The stately brick and stone Tiffany Woods entry sign along Perkins Road is more than just a neighborhood marker. It's the catalyst that residents in the West Arlington neighborhood say brought them closer together.
Tiffany Woods, built in the mid-1980s, is a small community of about 80 homes on five streets off Perkins Road and Millwood Drive near Lake Arlington. Earlier this year, the original neighborhood entry sign was removed because of utility work in the public right of way. That prompted longtime resident Bernadette Nanni to reach out to her neighbors and begin conversations on how to replace the sign.
Nanni volunteered to lead Tiffany Woods' application to the City of Arlington's annual Neighborhood Matching Grant Program, which helps fund improvement projects, such as public art, landscaping, and entryway signs, in neighborhood public spaces. Work began on a new entryway sign and landscaping this summer thanks to a $23,000 grant from the City and contributions from Tiffany Woods residents.
"If you put a little bit of time and effort into it, it's amazing what the return is," Nanni said.
The City of Arlington is proud to feature Tiffany Woods in this month's episode of Meet the Neighbors, a regularly scheduled web and video program that spotlights neighborhoods large and small across The American Dream City.
The newfound neighborhood camaraderie didn't stop once the sign was complete, Nanni said. Residents reformed the neighborhood association, began publishing a neighborhood newsletter and organized activities, including volunteer cleanup days and a Yard of the Month program.
Irene Patterson, 93, is one of Tiffany Woods' original homeowners. She and her husband moved to Arlington in 1987 to be closer to family.
Over the past 30 years, Patterson said she had noticed families in the neighborhood weren't as connected as they had been when she first moved there. But the entry sign project has inspired a renewed spirit of community, and Patterson said she's grateful to see families once again gathering regularly and helping each other out.
"It really made our neighborhood come alive," Patterson said.
Nanni agrees. In October, the neighborhood participated in its first National Night Out celebration in more than a dozen years. About 75 people gathered for food, fun and fellowship in Nanni's backyard.
Now residents there are considering applying for another Neighborhood Matching Grant to continue neighborhood improvements, she said.
"I think everybody out here would say I know more about us today than I did a year ago," Nanni said. "We're only 81 homes small. People really care about each other. It's one of the best neighborhoods to live in.
Neighborhoods wanting to learn more about City services available for neighborhood projects should register for the Neighborhood Network at www.arlington-tx.gov/pds/neighborhoods or send questions to [email protected].
The City's Office of Communication develops programming for MyArlingtonTV. Viewers can find MyArlingtonTV programs on the following cable systems: Spectrum Channel 16 and AT-T U-Verse channel 99, and streaming capabilities at www.arlington-tx.gov.
All episodes are also available on the City's YouTube channel, Facebook page and Twitter account.
MyArlingtonTV Links:
Champion Great Neighborhoods, Meet the Neighbors
Community, Headlines, News