Neighborhood Nazi 11.09.2006 | 0 Comment(s)

He was a nice enough fellow, this potential vendor sitting across the table from me. In fact, he was kind of cute. The last participant of this planned IT meeting was running late, so Cute Vendor and I filled what could have been awkward silence with small talk.

"I see you guys are located in Soulard," I said after glancing at the address on his card, "Lots of great places to eat down there."

"Yeah, I don't mind being Downtown," CV said.

"Soulard," I thought, "is not 'Downtown'."

The more he referred to Soulard as "Downtown" the more irritated I got. The Neighborhood Nazi side of my personality was kicking in, full force...and Cute Vendor became decidedly less cute.

In the scheme of things, I realize his gaffe was no big deal, but I'm of the opinion that what makes the City great is its distinct neighborhoods. We should refer to those neighborhoods by their proper names. In very small, but important ways, respecting those neighborhoods, referring to them by their proper names and not lumping the whole City under the "Downtown" label helps create a sense of belonging for City Dwellers and a sense of place for those visiting our fair City.

"Clayton used to really intimidate me," CV said.

As soon as I heard his words, a huge smile spread across my face. The things & people that I let get to me! Feeling a bit embarassed, I chastised myself for getting worked up over the comments of a man who used to be scared of 5 square blocks of suburbia. I just sat back, feigned interest in the story he was telling and enjoyed his handsome face.