A big part of inner city life – or any happy social life – is getting to know your neighbors. We all live near people that are different from ourselves in many ways, and in the city we live a bit closer than people in suburbs. That can cause conflicts from time to time and there is some sense that these conflicts are on the rise. There are many reasons for this and there is always something that can be done about it. But it always starts and ends with the spirit of the neighborhood itself, which can only be found by getting to know each other.
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Category Archives: Urban Life
The Streets of Lowertown
Anytime the streets of an old city are disturbed, the past bubbles up to the surface. That’s definitely true of Saint Paul. The heavy construction Downtown has ripped up many of the ancient streets of Lowertown and secrets are bound to see the light of day. Something has been found there, however, that no one wants to talk about just yet. When will the truth be revealed?
The Nightmare Before Christmas
A crisp fall day greets us with a crunchy carpet of leaves as my dog and I make our way out first thing in the morning. August, a Westie, is restless and excited by all the new smells and feelings that hang in the air. But he’s not the only one. This is a season of restlessness and change, a time when we’re moving on to something else that isn’t quite in front of us yet.
I find myself singing songs from one of my favorite movies, a wonderfully crafted musical about restlessness, missing the point – and ultimately love. The kids and I watched Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” as we do every year just as the spooky season starts to sink in and change everything around us, and we all sing along. It’s a wonderful stop-action animated movie with intricate songs passionately written and sung by the great Danny Elfman.
Online Life as an Onion
Too much information. We all have it blasted our way and we all share it. Understanding the limits of what we should be sharing and how we should process all this information is the key skill of our time as the internet becomes the appliance that defines much of our life. Many people have written volumes on this topic, but in the end the choices are all very personal.
I’ve recently started daily updating on Facebook to give people who know me a bit more information about my daily life. It was in response to a number of questions from friends and fans who find Barataria a bit too cold and impersonal. As I advise my clients who have products to sell, the reasons for doing this are not simply to be on Facebook but to use it as a tool to fill a need. The experience has taught me a few things as I work out the details of where my lines for “too much information” lie.
Cities & the Future
Cities mark the landscape across this nation and all others. Images of the handiwork of a culture often define the people who come to inherit the space and, in turns, mark it with their own generation’s values. Yet they are so much more than static collections of icons – they are where people come together and live their lives right now. They are always ultimately about the connections that make them alive.
Even the bricks and mortar or glass and steel is ultimately a connection across time to what made the city what it is today. Though it’s the stuff that makes up a city which gets photographed and noticed, they are much more than that.
Barataria - The work of Erik Hare 