Health & Fitness
In Town or Up the Hill
Have you heard people ask, "Where do you live?" only to see an odd reaction based on the neighborhood or part of town you mention. Check this out! Are you a fence mender or builder?
Back in the 80s, when we first moved to Havre de Grace, we discovered we had made one fatal error and one perfect choice.
The fatal error, according to a new friend who worked at the college, was our decision to live on the wrong side of I-95. We didn't know it, but apparently, the highway was an unspoken boundary. We had landed on the Route 40 corridor and unfortunately, all of those communities suffered (and some still do) from a perceived stigma, some of it race-based, some gang- or violence-based, some age-based, some income-based, and some without any basis at all.
Of course, every community or city is divided by implicit demarcations. I grew up in Indianapolis and most people just knew that the northside had the best addresses. As time went on and years after my departure from Indiana, the northside, as a designation, kept moving farther and farther north. Go figure.
Find out what's happening in Havre de Gracefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Havre de Grace is no different. The most conspicuous demarcation is the one relegated to people who live "up the hill." As I mentioned, initially, we made one perfect choice (according to a friend who was from Havre de Grace), and that was to live in town. But, when we finally adopted our two boys, we wanted a bigger yard and decided to move into a new house at the Woods of Bayview. Our Fountain Street neighbors were crestfallen that we would move away from town. It sounded like we were moving to Alaska.
There are other town boundaries like the Hatem Bridge (we all know what's on the other side), the railroad tracks, Route 40, the projects, and the water, to just name a few. The newest extremity or categorized location experiencing separation anxiety from the town is Bulle Rock. Hang in there folks! Growing pains come with growth.
Find out what's happening in Havre de Gracefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
It only takes a few pioneers to break down stereotypes from one section of town to another, from one neighborhood to another. Physical barriers are crossed with the heart. A vibrant community needs everyone, black and white, poor and rich, old and young, experienced and inexperienced.
How would you break down these fences?
Irmgarde Brown
Blogger, Writer, Librarian,
Follower of Christ
Facebook: irm.brown
Twitter: IrmBrown
