A Community Within a Community

West Linn, Oregon was recently profiled as one of the best small cities in America. Yet the 24,000 people who live there are somewhat separated by various neighborhoods:

"Driving from the valley to the top of the hill is like going through different universes. In the valley, most of the residential areas have older homes built in a simple ranch style. There are older homes on the hill, but most are newer homes dwarfing those in the valley or Willamette.

"Some residents say there isn't a citywide sense of community."

http://www.oregonlive.com/living/index.ssf/2009/08/affluent_west_linn_ranks_as_a.html

Yet once inside these neighborhoods, a sense of community does exist:

"Down the street a front yard has become a designated party zone. Paper lanterns, a grill and a circle of lawn chairs fill the space. The neighborhood gathers there every Tuesday, as it did last week after a trip to the taco cart at the West Linn Farmers Market, in Willamette, to eat, drink and relax.

"There's a strong feeling of community in Willamette, which is the largest of West Linn's 11 neighborhoods, with 5,766 residents in 2008. Neighbors walk through one another's backyards. There's a bit of competitive gardening, and they've helped each other with home repairs. Toward the end of the night, after the neighbors finish their tacos, many of them will hop in canoes and kayaks for a moonlight ride on the Willamette River."

A sense of community can be found in different places; sometimes it's your city, sometimes it's your neighborhood.