It's the People.

Sep 3

1 min read

The following text is from a Facebook post by by Allyson Debutts, a Melrose resident. We're thankful she shared this, and it's been copied here verbatim with her permission. Enjoy. - David West

I don't live in a neighborhood full of fancy houses.

They're old. They have character but they have flaws.

I don't live in a neighborhood with fancy amenities or clubs.

I don't live in a neighborhood that people really recognize, or exclaim "omg I love that area!"

But I live in a neighborhood with something better.

Cohesiveness, compassion, and community.

None of us are rich but we would give the shirt off our back for our neighbor. Sometimes quite literally.

I live in the kind of neighborhood where people stopped and rolled around the window to say hey to you as they drive by.

I live in the kind of neighborhood where we have meetings about how we can help each other better.

I didn't know what kind of family I was joining when I moved in to Melrose. I was just trying to find something I could afford without being house poor. I had quite a few people scoff at me for moving north of Florida and ask me if it was going to be safe.

But boy am I glad that I took a chance on an old house with good bones that needed a little love. Not so much because of my house, although I do love my Pandora despite all the grief she gave me at first- but because of the people I've encountered here.

Allyson Denae DeButts