For several years I stayed active in my local neighborhood block watch programs.  Actually, because I have a big mouth sometimes I ended up heading up my local group and supposedly I was in charge of informing neighbors about issues, getting calls about local crime concerns, setting up meetings with local law enforcement, tracking crime statistics, etc.  It’s a lot of work with very little reward and even less recognition.  Nonetheless, I believe in the old time ways of my growing up years in Kansas where people looked out for each other and their property so I perservered.

One group I became marginally involved with because of the coalition of block watch captains is GAIN.  It stands for Greenwood Aurora Involved Neighbors.  The group formed after a series of pretty serious crimes were committed along the Aurora corridor between 72nd and 95th streets in Seattle.  In particular, a resident of the area was severely beaten by individuals from outside the neighborhood but who were there to purchase drugs, solicit prostitutes, or both.  Apparently they were doing this in his front yard and he approached them to ask them to move along and was viciously attacked.

A major cry for help went out when the neighborhood organized around this sad event and they put together GAIN in response.  They’ve been wielding their political power now that they’ve got some (see one of the many reports) and it’s making for some excellent progress in the area.  For people who own homes in the neighborhood, it’s a welcome change.

Some of the most recent details about upcoming development can be found on a group website that they maintain.  You can access it by clicking on this link.

If you’re considering a home, townhouse, or condo in this area it’s worth taking a look at what this organization is doing.  For those that haven’t been aware of the work they’ve been doing there is still a perception among individuals and agents that lingers regarding whether buying a property in this area is worth it.  Yes, real estate is all about location, location, location, but owning a home is also about getting involved with your neighbors and helping maintain a good community.  Considering the access to downtown Seattle, Greenlake, Phinney Ridge and other great areas, I personally wouldn’t write it off.  Plus, clearly there must be some demand there or all those builders wouldn’t have targeted 85th for all of the townhome development that has occurred over the past several years.

If you live in the area, or if you just have a comment you’d like to share about the changes in this corridor of Aurora, please feel free to post here!  I really like seeing the recommended changes to the district that call for beautification of the neighborhood because it really could use a little face lift there and it would be a welcome change.

As GAIN says in their vision statement: “Aurora means dawn.  Wake up to a new Aurora!”

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