A Year in our Neighborhood: Visual highlights from 2011

2011 was an eventful year in the Creston neighborhood for artists, environmentalists, advocates, businessmen, and neighbors alike. In this photo essay, you will see the following stories of the Creston neighborhood unfold.

• Neighbors gathered to share stories and visions for the community at the annual Creston Neighborhood Association (CNA) pancake breakfast.
• At the Riverside Tree Walk, Creston neighbors accompanied local aborist on a tour to learn about the trees in Riverside Park.
• In the spring, Creston neighbors came together to plan two community gardens where neighbors could grow healthy food for their families.
• The CNA invited the KaBOOM! program to the neighborhood and built two playgrouns, one at Aberdeen Park and one at Briggs Park. The Briggs Park playground even included a butterfly for kids and butterflies to enjoy!
• At the annual Art Battle For Community, local artists gathered at Sazerac's Loungue to create works of art that were then sold to raise funds for the CNA to continue its work in the neighborhood.
• Local business persons started the northQuarter initiative to discuss, plan, and spruce up a business district in the North Monroe, Creston, and Cheshire areas. The NorthQuarter team even received the award for Best Promotion at the 22nd Annual Neighborhood Business Awards.
• After a lot of hard work, locals from the Quality Housing Advocates celebrated the passing of a city ordinance that requires four to six year certifications and regular inspections of single-family rental units.
• The National Night Out brought neighbors together to share stories of crime prevention and discuss goals for the future.
• At the Aberdeen Celebration in the Park, neighbors celebrated the summer, listened to local music, and ate delicious food.
• The much-anticipated annual  Creston Car Show drew quite a crowd in 2011, with chrome shining up and down Plainfield.
• In one of the quirkier events of the summer, the CNA invited Aaron, a ukulele player from the Ukulele by Bicycle Tour, to perform for the neighborhood. 
• At the Halloween parade, kids from local schools dressed up in their Halloween best and marched through the Creston Neighborhood.

Thanks for joining us on this visual tour of the Creston neighborhood. As you can see, 2011 was an exciting year and 2012 promises to be even better. Hope to see you around the neighborhood!