My Barrio Will Beat Your Neighborhood Anyday!

I've lived in the "barrio" for over six years now.  When I bought the house, I was dissuaded, people worried that it wasn't safe for a single woman to be living here.  It's definitely a low-income area.  There's a decent amount of gang activity, plenty of graffiti and random acts of vandalism, and it's not always the cleanest of areas.  As a white English-speaking woman, I'm also in a minority for the first time in my life.  But I wouldn't trade it for the world!

My neighbors are often outside chatting with one another, drinking a beer (or six).  You better believe I'll get offered one when I walk past!  They even will bear with me as I try to practice my Spanish and have to repeat things three times before I finally catch on.

Best yet, this is a neighborhood that looks after each other!  People know who lives where (even if they don't know first names), when they are usually home and when something seems out of place.  There's a sense of family.  If I need anything, from help carrying in the groceries to installing a new thermostat, my neighbors are here to help.

This morning I left for work (10 minutes late) to find that my car was driving funny.  Yep, you guessed it!  Flat tire.  A father and his adult son were standing across the alley smoking a cigarette and immediately ran over to help.  They pulled the spare and tools from my trunk, laid on the ground and got to work changing that tire lickety split!  I could have easily walked back inside and gotten some help from Kyle, but there was no need.  My neighbors were looking after me.  It wasn't even until after they finished the task that they finally introduced themselves.  Thanks, Omar and dad (whose name I didn't understand)!

So, while I may not want to go for a midnight stroll alone or walk barefoot down the street, that's a small price to pay for such caring people around me!  And the chocolate-covered homemade marshmallows at the Panederia three blocks down the street for 75 cents are to die for!  You can keep your manicured lawns in the suburbs.  I'll take my barrio anytime!