In the Neighborhood: The Search for Community on an American Street, One Sleepover at a Time

I read this book for my book club, and did not expect to love it as much as I did. The author examines a reality that is true for many of us, one that most of us don't desire, but one that we have become used to and feel we can't change: we don't know our neighbors. We have lost a physically close community, and that can cost us our emotional and mental health, as well as our personal safety. The author is affected by a tragic act of violence on his street, and is inspired to explore why and how we don't know the people who live right around us, people who could be an even bigger support to us than friends and family. On some level, we ALL know that helping and being helped, loving and being loved, is what we all need, and the author explores this beautifully. He uses an innovative and interesting way to get to REALLY know the people on his street, not just the hi/bye that now passes for "knowing" someone. The book is also very enjoyable to read and very accessible. He tells the story of several of his neighbors and others who have regular contact with his neighborhood, weaving in his personal experiences as well. I highly recommend this book, and I think it would be a valuable experience for anyone.

Sleepovers at the neighbors to get to know them better? Hooking-up strangers with each other to facilitate neighborhood intimacy and support? Is this guy crazy, or is he on to something? Peter Lovenheim's tale of sleepovers on Sandringham Road to get to know his neighbors better after a neighborhood tragedy is a fascinating read. Ever so prosaically, and yet ever so meaningfully, he reveals our common humanity through the lens of this most familiar of social microcosms. Real life drama presented in an oh-so real life context; read it and you will never again see your neighborhood in the same way.

I must confess that I know the author, Peter Lovenheim from Rochester, so I am biased. But I say that this is a must read for everyone, at any age, living in any neighborhood. I have read oh so many self-improvement books over the years, but it never occurred to me to consider the role that neighbors play in my life. In all my 69 years, I have felt a sense of isolation from my neighbors. First it was living in the New York City metropolis and now it is living in the small city of Rochester, NY. But even with all my email contacts and close connections with the Jewish community, here, I still feel apart. What "In the Neighborhood" does for me, is put things in perspective. Neighbors can really matter. They can help us to live more interesting and meaningful lives. They can help us to change for the better and we can help them to change for the better. Until I read this book, I never really understood the "Golden Rule" to love your neighbor as yourself. Lovenheim encourages us to get involved, on the block where we live. He suggests that we find ways to introduce ourselves. Why, the book, itself, might just provide a good excuse to knock on a neighbor's door. You can share it with your neighbors and it can become a conversation piece. ( More information can be found on the authors page: [...] ) Finally, I must mention that Julia Roberts' film company is considering a movie based on this book (as reported by Variety). I think this is a universal story, a sentimental journey. It is about the "Golden Rule" for living a more fulfilling life. GO FOR IT!

Author Peter Lovenheim does good deeds. He is a driving force that brings neighbors together in a typical isolating suburban community. He celebrates the jobs of his mailman and newspaper deliveryman. Lovenheim honors senior citizens and busy American families by spending time in their homes, peppering them with questions, and portraying them all in a bright light. In an era of media violence, a book about helping one's neighbors is a reprieve. It will inspire readers to befriend strangers in their own neighborhoods. Altogether, it is a unique, refreshing, and tender book.

Reminds me of all the times I've walked down a street and wondered about who's in there. And they are us. Woven in Mr. Lovenheim's descriptions of his neighbors is how we, as selves and families, age and adapt to the present. It's a kindly warning: fruitful life opportunities, perhaps only to be articulated later, in someone else's musings, can be lost. It made me wonder: What do I do to know anyone well? And how do I let other people know me? It is a kind book that leaves questions, and gently encourages us towards intimacy in our own lives. I loved the book.