Do you enjoy "block parties"?

In My Humble Opinion
1

Obviously, this will apply mostly to folk who live in neighborhoods of single-family homes, rather than apartment buildings (tho I assume there may be some analogous “building parties.”)

After growing up in Chicago, as an adult, I’ve lived in the Chicago suburbs. For those unfamiliar with the concept, it is somewhat common for specific blocks to host a party. Generally, the street is blocked off to traffic, kids are given free reign to ride their bikes in the street, there is generally a potluck, maybe a firetruck shows up, and possibly some other entertainment.

I’m perfectly happy to be polite and friendly towards my neighbors, but I do not particularly wish to be FRIENDS with them. So far, I have managed to avoid having block party where I live - UNTIL THIS WEEKEND. Tomorrow there is going to be a party for a 3-block stretch of our street. The middle block (fortunately not ours) will be closed off for the festivities.

I’m not a big fan of socializing with people I do not know at big gatherings. I don’t want to know too much about my neighbors’ business, nor do I care to have them know too much about ours - other than to have them think of us as the inoffensive older couple who walk their dog and maintain a nice appearing home. At 63, my wife and I feel we are pretty much invisible to most of our neighbors, whose focus understandably is on their school-aged kids. And we are fine with that (tho we feel we showed more interest - and sought more advice from our elder neighbors when we were young, than our current neighbors do of us.)

We figured we would walk down, show our faces, smile and say, “Hi!”, and then beat a somewhat hasty retreat. Oh yeah - after we said we would attend, we got an email saying the per-household cost would be $85!!! To cover an ice cream truck, bouncy house, and who knows what else. We responded that we would not be able to contribute that much, but would happily toss in a sawbuck.

How about you? Is this something you woud love? Dread? Something else?

2

I organized one for 7,8? years.

I thought it was part of the social glue that keeps society civil. It builds the trust to lend each other the ladder, puts a face on the guy always complaining about dog shit on the neighborhood app group. It is the un-anonymousation of said group. Making it so much civil.

It is what people living next to another neighbors.

3

We had a couple on our block in DC, it was a really nice time. Mostly we sat on our front porch drinking and handing out a beer to anyone who wanted one. It was cool to see kids running around the street. I’m not a party attendee type, but if I can sit on my own porch and still get credit, I’m in.

4

Never encountered one in any of the places I lived, including where I grew up. I’m not sure I’d attend one if it happened where we are now - after 20 years, we only know the guy right next door (we live on the corner, so really only 1 neighbor.) The houses are spread pretty far apart - every lot is 3 acres or more. People will wave as they pass in cars and I’ve chatted with people walking their dogs, but that’s been it.

Maybe it’s us - we’ve never really known any of our neighbors over the last 40 years.

5

I have mixed feelings where block parties are concerned. On the one hand I’m an introvert and attending ANY social function is likely to be mildly unpleasant for me on a personal level. On the other hand, I fully recognize that we are a very social species, and that socialization of this sort is central to maintaining our cohesion as a society. So, I guess I view them as being something of a necessary evil. Since the majority of people are not introverts and likely don’t view them as being unpleasant affairs at all, I say party on, dudes.

6

When we moved to this neighborhood, it was a lot of young families with young kids, and there was an established “block party” that happened each month during the good weather season (roughly 9 months a year). It was a potluck type thing, and was set-up at someone’s garage or driveway on a rotating basis - you just looked for the lawn ornament to see where it would be. The kids got to roam the street (we are on a circle) and we got to visit with the neighbors that participated (about half or less of the homes on the street). July 4 the kids would decorate their bikes and do a parade.

Gradually, as kids got bigger and busier with sports and other activities, the interest shrank, and eventually it died-out. And yeah, I don’t see or socialize with the neighbors much any more - most are empty nesters like us now. I, too, am an introvert and don’t miss the parties, but I do see value in them for new neighborhoods and those with lots of young kids with the whole socializing thing.

7

I probably would, but have not been part of one since I was a teen.

I would hate to organize one at this point, but would be happy to help.

BTW: they were semi-common once upon a time in New York City, might still be. Apartment dwellers for an entire block would get permission from the city to close the street for part of the day and have a big block party. Can’t speak to current, but as late as the 1990s they were still happening.

8

I’ve always enjoyed them. We actually are having two this year, one coming up next week end.

I’m not going to be good friends with all my neighbors, but I like being friendly with them. And some are very interesting people.

Yes they are most useful for the families with younger children. Sometime babysitting is found! News of the community that I was ignorant of.

If I recall though @Dinsdale your immediate neighbor is a bit of a jerk, so I can see the distaste to socialize.

9

I’ve lived in the same dead-end suburban neighborhood my whole life, and I WISH we had a block party! It’s the perfect block for it.

