L is for Lake City

I live in Lake City, a neighborhood in North Seattle. Let me give you an idea of what kind of neighborhood this is:

When driving to my house from the freeway, we often play the "count the pot shops" (there are around 7). These lovely places are nestled in and around dozens of used car lots and auto-body shops, as well as a couple strip joints (It is an incredibly classy neighborhood as you can see). In addition to its class, it also has a fair amount of diversity. There's a mosque nearby as well as a large Ethiopian population. I can walk to Japanese, Italian, Vietnamese, American, Mexican and Thai food. In fact, I'm currently writing this blog post in a pho place near my home (God bless the Vietnamese for their delicious, life-giving broth).

When I first moved here, I wasn't too jazzed about Lake City. It was dingy, far from my friends, and not particularly safe feeling. However, over the last year, I've come to love it. I love living 3 minutes from the bus stop. I love living close to a variety of food and being able to walk to it. I love living close to coworkers and friends from grad school. I love living close to the lake and the Burke-Gilman Trail. Lake City has really turned out to be a lovely place to live.

There is something to be said for loving your neighborhood. And there's something to be said for being deeply involved in your neighborhood. It's worth pursuing relationships with the people and businesses that surround you. Being grounded in your community and having a place to belong is important.

And so, I'm hoping to continue to get more plugged in to my neighborhood. First step? Bake holiday cookies for my closest neighbors whom I don't know at all.