I love my neighbors! There – I’ve said it! I have always found my neighbors to be a wonderful addition to my life in Westport. My next-door neighbor Barbara started the evolution of “loving thy neighbor” by arriving with an apple pie just after I moved in, a gesture of welcome that would soon become the new tradition on the street. Several homeowners have come and gone since then, but it’s Barbara – and now I – who hold the record for being on the street the longest.
I always found myself longing for a home that provided me with the quintessential white picket fence storybook image of a New England town. Our private road on a cul-de-sac provides us all with an easy walk to the best shopping, entertainment, and superb dining while being able to take a stroll on the banks of the Saugatuck River. For me, walking Violet, riding a bike or taking my fire-red Vespa around my neighborhood is a common passion that connections me to my community and neighbors.
Sound good? Wanna join us? Now add a lifestyle and gardening expert available for all your design and gardening questions and you’re sure to get hooked. I actually offer a “gift with home purchase”: free consultations by yours truly should you be so lucky to live on the street. And as an added benefit, shrubs, containers and sometimes a MARvelous one-of-a-kind bench arrives on your property. People have called them gifts, but I like to think of them as my “design overflow” from Rosebrook Gardens.
Not so long ago things were quite different. Our road needed paving, our mail pick-up was a cluster of mismatched boxes, and the street sign was a non-impressive disaster. Someone had to take charge and begin the process to coordinate and execute the task and projects. Who better for the job than me? The first job at hand was to create a Road Association; then we collected yearly dues, assessed for beautification and coordinated services for the best prices. Checked, checked and rechecked. I suspect that my standards – and unwillingness to settle – at times made me not so popular then, but the final results increased our property values as well as our overall curb appeal, thus making the street uniform and meticulously ready for a magazine.
Today, the entire street takes pride in both their homes and gardens. It’s truly the best little street in Westport. With only six homes, this exclusive private road has become an extension of our properties. As we compare stories, we realized that people we work with can’t believe how well we all get along, and how pretty the place is. This could almost be Desperate Housewives’ Wisteria Lane except we don’t have all the drama. Okay, maybe a little drama, but I’m not talking–yet.
Last weekend was one example of why we’re so fortunate. We all came together to celebrate Kristin and Geoff’s arrival to the street at their housewarming party, and boy did we rock around the clock. Along with their many friends from New York who came to wish them well we even took a tour of Rosebrook Gardens, champagne glasses in hand. It was truly a festive gathering, fueled by our neighborhood spirit. Well, also fueled by the champagne – twenty two bottles, to be exact. Now that’s rocking a block!
