All In - Page 3

Barry Tao, who says the neighborhood has become increasingly Asian, remembers that when he was a boy "we were one of maybe three Asian families here. The ethnic makeup was pretty Caucasian at the time. I remember being the only minority in class."

The greatest change in the neighborhood, though, is its evolution from a middle-class haven to a place where homes can go for $3 million.

"Who can live here, who can afford to live here?" asks Esther Lucas, who grew up in Greenmeadow and inherited the family home. "There's probably a big difference between those of us who inherited the property and people who can afford to buy a $3 million house."

Still, even as the demographics changed, commitment to the community has remained strong. After the turn of the millennium, swimmers noticed that the pool needed work. Plus, the community had never had a proper clubhouse. Membership needed a boost. So people put their heads together.

Patrick Everett, who was on the board, credits fellow board member Tim Foy, who had grown up in the neighborhood, as the visionary behind Greenmeadow 20NOW, a planning process that started in 2012 that led to the rebuilding of the pool and the creation of a brand-new, Eichler-style clubhouse.

How many neighborhoods do you know that have the wherewithal to create and follow through on a strategic plan? But the need was dire. Swim membership was dropping. The beloved neighborhood pool "now competes with fancy new facilities" at nearby institutions, a 2012 report noted.

It took nearly a decade of designing, fundraising, and financing. The result is today's pool and community center, which are heavily used by the community. There is a waiting list to become a full association member.

Tim Foy, Patrick says, "really was the one who came up with that initial idea and really made it happen."

Another Greenmeadow institution that brings people together are the 'blockheads.' This is an instance in which the association reaches beyond the pool and park to embrace everyone who lives in Greenmeadow.

"There are 22 blocks" in the neighborhood, says Peyma Oskoui, who is married to Jeff Kmetec and serves as one of the blockheads. Blockheads stay in contact with residents of their area, distribute the monthly Meadowlark newsletter, and otherwise seek to build community.

"They know their neighbors," Sigrid Pinsky says of the blockheads. "They know if something's wrong with someone, they know if we have something to celebrate, they know who's moving. That builds an intimacy."

Socializing is informal and often spontaneous. "Our kids will go next door to borrow, like, a cup of sugar, and they won't come back for an hour," Barry says. "We'll go there. They've already eaten. They're playing piano with our neighbor."

Sigrid Pinksy says, "My oldest daughter, when she was about seven or eight, I told her, if anything ever happens and I'm not here, you could go to any house and knock on the door. They would probably know who you are. They probably know who I was. They might know where you live, but they would do anything for you."