Historic Meridian Park (HMP) is one of Indianapolis’s premiere historic neighborhoods. The HMPNA board and neighbors work hard to ensure that the neighborhood is a pleasant and safe place for families, the young single person, and empty nesters alike. To keep HMP a great place to live neighbors, we have several tips that make HMP a destination for all.
Spring:
- If your dogs are barking, take the time to comfort or quiet your pets. Barking dogs can disturb the peace of a whole neighborhood.
- Please clean up after your dog. Taking your dog for a daily walk is not only healthy for your dog, it is a wonderful opportunity for you to get to know your neighbors. Remaining on good terms with your neighbor requires a little courtesy from you. Please curb your dog.
- Many HMP residents like to keep their bedroom windows open. Revving vehicle engines and loud music disturbs everyone’s peace.
Summer:
- One of the pleasures of older homes is the large porch that is perfect gathering places for friends and families. When on your porch, please remember to keep your voices, music, etc., down as the night approaches. Again, remember the neighbors that like a nice breeze at night while they sleep.
- Maintain your yard. Keep in mind that pesticides are linked to many health problems, especially for children, including, but not limited to, negatively impacting their ability to learn. Consider it when applying lawn treatments and other pesticides in and around your home. If you are unable to maintain your yard, contact the HMPNA board. The board may be able to put you in contact with a neighborhood teen that can assist in maintaining your yard either for a small stipend or as service hours.
- Check on residents who may not have air conditioning. Offer to bring a fan or let them spend some time with your in your home.
- Offer to watch your neighbors’ home while they are away. Consider allowing a neighbor to pick up your mail, newspapers, and water your plants while you are away.
Fall:
- Clean the leaves off your lawn, but not into your neighbor’s lawn.
- Clean your gutters of dead leaves to eliminate standing water and mosquito breeding grounds.
- While preparing your home for winter, do not power wash your home. Older homes, including those in HMP, were often painted with lead-based paint. Power washing your home knocks lead-based paint chips into your yard as well as your neighbor’s yard. It looks bad and causes a health threat for everyone.
Winter:
- In the winter, keep your sidewalk clear of snow and ice. Offer to clear a neighbor’s sidewalk.
- Check on your neighbors. Many fires occur in the winter because families are using unsafe techniques to heat their homes. HMP is not a big neighborhood with many homes. It is up to all HMP residents to ensure the safety of our neighbors as well as protect our housing stock. Assist a neighbor that is without heat. Offer to take them to the utility company to seek assistance.
Tips for All Seasons:
- Pick up the trash around your home, including the alleys. If everyone cleaned the space in and around his or her property line, it would make a huge improvement to the neighborhood.
- Get to know your neighbors. The best way to avoid isolation and foster a sense of connectedness to the neighborhood is to be engaged with others in the neighborhood. Introduce yourself to new neighbors and invite them to the next HMP social event.
- Bring a homebound neighbor a food gift. This is a good way to make a well-neighbor check and assure your neighbor that others care. Contact the HMPNA Senior Advocate coordinator Ora Triplett if you’d like to know where a homebound HMP resident lives.
- Attend one of the many HMP social events and invite a neighbor who does not usually attend.
- Practice good parking etiquette. Park your vehicle(s) in designated areas on the street or in your driveway/garage. Many HMP residents must park on the street. Don’t park so close to another car that it is difficult for they must maneuver out of very tight spot.
- Allow your neighbor the luxury of parking in front of his or her home. Encourage your guests to leave spaces in front of neighbors’ homes for the homeowner.