When I was a kid the neighborhood was full of kids. I guess every day was a block party because everyone just hung out together, but it hasn’t been that way in about 30 years.

Now it’s back to having more kids and families again and it would be a super good time to have one but I’m going to have to be the one to organize it. I don’t have time for that - yet. I’ll get to it soon enough!

10

They are still common in NYC although not as common as they used to be. And possibly more common in neighborhoods with multiple dwellings than single family house- after all, in a single family house I can grill in the backyard. I might be able to do that in a two-family but probably not if there are 4 or more apartments.

But as far as the OP goes, I don’t think I’ve ever see a block party where people actually socialize with the neighbors, if by that you mean they act as though they are all attending the same party , eating each other’s food and so on. No potluck - each family feeds themselves and any guests at tables outside their house. There might be some sharing of food between actual friends and of course there’s going to be whatever small talk normally happens when neighbors pass on the street. But most of what makes it a “block party” rather than people just grilling in front of the house at the same time is the entertainment which is not really practical for individual families to arrange. The DJ, the ride truck, the bouncy house and so on. The street is closed not only to traffic, but also to parking (which is important as it provides quite a bit more space and means that cars won’t have to be let on and off the block)

I kind of miss them, but not enough to do the work of organizing one.

11

A family on the street our road turns off of organizes one every few years. My gf always attends and explains that I had a previous engagement (she doesn’t mention my engagement involves my iPad).

When she comes home she always tells me I didn’t miss anything.

12

I live in Chicago and at the last address before this one, we had them often. I loved them. This new block is mostly older people and other folks without children, so not as hopping, but we go to block parties at our friends’ neighborhoods at least once a year. One weekend driving through the neighborhoods on the summer I saw three separate ones in a space of about six blocks.

13

Never been where one was offered. Our neighborhood has social gatherings, but they’re at (offered by?) a church that we can’t find any information on, and unless it’s a progressive church that isn’t working against our marriage rights, we aren’t going to go to their events.

14

I enjoyed them as a kid – I lived at the end of a street* (19th street) and the annual block party was the end of 18th. I mostly remember playing “Kick the Can” with kids I normally did not normally play with (mostly older kids)

Brian
* there were only 2 or 3 houses on each side of the street, so a short “dead end” street. Folks from the end of 17th and the intersecting street were also invited IIRC

15

Outdoor parties with the neighbors are a very common tradition in my part of Europe. We have several each year.

But we don’t close the street for a “block party.” We just go use the castle at the far end of the neighborhood.

16

Well sure. I’d you gave a castle that’s a great venue.

17

I’ve always lived in a neighborhood, but I’ve never known one of these. There would be neighbors who would invite us to things, but it was never this wider thing, and it was never something we had to pay for.

I was going to say I’d attend and like to get to know my neighbors a bit and get some food. It’s good to know when people might need help or can help you. But that’s a high fee for something I’m not super into.

Around here, if it happened, I suspect it would cost a lot less. And everything would be home cooked.

18

We used to have one big block party a year for everyone on our street. Most of us recognized each other by our dogs but didn’t know anyone’s names. But the organizers got older or moved out and the newer homeowners, mostly in their 30’s, don’t seem to be interested in that kind of stuff.

Our church tried one for its 75th anniversary. Invitations to everyone, free food, pony rides for kids, and a progressive attitude toward abortion, sexuality and marriage for adults. Not one person in the neighborhood who wasn’t already a member even stopped by.

19

In our neighborhood (~200 homes) we have two big parties.

July 4th (on a weekend NOT adjacent to 7/4. There’s a parade and then an ice cream truck, bouncy house, lawn games, etc.

There’s a Fall Festival, without the parade and ice cream truck but with more food prepared by host families and there is beer.

Location and hosts rotate around the neighborhood. Everyone tries to one-up the hosts from last year.

We also have smaller events, one to celebrate the end of school and another on Labor Day weekend. These are basically ice cream truck plus a few games.

The Fall Festival has been going on since 1972.

Like many things, divisive politics has made its way into these events. People show up in MAGA/Trump shirts and hats. Shirts daring people to come and take their guns. And nowadays people ranting about migrants. Just a few people, but it definitely ruins the mood for me.

I make sure I go. There are three Asian families in the neighborhood. The other two never go to any events. When their kids were younger they’d even go trick or treating somewhere else. Our neighborhood is trick-or-treat central. People come from all over town because it’s easy and safe. Most of the town is “semi rural”, no sidewalks, houses far apart and with long wooded driveways. Halloween is basically an impromptu porch fest.

20

I love them. My block of mostly single family homes in Chicago has had a block party, on & off, maybe half of the 14 years I’ve lived there. I always volunteer and take part in the planning, though others have been In Charge.

Interest ebbs and flows with the children on the block.