Mar 30, 2025 19:00:00

How did they build a large community from scratch in just a year and a half, including by hosting parties among local residents?

Previous studies have

shown that there is a close relationship between the number of times people greet their neighbors and their happiness, and that elderly people who regularly meet with others and participate in events are less likely to develop dementia. San Francisco resident Patti Smith explains how she deepened the relationships in her neighborhood community.

Stoop Coffee: How a Simple Idea Transformed My Neighborhood
https://supernuclear.substack.com/p/stoop-coffee-how-a-simple-idea-transformed

Smith, who lives in San Francisco with her husband Tyler, decided in 2023 that she wanted to create a community with deep relationships that couldn't be found in urban areas. So every weekend, Smith and her husband set aside time to drink coffee outside their home. During that time, they wave to and introduce themselves to the neighbors who pass by, so that the neighbors will remember them as 'those people who drink coffee outside every weekend.'

A month or two after they started this campaign, a man named Luke, who lived nearby, approached Smith and his friends. Luke offered to meet Smith and his friends for coffee, and the two eventually became close enough to exchange phone numbers.

Since Luke joined, Smith has seen so many neighbors gather that he's started bringing in extra folding chairs to accommodate the growing number of attendees and has even created

a WhatsApp community to facilitate communication.

After that, the community that Smith and his group started expanded to hold an outdoor party. By dividing up the roles, such as 'collecting tables, chairs, and hotplates,' 'collecting pancake mix,' and 'delivering invitations to neighbors,' more than 70 people gathered at the event, and more than 50 users joined the WhatsApp community.

According to Smith, various events are now held every week, including neighborhood cleanups, cookie exchanges, and TV viewing parties in December 2024. In addition, in the WhatsApp community, neighbors are actively interacting with each other, such as buying and selling cars.

'Through our work, neighbors who never knew each other before have formed friendships with one another,' said Smith. 'Our neighborhood community is now the group of people we rely on most for emotional support, childcare help, cooking for others, and much more.'

As for future goals, Smith said, 'I want to build a community that will be sustainable in the future, so that more people can host in-person events, even if we leave San Francisco.' 'I want to connect not only with local businesses, but also with policymakers who solve problems that affect our neighborhoods.' He also said, 'I cherish the many neighbors I've met and am very grateful to the many people who have given their time and effort to build our community.'