Plaza Chairs: A Shepherd Park Plaza Tradition Worth Bringing Back

Several years ago—before COVID changed the way we thought about gathering—a neighbor, fellow Shepherd Park Plaza resident and friend of mine started a movement called Plaza Chairs.

The idea was incredibly simple: instead of automatically heading to the backyard at the end of the day, bring your chairs out front.

Sit in the driveway. Hang out in the front yard. Wave to the people walking by. Let the kids play. Meet the neighbor three houses down you've somehow never actually talked to.

Just be out front.

And there was a little bit of magic to it.

Getting Back to the Front Yard

So much of modern life happens behind closed doors and backyard fences. We pull into our garages, close the door and go inside. We can live a few houses away from someone for years without really knowing them.

Plaza Chairs was an intentional effort to change that in Shepherd Park Plaza.

You didn't need an invitation. There wasn't an elaborate event to attend. You didn't need to clean your house or prepare anything.

You just needed a chair.

And suddenly people were outside.

Neighbors stopped to talk. Kids found other kids to play with. People who had waved at each other for years finally learned each other's names.

It was such a small thing, but it reinforced something I've always loved about living here: Shepherd Park Plaza really can feel like a small town tucked inside a huge city.

Maybe It's Time for Plaza Chairs Again

I've been thinking about Plaza Chairs lately and wondering if it's something we should revisit.

Maybe we need a little reminder to come back out front.

Pull a couple of chairs into the driveway. Bring a drink. Let the kids ride their bikes. Say hello when somebody walks by.

Because the things that make a neighborhood special aren't just the houses, the trees or the location.

They're the people.

And sometimes building community really can be as simple as pulling a chair into the front yard.