We moved to this house 17 years ago. There were many reasons we chose a house in DeKalb, and there were even more reasons we chose this house in DeKalb.
The neighborhood pool being at the top of the list.

Our two streets meet in a V and nestled in the crook is a fenced, in-ground pool with slide, patio with tables and chairs and canopies and also a bathroom with shower.
Cool pool fact: Jimmy Johns will deliver to the pool!

You don’t see neighborhood pools much anymore. Sure, there are lots of backyard pools and even community pools, but a neighbor financed and tended pool is a rarity. The Oakwood Manor Pool Association is private. You have to live in the neighborhood and commit to help with the cost and upkeep to participate. We take pride in the pool and know how lucky we are to have it.

My kids were 9 and 11 when we moved here, perfect ages for pool enjoyment. There were several families with kids and it’s been a pleasure seeing them grow up from summer to summer.

That’s the best part of the pool- the neighbor interaction. Sure, we could run next door in the winter or across the street to say “Hello” in the winter (winter seems to be the only other season we’ve had lately), but we don’t. Between busy schedules and uncooperative weather, we go months without seeing the neighbors’ shiny smiling faces. Summers are a social time in general, but our neighborhood benefits specifically because of the pool.

The pool predates our arrival by several decades but we have neighbors that were in on the original planning. It’s interesting to hear them talk about the history, the ups and downs, and challenges from bureaucracy. (We no longer have the diving board because of new rules and regulations.)

This past Saturday was our annual Pool Party.

It was a wonderful turn-out with new and established neighbors. The best part is the resurgence of kid-presence. My kids have aged out, they’re not kids anymore. But the pool party was alive with the yelps and giggles and squirt guns and splashings of the next generation. That kind of energy does an old body good.

We had a TON of wonderful food and great conversation. We enjoyed several hours of warm temps and welcome breezes before the rain. Most folks headed home before the sky opened and a torrential downpour came. Some folks were stranded beneath the shelter, thankful for the shelter! (My sandals were still soaked Sunday morning.)

A handful of us regrouped after the storm passed to continue with the socializing. It was a welcome break from the weight of recent events.

If you didn’t know, let me tell you–

The pool is so cool.