Actually, it’s by GAIN-ing that helps you to lose.
By that I mean, joining a neighborhood activist group called Greenwood Aurora Involved Neighbors can help you lose the drugs and prostitution that limit an area’s growth, property values, and safety. Back a few years ago, when I was captain of my neighborhood block watch, I got involved a bit on the fringe of the GAIN organization. My block in Phinney didn’t really fit their locations but our block watch programs kept involved so that there was communication along the corridor of Greenwood and Aurora and this helped prevent movement of unsavory characters only up and down the street lines. Which was really what had happened for years as variously impacted sections of these neighborhoods would confront problems caused by transient activities. When I say transient, I mostly mean the drugs and prostitution that would follow the dated hotels that dotted the old Aurora highway.
But, times they are a’changin’ and the GAIN folks got pretty vocal. Loud enough to start getting the city’s attention, including the mayor himself.
It’s been nice to see because I’m a big fan of this area and these neighborhood pockets of GAIN didn’t get as high of property price run ups as their close by counterparts closer to Greenlake and in Phinney. So, I expect that over the next few years they’ll do better now that these issues are getting cleared up and some new development is coming in to their sector.
From the most recent newsletter here is a fun activity coming up that will help even more:
Seattle Walks Day ”“ May 10
As a part of the Pedestrian Master Plan, hundreds of Seattle residents will meet at 10 am on Saturday, May 10, to walk their neighborhood! Participants will complete surveys that will be used to improve the Pedestrian Master Plan to make Seattle the MOST WALKABLE CITY in the NATION!
GAIN will be organizing a walk starting at 10:00am from the SE corner of Greenwood Park (87th St and Fremont Ave N). You can join the walk or pickup your own copy of the survey to do your own walk at a later time. We would love to have lots of participants from the Greenwood/Aurora area to show that we want walking improvements! If you are unable to go to the May 10th walk but would like a copy of the survey to complete at another time, please let us know and we’ll get a copy to you.
