SeeingGreen ™

When I first moved to the block where I still live, none of the neighbors would look at me. Or say hello. Or, I imagine, even knock on my door should my house be engulfed in flames. The problem wasn’t my own un-neighborly activities, such as hosting rowdy parties or supporting illegal cottage industries, but simply that I was new.

The tides started to change about three years later. I had been persistent in being friendly, saying hello, picking up trash that was blowing around the street and leaving my porch light on. But the frost really began to melt when Co-pilot and I started to improve the exterior of our home. Garden planted, degraded siding off, fresh paint job, edged borders and still, porch light on. It was an instant turnaround. Neighbors started coming over to see what we were doing, commenting on how nice the house was looking, asking if they could help. If only we had done something like this earlier.

This turnaround was when my home became rooted in a neighborhood, in a community. If you are experiencing a similar feelings of alienation, especially if you are living in one of Portland’s growing segments of vertical neighborhoods (think Eliot Tower, The Civic), there is a new tool to help you connect to your neighbors that doesn’t require ladders and paintbrushes.

Beneighbor is a web based social networking service that allows residents, especially condo dwellers, to connect with people who live in the same building or close-by. Similar to other social networking sites, Beneighbor allows you to create your profile, add images, schedule rendezvous and share resources, be it a tip on a good restaurant or directions to the nearby park.

Although the recently launched site is not yet robust with members, I think the idea of using technology to facilitate community building has some real potential. Sure I’ll always prefer making connections the old-fashion way (with a wave or a smile). But in a culture that is becoming more and more addicted to cell phones, instant messaging and e-mail, I like how Beneighbor uses technology’s toolbox to help people make real, live, in the flesh connections.