SOUTHGATE
Andrew Hoye, Neighborhood Council TreasurerHoye has been active in the Southgate Neighborhood Council for 14 years and has lived in Southgate for 27 years.
What is your neighborhood’s best hidden gem?
Hazel’s Creek, which is about 20 acres of farmland that was donated to the city about 12 years ago. The city has maintained it as essentially an open-area park with minimal improvements. There used to be a barn there. It’s gone, but that’s sort of the hidden gem.
What sets your neighborhood apart from the rest of the city?
We have many gated communities. Neighborhoods reflect the styles and behaviors of the residents, and I think most of the people in Southgate are relatively private. In this neighborhood, there are still some areas suitable for additional commercial and residential development that’s happening in the southeast corner of our neighborhood.
If you had $100,000 to fix an issue in your neighborhood, what would you invest it in?
I would like to see $100,000 put in an account for the neighborhood council’s future needs. We filed a protest with the hearing examiner, and at that point, if we’d had $100,000, we could have hired a competing professional engineering firm to present our arguments more eloquently, but we didn’t. We had to capitulate after those neighbors also worked out a mediation agreement that required us to withdraw our objection.
What’s your favorite place to eat or drink in your neighborhood, and why?
We are fortunate that we have choices. In the southeast corner of Southgate there is Revel 77 Coffee Shop, and I go there often. I also come to Twigs occasionally.
Who is working hard to improve your neighborhood and what do you admire about their efforts?
Paul Kropp is an adjunct member of the Southgate Neighborhood Council. He lives in the county just south of Southgate. He’s been very active for many years in community and neighborhood efforts. He’s also the chairman of the liaison committee of the Community Assembly. He had some influence on the placement of connectivity and recommendations regarding the soccer fields over here, as well as a new senior care center that went in, and he’s also helped develop policies, procedures, and bylaws.
How would you describe your neighborhood in three words?
Upscale and opportunity-rich. (VCM)
COMSTOCK
Sandy Wicht, Neighborhood Council Treasurer, Community Assembly RepresentativeWicht grew up in the neighborhood, and moved back last year.
What is the best hidden gem in your neighborhood?
I would say the Rocket Market.
What sets Comstock apart from the rest of the city?
Half is more upscale with a lot of mid-century modern homes, and the other half were built in the ’40s and most of them started out as two-bed, one-bath homes. So it’s fun to walk around and look at all the different architecture.
If you had $100,000 to fix something in the neighborhood, what would you spend it on?
Traffic calming. People are speeding along 29th, that seems to be a real concern for everybody.
What’s your favorite place to eat or drink in Comstock?
I think it would be a tie between Luna [which is just outside the neighborhood] and Manito Tap House. They both have good menus and good service.
Who is someone working to improve Comstock, and what do you admire about their work?
Elizabeth Goldsmith. She’s involved with the neighborhood council. She gets things done. When the Comstock sign was painted over this year she got it cleaned up ASAP.
How would you describe the neighborhood in three words?
Friendly, neighborly, great. (SW)
CLIFF-CANNON
Patricia Hansen, Neighborhood Council Executive Committee MemberHansen has lived in Cliff-Cannon for 22 years and has been involved with the neighborhood council for at least 20.
What is your neighborhood’s hidden gem?
Polly Judd Park. It’s hidden away. We created it on a dump, but it doesn’t look like that anymore.
What sets your neighborhood apart from the rest of the city?
We just launched our brand new website — CliffCannonNeighborhood.com. It is very interactive. It really connects the neighborhood to the neighborhood, and then the neighborhood to the city.
What is your favorite place to go out to eat or drink in your neighborhood?
Rocket Bakery. They have gluten-free baked goods.
If you had $100,000 to fix an issue in your neighborhood, what would you invest it in?
I would make street crossings safer for children by putting in those accessible pedestrian signals with push-buttons.
Is there anyone specifically who you think is working hard to improve your neighborhood?
Two people, absolutely. Nancy MacKerrow started and maintains the Susie Forest. And Judy Gardner, who worked tirelessly to put traffic calming into our neighborhood.
