Meet the Neighbors’ Debut Episode Highlights Friendliness of Emerald Park Neighborhood
The rain fell hard and fast just minutes after residents in the quiet Emerald Park neighborhood finished setting the outdoor tables and lawn chairs for the annual National Night Out Party.
Drenched by the sudden downpour, neighbors scooped up pizza boxes, plates of tasty desserts and other snacks and made a run for nearby covered porches on Sapphire Court. James and Mary Thomason, who have lived in Emerald Park for 17 years, didn't hesitate to open their home on October 3 and provide a warm, cozy space for the party to continue.
"I looked out the door and everyone was standing there in the rain and I was like "We have all this room. Come on everybody and get out of the rain!'" Mary Thomason said.
It's that kind of friendliness and willingness to help that residents there say they love about their South Arlington community. Located off Southwest Green Oaks Boulevard just west of Cooper Street, Emerald Park is made up of 99 homes. In addition to an active Neighborhood Watch group, residents there participate in a dog walk program, collaborate with the City on beautification projects, and take time to welcome new homeowners, celebrate births or comfort those who are sick or grieving.
"It's like an extended family," said Patti Noe, one of Emerald Park's original residents. "We are a support group when we are called upon. That's just being neighborly."
The City of Arlington is proud to feature Emerald Park in its first edition of Meet the Neighbors, a regularly scheduled program that will spotlight neighborhoods large and small across The American Dream City.
Many of the original homeowners still live in the neighborhood, which was built in the mid 1980s and is located near Wimbledon Park. One of those is Noe, who has spent the past 31 years as a volunteer to make Emerald Park a great and safe place to live. Besides an annual crime prevention meeting and a National Night Out party, Noe will email her neighbors with crime prevention tips and encourage them to keep watch for each other.
"We are the eyes and ears of the neighborhood. We are also eyes and ears to help the police. They can't do it alone. We have got to do our part," Noe said. "I tell people, "The more we are outside, the more we are walking, that is called crime prevention. Thieves see that and go "These neighbors are too active for me. I'm going to go somewhere else.'"
Emerald Park residents also take pride in keeping their neighborhood looking nice. Between 2008 and 2010, the group received a combined $4,450 in grants from the City of Arlington's Neighborhood Matching Grant Program to make streetscape enhancements. Residents also worked with the City's Urban Design Center to design entryway landscaping and signage for their neighborhood.
Neighborhoods wanting to learn more about City services available for neighborhood projects should register for the Neighborhood Network at www.arlington-tx.gov/pds/neighborhoods or send questions to [email protected].
The City's Office of Communication develops programming for MyArlingtonTV. Viewers can find MyArlingtonTV programs on the following cable systems: Spectrum Channel 16 and AT-T U-Verse channel 99, and streaming capabilities at www.arlington-tx.gov.
All episodes are also available on the City's YouTube channel, Facebook page and Twitter account.
MyArlingtonTV Links:
Champion Great Neighborhoods, Meet the Neighbors
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