Ross Callahan has lived in his Rondo-area home for 14 years. Yet, he admits, he'd communicated with only a few of his neighbors over that time, usually with a nod or a wave.
Then a funny thing happened. He started spending time in the front yard.
Thanks to a project designed to get people out of their backyards and meeting their neighbors, Callahan started cleaning up the green space at the center of his cul-de-sac, laid a new patio and, yes, started getting to know the people who live in the dozen homes around him.
"We needed something that was ours," he said of the island of green in front of his house that was once a dumping ground, as well as a gathering place for drug dealers. "We're reclaiming it. This project gave us a kick in the pants."
It's called the Friendly Front Yards Project. On Sunday, dozens of people in the Frogtown and Summit-University neighborhoods who were among its first participants gathered to celebrate the steps they have taken, big and small, to connect with their neighbors.
Callahan and his neighbors planned to gather on their reclaimed green space and grill. Another participant planned a fish fry for 50. There were even firetrucks and sidewalk parades.
In all, 22 St. Paul families participated in this first summer of a project launched by the Minneapolis-based Musicant Group, with help from an $82,000 grant from the Knight Foundation. Another 200 people have downloaded a free online tool kit developed by the Musicant Group and available at friendlyfronts.com, said Max Musicant, founder and principal of the group.
"It really resonated with folks," Musicant said. "The people who have used it have really interacted with their neighbors in a deep way."