Neighborhood Occupations
Dec. 3rd, 2021 04:12 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithThis article describes a neighborhood where the houses bear occupation signs -- from their original owners, about a century ago. The author mentions wishing for a neighborhood where the houses would bear the current occupation.
I live about 10-15 minutes from one. The Amish community has a LOT of businesses run out of people's homes, or a workshop next to their house which amounts to the same thing, rather than a separate business. Most of those have a sign out front advertising what goods or services they offer -- Fresh Eggs, Sweet Corn, Wagons, Rabbits, Furniture, Herbalist, Baked Goods, Quilts, Dairy, Cobbler, just to name a few. Yes, it makes for a totally different experience when you can see people's livelihood carved or chalked on a sign. You know a lot more about the neighborhood and who lives there. Well, "neighborhood" in the sense of the local Amish community, because some is in town and some is sprawled over quite a bit of countryside. I like it very much.
My grandmother's neighborhood was mixed-use, still is actually, and there are some others like it in towns near here. It's mostly houses with a few separate businesses tossed in -- a gas station here, a restaurant there, a couple of little old grocery stores, etc. There are also houses that have been converted into businesses: hair salons, resale clothing boutiques, thrift stores, antique stores, that sort of things. Each of those has a sign out front so people know it's a business instead of a home. Then there are the home businesses. The more active ones also have a sign, although sometimes it's small and you'll miss it if you don't already know it's there. Others rely solely on word-of-mouth. These are all small, low-traffic businesses. They might have a handful of customers a day, but plenty of them don't see anyone for several days at a time, and that's fine. None of them run up the traffic in the neighborhood. If they get that busy, they've usually outgrown their space (all the buildings are smallish) and have to move anyway. So this style, too, is still in use and it works and it's awesome.
Think about my description of Bluehill. Cambridge Commons has a lot of live-work buildings. Typically the street level has an office or store with a sign, and one or more apartments upstairs. Among those is Real Live Writers. Similar concept, different dimension.
If you're looking for a cheap way to boost your local economy and community connection, signage is an excellent choice.
I live about 10-15 minutes from one. The Amish community has a LOT of businesses run out of people's homes, or a workshop next to their house which amounts to the same thing, rather than a separate business. Most of those have a sign out front advertising what goods or services they offer -- Fresh Eggs, Sweet Corn, Wagons, Rabbits, Furniture, Herbalist, Baked Goods, Quilts, Dairy, Cobbler, just to name a few. Yes, it makes for a totally different experience when you can see people's livelihood carved or chalked on a sign. You know a lot more about the neighborhood and who lives there. Well, "neighborhood" in the sense of the local Amish community, because some is in town and some is sprawled over quite a bit of countryside. I like it very much.
My grandmother's neighborhood was mixed-use, still is actually, and there are some others like it in towns near here. It's mostly houses with a few separate businesses tossed in -- a gas station here, a restaurant there, a couple of little old grocery stores, etc. There are also houses that have been converted into businesses: hair salons, resale clothing boutiques, thrift stores, antique stores, that sort of things. Each of those has a sign out front so people know it's a business instead of a home. Then there are the home businesses. The more active ones also have a sign, although sometimes it's small and you'll miss it if you don't already know it's there. Others rely solely on word-of-mouth. These are all small, low-traffic businesses. They might have a handful of customers a day, but plenty of them don't see anyone for several days at a time, and that's fine. None of them run up the traffic in the neighborhood. If they get that busy, they've usually outgrown their space (all the buildings are smallish) and have to move anyway. So this style, too, is still in use and it works and it's awesome.
Think about my description of Bluehill. Cambridge Commons has a lot of live-work buildings. Typically the street level has an office or store with a sign, and one or more apartments upstairs. Among those is Real Live Writers. Similar concept, different dimension.
If you're looking for a cheap way to boost your local economy and community connection, signage is an excellent choice.
(no subject)
Date: 2021-12-04 10:05 pm (UTC)My sign would say "writer & artist in residence" and now I wanna ask Spouse how he would characterize himself.
Hmm ...
Date: 2021-12-04 10:18 pm (UTC)So throw the party, start with the usual methods, and once people are interacting you can add a new method. Give examples, like that article about a historic neighborhood or mine from Amish territory. See if people like it. If they do, it costs nothing to tape up simple paper signs for a trial period. If that proves popular, get all the interested participants to bundle an order for a signmaker and get them made in plastic or metal.
Another example: college dorms and other communal living situations often have a whiteboard hanging on each room door for communication. Have people write their major or career on that.