By Laura Scully
As we transition through each new phase of dealing with the pandemic, it’s possible to have fun and stay safe right here in our neighborhood. Below are 10 ideas you can use as a launching point.
1. Take a walk on the wild side and do a photo safari for wildlife on your street. Capture birds, squirrels, and lizards…with your phone camera. Go solo or with a friend (socially distanced).
2. Clean out a bookshelf at home and then share your books with neighbors at the many Free Little Libraries scattered throughout the Heights.
3. Have a progressive picnic on your front lawn with a few neighbors (socially distanced). If you don’t want to cook, check the take-out picnic fare at Ma n’ Pa’s Grocery.
4. Get creative with chalk art on the sidewalk by your home, leaving out extra chalk and hand sanitizer to encourage fellow artists.
5. Rent a bike or a scooter and visit the four historic Landmark Homes in the Heights. There’s the shell-bejeweled Seashell House at 4325 E. 6th; the Victoria Ringheim/Wells home at 4031 on 5th; the Gaytonia “castle” at 212 Quincy; and the Tudor-style Elizabethan Studio at 3943 E. 5th.
6. Take game night outside in your yard (or a park). Bring folding chairs and table along.
7. Host live music in your driveway, with the audience sitting in socially distanced lawn chairs. Two resources are lbblockxblock@gmail.com and Naplesstrings.com.
8. Plant something yummy like herbs or strawberries in a small container by the window.
9. Stroll and savor alfresco dining (or take-out) at a Heights’ eatery like Starling Diner.
10. Create a neighborhood scavenger hunt (for plants/flowers, doors/chimneys, statues/lawn décor…) with teams of two verifying their checked lists with phone photos.
Comments