How would you describe your neighborhood in three words?
Historic, welcoming, fun. (SS)
LINCOLN HEIGHTS
Sally Phillips, Clean Up CoordinatorPhillips has lived in Lincoln Heights for 40 years and has been involved with the neighborhood council for over 20 years.
What is your neighborhood’s best landmark or hidden gem?
We have Lincoln Park, which is definitely a gem, a large park that has been around a long time, that has both a natural area and play fields. We also have Murphy Park.
What sets your neighborhood apart from the rest of the city?
The thing that I like just very particularly about our neighborhood is that we’re quite close to some natural areas that the city’s preserved. We live within probably six blocks of three different five-acre tracts that are part of that stormwater management system, so it’s a great place to go walk the dog.
If you had $100,000 to fix an issue in your neighborhood, what would you invest it in?
I would probably try to use it toward traffic calming projects. [It] is one of the enduring problems that neighbors bring up at meetings. There are some things that you can do that are traffic calming and not all that expensive. They also enhance the beauty of the neighborhood, you know, plenty of street trees, doing bump-outs that both slow traffic down and also make it easier for people to cross the street safely.
What’s your favorite place to eat or drink in your neighborhood, and why?
For my husband and myself, it’s the Meeting House, which is down on East 11th Avenue and Pittsburg Street. It’s kind of at the far end of our neighborhood. We like it partly because we have an attachment to the location, because it’s half a block from where my husband grew up. It used to be a neighborhood store. There’s nice outdoor seating, nice indoor seating, there’s a meeting room, and they have really good cookies.
Who is working hard to improve your neighborhood and what do you admire about their efforts?
I would mention Carol Tomsic, who is the chair of our neighborhood council. We are lucky to have somebody that’s willing to devote so much time to really paying attention to what the city has to communicate with us. She has helped focus some of the neighborhood council efforts toward improving the safety and attractiveness of routes for bike and pedestrian traffic.
How would you describe your neighborhood in three words?
Quail, pine trees and traffic. (VCM)
ROCKWOOD
Tanya Starkel, Neighborhood Council TreasurerStarkel has been a resident of Rockwood since 2017 and has spent five years on the neighborhood council.
What is your neighborhood’s best landmark?
Rockwood Boulevard and then our triangle parks. We have four Olmsted triangle parks.
What sets your neighborhood apart from the rest of the city?
The historic homes and all the tree-lined streets. The district is on the National Register of Historic Places
If you had $100,000 to fix an issue in your neighborhood, what would you invest it in?
I would say the sprinkler system [for Rockwood Boulevard], creating historic signs and finishing sidewalks along the Boulevard.
Who is working hard to improve your neighborhood and what do you admire about their efforts?
Jim Price. He helped update the historic walking map of all the homes in the neighborhood.
How would you describe your neighborhood in three words?
Trees and historic homes. (VCM)
MANITO/CANNON HILL
Mary Winkes, Interim Neighborhood Council ChairWinkes has lived in Manito/Cannon Hill for 26 years and has worked with the neighborhood council since 2015.
How would you describe your neighborhood in three words?
Manito. Cannon Hill. [The two beautiful parks in the neighborhood.]
What sets your neighborhood apart from the rest of the city?
It’s almost entirely residential, with many craftsman homes. Walkable. Very near to the downtown and health care.
What would you say is your neighborhood's claim to fame?
The Scoop, a popular destination visited by folks both near and far.
What’s your favorite place to go out to eat or drink in your neighborhood and why?
Hidden Bagel. The Scoop and Hidden Bagel are great, and happily so since they are the only places to eat within our neighborhood boundaries.
Who is working hard to improve your neighborhood and what do you admire about their efforts?
Members of our neighborhood council, most notably Chris and Wilma Flanagan.
If you had $100,000 to fix an issue in your neighborhood, what would you invest it in?
Traffic calming and sidewalk repair so that our neighborhood would be safer and more walkable. (SS)
