging, music, dance, skating, night skiing, sailing, and language lessons (add what you like here) preclude having any time to casually walk down the street to have a beer with the pals in the hood. There is probably a greater chance of meeting each other on holiday in Cuba then down the street on the front lawn.
I know it's sad. :(
we should all try harder to make a little time to just have a beer with the pals in the hood or whatever. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, and all that...
Hey Ray,
Fits in with the concept of if you only had 10 summers left what would you spend them.
or .... I don't buy green bananas.
it might actually be easier to have a blog party .>)
If I knew for sure I had ten summers left, I could get rich betting guys like you I didn't.
After all, I usually look like death warmed over these days, so who knows ?
And yes, it might be easier to have a blog party - if more of you kept writing more often :)
I couldn't bring cheese anywhere...
Speaking of which, Sam, if you want the very best-tasting cheese scramble you ever had,
get some of that 'Old Nippy' from Save-On, and melt a generous portion in a large saucepan
with lots of margarine, and just as it is nearly melted, add about four fresh eggs, and stir the heck out of it until the eggs finish cooking. Season to taste, and ENJOY !
Getting back on topic, a Blog Party has advantages over a Toga Party or a Block Party...
like, you don't have to get all gussied-up for it. You can slop around in whatever you like.
And nobody's going to ask "Whazzamattawidyou???" (nothing - I look like this allatime!)
Samantha,
the blog party is where we all bring the laptops and tap into someone's bandwidth while posting about the party.
Objective is who gets it done first.
you can bring cheese to that. .>)
Take a closer look at the June 15th car-free-day. Yes there will be 5 big street parties but in Kits they will be having a bunch of smaller block style parties more like what you are describing.
see:
http://carfreevancouver.org/Kitsilano
I think they are talking about 20 different block parties just in Kits.