NEIGHBORHOODS

Hot Springs Village is an anomaly when it comes to neighborhoods. We are not set up in a well defined, neighborly way. Still, if we set our minds to it, we could establish meaningful neighborhoods. Geographically, one can define a neighborhood in numerous ways, using roads, rivers, railroads, as boundary lines. Here in the Village, a cal-da-sac is most frequently used. However we would define the neighborhood, it would be of great benefit for us to do so. It would seem more beneficial and helpful for everyone to know one another, interact on a regular basis, and work towards both a safe and livable neighborhood-Village. With the neighborhood concept, we could also use "down-towns," or places to congregate. In the Village, this would play itself out by developing 5-6 places developed to draw people to it. As examples, these might be the East and West gate areas, around Coronado Center, the corner of Desoto and Ponce, around the Desoto Club area. This would require an area for sitting, similar to a town square, restaurant, ice cream parlor, coffee shop, etc. Outside of the family, the neighborhood is the smallest social group that we live in. If we cannot get long as neighbors, and work to one another's benefit, I have no idea how we can expect to get along as a village, city, state, or nation. It won't work.