We noted last week that it is up to city residents – not city government – to rebuild the cohesive nature of Jamestown’s neighborhoods.

A couple of days later, residents of Eighth and Fulton streets proved our point by becoming the first neighborhood to take the city and the Jamestown Police Department up on the offer to reinvigorate neighborhood watch groups in the city. The neighbors – many of whom have become familiar names through their advocacy over the course of the past couple of years at City Council meetings – are mobilizing in an attempt to help improve the conditions in the neighborhood.

The best part of the north side neighbors’ request is that the work is grassroots. The city is a partner, for sure, but there was no organized social media campaign needed by the city Development Department. As we noted last week we don’t fault the city Development Department for working to address a concern they have heard from city residents over the past several years about the lack of neighborhood cohesion. But the work to fix neighborhood problems needs to come from the bottom up, not the top down.

The best thing the city can do, in our view, is set the stage for neighbors to come together. Perhaps a specified block party weekend – different from National Night Out – in each ward where council members host a party or series of parties would help bring people out of their homes. There doesn’t need to be an agenda, and gatherings don’t need to be gripe sessions – just summer cookout food and something to occupy children for a couple of hours. Such an effort doesn’t need to break the bank, but it would be an attempt to facilitate discussion on an informal level rather than at a City Council meeting.

As has been the case for the past couple of years the residents of Eighth and Fulton streets have set an impressive example of how to function as a neighborhood. The question now is how we build on their example.