Life in a Historic District

I have a new appreciation for the spirit of community and neighbors. Since moving to Old Colorado City the simple act of a walk in the neighborhood brings me a lot of serenity and happiness. I've met all my immediate neighbors, something I never did in 8 years in my old "mostly rentals" neighborhood. And with houses built in the late 1800s and early 1900s, like 95% of the ones in my neighborhood, there's this built-in accessibility and openess to each others' lives: small Craftsmen-style homes with big pillars in front and steps and wide half-walls to sit on, little white picket fences that don't keep out the neighbors but encourage visiting, small stone walls perfect for resting on...everyone is out in their yards watering or tending to plants and weeds, the sidewalks are full of people walking to their destination instead of driving, the houses, in some cases, are literally a foot apart from each other. All these things certainly take away a bit of privacy but really encourage getting to know the people who live around you.

I have stopped and talked to people sitting on their front porches in the evening watching the sun set behind Pikes Peak, I've been stopped on the steps of the 140-year old library to be told that a concert in the park was taking place that night, and I've bought lemonade from two little girls on the corner. Simple things, for sure, but ones that just give me such a feeling of contentment and peace at finally owning my own home in a neighborhood that's been thriving like this for over 130 years, people walking, talking, sharing and loving life at the base of Pikes Peak in the most beautiful state in the country :)