THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, March 15, 1996 TAG: 9603130127
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Ida Kay's Portsmouth
SOURCE: Ida Kay Jordan
LENGTH: Medium: 76 lines
You don't have to reach very far to make a mental transition from Staff Writer Mike Knepler's piece in Sunday's Commentary section on ``The Bygone Art of Talking Politics'' to the future of Portsmouth.
As Knepler noted, there is a trend in the nation back to talking - talking to neighbors, friends, even strangers about what's going on in the world. People seem to be understanding a need for ``community'' to make life meaningful.
Many thoughtful urban planners have, at best, understood the need or, at least, spotted the trend. They are designing more and more neighborhoods that mix residential and small business - a configuration that gives neighbors public places to meet. Portsmouth's Vision 2005 plan does that.
But Portsmouth already has some good beginnings on the concept. Even as we have seen the disappearance of many old places, such as lunch counters and soda fountains, we have seen many new places open that encourage people to visit with each other.
Prison Square's outdoor courtyard, sidewalk seats at several restaurants, decks on the waterfront at others, already attract talkers. Several others are in the works.
If you want to talk politics or anything else, Portsmouth has the places.
The human size of Portsmouth's business areas and its neighborhoods help create feelings of community. In many places, the houses are close together and they have front porches. Most old and middle-aged neighborhoods have sidewalks. All this combines to encourage people to talk to their neighbors.
Furthermore, almost every neighborhood already has a civic league and other organizations that enable people to know and talk with each other. An energetic candidate does not have to spend a lot of money on a campaign because it's easy to make arrangements to meet the members of the various civic groups that cover just about the entire city.
Many businesses in Portsmouth are small and have owners in the stores, which also promotes friendliness. A shop owner knows his customers, chats with them and introduces them to each other.
All these seemingly insignificant situations add up to the future of Portsmouth as an enjoyable place to live.
Last summer, I wrote about the pleasure of going out to lunch and having a couple of hours of good conversation on High Street as I walked back to the office. Much to my surprise, I got a lot of guff about that column. A couple of people hinted that I made it up. One woman called me at home to say I don't live in the same Portsmouth she lives in.
I was taken aback by that reaction. I had written about a delightful afternoon of talking to people on the street because it had dawned on me at the time that we do have a good thing going here.
True, Portsmouth is not like it was 30 or 40 years ago, when almost everybody in town knew everybody else and they went to places where they knew all the other patrons.
We don't have the soda fountains or tearooms any more. We don't have grocery stores and drug stores in every neighborhood. So it is different for a lot of people who have lived here a long time, and it's hard for them to see the charm of the place.
But we have to remember that not much of anything anywhere is like it was 40 years ago. Portsmouth has been through many changes since World War II.
Some were good. Some were bad. Now we're trying to rebuild the city in a constructive way, using the good things as a foundation.
Portsmouth really does have more going for it than many of its critics are willing to admit. It already looks like a friendly ``people place.'' The businesses are geared to personal service and the restaurants are conducive to leisurely meals.
As more and more people come to realize the need for ``community'' that is missing from many suburban areas, they will be drawn to places like Portsmouth.
As the trend grows, we will be ready to capitalize on it if we continue to build on the Vision 2005 plan and other activities now going on. by CNB