Saturday, August 2, 2008

"Welcome to Kensington Ave." Is a Web Site Focusing on Kensington Ave.







Check out this web site devoted to eight blocks (and the surrounding neighborhood) of Kensington Ave. in Richmond, VA.


Welcome to Kensington Ave.
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7 comments:

  1. BecsAugust 2, 2008 at 10:41 AM

    This is the quintessential Richmond blog!

    It smacks of exclusion (God help you if you live outside the boundaries!), unfriendliness to outsiders, and snobbery - everything I found in my 25 years in Richmond.

    Thanks for reminding me why I wouldn't want to move back and you wouldn't want to have me.

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  2. Ray B.August 2, 2008 at 11:17 AM

    OR its a blog about a neighborhood that people live in and their proud of that neighborhood (its history and its people) - neither my site (the Devil's Triangle) nor the site called "WELCOME to Kensington Ave." is Excluding anyone and nothing on each comes close to Implying that - we would love to have you move back or visit. The Devil's Triangle is very much a History site about People. What could be wrong with that?

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  3. BecsAugust 2, 2008 at 12:25 PM

    Ray, thank you for your very civil answer to my rude comment. I apologize.

    I was raised in Richmond and graduated from VCU, but never found a place there. Yes, I loved it. Yes, I will be back, because I plan to be buried in Hollywood Cemetery.

    I would expect nothing but civility from a Richmonder.

    Regards,
    Becs

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  4. Ray B.August 2, 2008 at 1:12 PM

    Becs - I understand your thoughts about Richmond - it Can be pretty "exclusive" at times (though I have found that to be the case in other cities and states too).

    I've been here since 1982 (to go to school at VCU) - never thought I'd be here this long but I've grown to Richmond. My own little neighborhood is kinda neat, kindy quirky, but that's good.

    Now, a web site about Hollywood Cemetery - with LOTS of images - now that would be neat!

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  5. AnonymousAugust 6, 2008 at 10:51 AM

    Well, still, the fact that the discussion boards are only open to residents of the individual blocks of Kensington Avenue seems to be paving the way for an elite form of neighborhood communication that isn't really all that effective. The best way to strengthen community is to communicate... and that means for all neighbors. What goes on on the 3000 block of Kensington is quite relevant to the residents of the 3100 block or the 3000 block of Stuart, Patterson, etc. Maybe an open Museum District/Carytown/WOTB discussion board would be best? An example: www.phillyblog.com/philly

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  6. Ray B.August 6, 2008 at 11:05 AM

    Well, its their site - I suggest you write the guy who runs their site an email and suggest that.

    thanks,
    Ray

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  7. JoelAugust 6, 2008 at 12:51 PM

    Hello to everyone from your host at kensingtonave.org!

    Oh my.... I never, ever, intended for kensingtonave.org to be exclusive to anyone.

    I started out with the idea of a site just for our single block because it is well organized and for the most part all of the neighbors know one another well enough to at least to speak when passing and as a way for the neighbors to get a message quickly to everyone else on the block, such things as don't forget to leave your porch lights on during the night, who did your roof so that I can call him/her too since the houses were built about the same time etc.; who do you get to paint, wallpaper, do plumbing etc so that they will know that if they do not do a good job the other neighbors will not call them in the future. That sort of thing.

    But then, since there is a neighborhood between the Boulevard and the bridge just after Thompson I thought, hey, why not; and there were then message boards for each block for the same reasons as mentioned above. I just didn't think anyone three blocks away would really care whether or not there was an abandoned truck parked for three weeks in the middle of the block taking up room, etc.

    And we would love to have people move onto any of our blocks. We all really like the street! Hey, it's our home! We share our lives here. Hence, the "Houses for sale" stuff and apartments for rent stuff! We'd love to have everyone who has left move back and indeed several couples who moved away for the sake of their children's schooling did indeed move back after the kids left home!!!

    I do appreciate all the concerns however about the closed boards and will take them all into consideration. Maybe one board open to everyone is the best idea.

    Thanks for checking out the page. Do let me have ANY concerns or ideas that might make kensingtonave.org more helpful and interesting. I just don't want to duplicate any other the other fine local sites information or foci.

    All peace and good to all,

    Joel Watson
    info@kensingtonave.org

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