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Wednesday, March 01, 2006 

Shaw

Tell us the story of how you chose your house. What makes your house your "home"?
I grew up in Shaw neighborhood and always dreamed of coming back. When my husband, a United Methodist Clergyman, retired he said that after tagging after him for 40 years, I got to choose where we settled--and we settled here. Since our son lived in Shaw, just up the street from the home we own, we had driven past it many times; always commenting on the ragged but still pretty garden out front, wishing someone would buy the empty house and love it.....then on april 1, 1999 we did. In the British Isles tradtion, our house is named---Ty Cydweli--"Kidwell's House" in the Welsh language of my husband's ancestors. Also, in the style of many hoes there, our house is "semi attached" to the one next door. to reach the back garden from the front, one descends a short flight of steps, through an iron gate, and along a walk under our house--then through another gate to the back garden. At the very back of the garden, behind the Lowes shed masquerading as a little Victorian garden house, is a tiny secret sanctuary garden replete with a fountain bubbling through shiny black rocks. We have spent many, many hour s stripping layers and layers of paint from beautiful oak and birds Eye Maple mill work--and developing our gardens. At the end of each day of hard work, this place became more and more an extension of us.

What does your neighborhood mean to you? Why do you stay?
We are native urbanites and for us Shaw represents all that is good about urban living: neighborliness, sidewalks, proximity to shopping, great parks a short walk away, diverse, interesting people. There is noting homogenous about living here! And we thrive on that.

How do you describe the neighborhood to your family? your friends? Are the two descriptions different?
Since one of my sons has lived in Shaw since 1986 and another lived here for two years, they understand why we love it without being told. To others we voice what I wrote about what the neighborhood means to us. For the few, and getting fewer, friends who fear and distrust city living we usually joke about wearing their bullet proof vests when they come to see us!

Tell us about your ideal snapshot of the neighborhood in 5 years. In 10 years.
In five to ten years I would like to see all the corner stores and other remaining store fronts housing ecclectic businesses. I would like to see our two grade schools, Mullanphy and Sherman, the hub of neighborhood activity. I would like to see accessible housing for senior citizens I would like more vest pocket parks