WRITING QUESTION: When you think about your neighborhood, what are some colors, shapes, pictures, or images that come to mind? You can think of things in your home, things you see from the street, or places in the neighborhood.

“Manicured lawns” – Alicia Pitts

“Varying pitches of roof lines. Trees forming arches; trees that look like a person buried up to their waste with legs flailing in the air. Green. Grey. Blue skies. Happy little clouds.” – Bob Mabbitt

“I love looking out my big 1930’s picture frame window in the living room. All the small panes of glass made up to make one big window. I also think of the grass triangles with green, green, green grass, bushes & trees!” – Cathy Lancaster

“Green” – Dayne Walling

“nice green lawns, trees lining the street.” – Denise Smith Allen

“It's so green and lush. Sometimes, it's like being not in an urban area. That might be due to me not mowing my lawn. I have rabbits, birds, squirrels in my yard. My house reminds me of a being in France for some reason.” – Desiree Duell

“Reds, whites, yellows and greens of flowering plants off and on the deck, Oak floors and beveled glass french doors with oil paintings, photographs, ceramics and sculptures in every space. Library, FIA, UM-F, MCC, Farmers Market, downtown, Applewood, I-475, Flint River. Housing of mixed age, style, and condition. Many parkway trees. A great diversity of people and life styles.” – E. Custer

“I picture lovely, cozy houses, trees, flowers in my garden. I also see the cars and people moving around the busy school.” – E. Perkins-Harbin

“cobalt blue bottle tree / sunshine yellow door” – Elizabeth Taylor

“Green grass, nice houses, people always walking, Double J's, Franklin Ave/Court St. intersection” – Emma

“Green leafy canopy, red brick, white stucco, green grass, brown wood trip” – Erik and Lata

“Our gold kitchen with red cuboards, our teal dining room with the stained glass window, the planetarium, the gothic buildings of Central & Whittier and the ugly Genesee tower spoiling the horizon over downtown.” – Ingrid Halling

“Mott, Central, the playgrounds in either direction” – Jessica Coyne

“green, trees, long straight streets intersected by cross streets....lots of white houses....grass and bushes” – Leslie

“Green trees in the Spring, golden trees in Autumn.” – Linda Perkins Hritz

“lots of trees, old houses” – Margie Latter

“This neighborhood looks like shady sidewalks. It is a green neighborhood, with tall old friendly trees. We're full of triangles from all of our tudor houses and our streets that couldn't decide which way they were supposed to go. We're a brick neighborhood, with buildings like Whittier and Central and Pierce, all built to last. Everyone has at least one room with a hard room floor. Every other one has a dog on a leash. The rest run Crim starting in May and going long after the official race in August. Between dog walking and Crim running, we all take advantage of these quiet, shady streets.” – Melodee Mabbitt

“Trees. Houses. Cars.” – Michael Kelly

“Yard lamps” – Nelle Pinkney

“Green, pink, red. Images of a diverse neighborhood.” – Stephanie Render

“Trees; Cultural Center” – Stephany Diana

“Lots of big, green trees. The little Gilkey Creek. A mostly-forgotten coal mine underneath part of the neighborhood with who knows what rusting away in it.” – Tom Spademan

“There is a beautiful tree across the street from me. With beautiful pink flowers on it.” – Vanessa Terrell