Neighborhood bonding

By Michael Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

David Cheever and other volunteers put in plants along the side of this wall on Pacific Heights Road in Pauoa. Cheever notes that even in quiet neighborhoods, a lot of interesting changes may be going on. Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser

The present buyers' market means that more and more people are putting permanent roots down in Hawai'i's neighborhoods, but that's no guarantee any of them will enjoy the same close connection with neighbors or the same awareness of their immediate surroundings that residents seemed to a generation or two ago.

Blame cars, blame crime, blame the 5 a.m. commute into town — whatever the cause, more than a few long-time Hawai'i residents are noticing that people just aren't as engaged in their neighborhoods as perhaps they used to be.

"It's kind of embarrassing to admit," says Kapahulu resident Amylynn Kono, "but I don't really know anybody on my street. The man and lady next door wave sometimes when we're going to work in the morning, but that's pretty much it. I don't even know their names."

Clearly, social conditions and the pace of life, particularly in Honolulu, have changed over the last 20 to 30 years. Renters come and go. Many West O'ahu commuters leave early and return late to avoid traffic. Fewer parents are willing to let their small children walk to and from school. Fewer people in general feel comfortable, or even safe, approaching their neighbors.

The result is it's less likely that someone will notice when, say, the next-door neighbor's dog has puppies, or the guy down the street gets a new car, or the branches overhanging the power line finally get trimmed.

"Sad, yeah?" says Kono.

Sad perhaps, but not hopeless. Pauoa Valley resident David Cheever says simple acts like taking a morning stroll or waving 'hi' to a neighbor can help you feel less estranged from your neighbors and your neighborhood.

Cheever, who once endeavored to walk, run or bike every public road on O'ahu (he managed to cover Hawai'i Kai through Pearl City), said just ambling around the neighborhood can be enlightening.

"You'd be surprised how quickly things change, even in a staid neighborhood like ours," he says. "That's the fun."

John Katayama moved into his Mililani home four years ago, but it wasn't until last year that he actually started meeting his neighbors.

"I was outside in the driveway working on my car, and my neighbor from next door came over to see what I was doing," Katayama said. "Pretty soon, my neighbor from across the street — his name is John, too — comes by, and we're all talking.

"Those guys have been here way longer than me, so they had all (kinds of) stories about the block or about such-and-such down the street," he says. "You can learn a lot once you make the connection."

Get rooted

If you're feeling a little out of touch with your neighborhood, or if you've just moved and want to get a feel for your new environs, here are a few simple things you might try.

Leave the car at home: "In the car, the air conditioning is on, the radio is on, the windows are rolled up," Pauoa Valley resident David Cheever says. "You miss so much because of that. You don't smell the aromas. You don't feel the sun or the wind. You're probably looking at traffic, so you can't notice a lot of the stuff going on around you."

Bike it: Lace up the sneakers or hop on the bike once in a while and you might get a new perspective. All of a sudden, you're one with your environment. You'll know when the lychee trees are bearing fruit and which sprinklers reach the sidewalk. Make a habit of walking the neighborhood and in no time you'll have mapped out every crack in the cement and every rise in the road. Even better, you'll become a familiar face to your neighbors — neighbors who might be more inclined to look out for you if the need arises.

Take a different route: When driving, try mixing up the routes you take to and from your home. You might find an eatery you never knew existed, an office mate you didn't realize was also a neighbor, or a quicker route to that on-ramp.

Go co-pilot: Once you've exhausted all the options, slide over to the passenger seat and let someone else drive. Your view of the neighborhood will go from tunnel- to vista-vision.

Mix and mingle: There's perhaps no better way to get a feel for the diversity of your neighborhood than attending a community event, be it a high school football game, a bon dance or a neighborhood celebration like Palolo Pride, the Kaimuki Kanikapila or the Kailua Christmas Parade. If you have time to volunteer your services, even better.

Support your local businesses: Frequenting the local grocery store, florist, barber shop, liquor store or restaurant is a good way to ensure that your neighborhood is able to keep goods and services conveniently close to home. As an added bonus, you might pick up a bit of the neighborhood gossip.

Get involved: A community is defined in part by the sharing of responsibilities. As your schedule allows, you might consider participating in neighborhood board meetings (a great way to see what the pressing issues are and who has influence in your neighborhood), helping out with a cleanup project, volunteering at a community center, or organizing a Neighborhood Watch.

"Neighborhood Watch is a good idea," Cheever says. "It's too bad that it's a reaction to crime, but it's still a nice idea. We need our neighbors."

Do your homework: Part of the fun of finding out about where you live is learning the history. Depending on where you live, a trip to the Bishop Museum or state archives could yield a ton of information in the form of old photos, documents, or news clippings. An even better idea is to seek out the old-timers in your neighborhood, people whose place on the block may have been held for generations. Shy? A handshake and a bag of home-grown mangoes almost always works.