If there’s one word for this season in University Heights, it’s change. Last month we reported on the wave of new and expanded businesses along Park Boulevard — new places to eat, drink, shop, and gather that are bringing fresh energy to the neighborhood. It’s an exciting time to walk down the street.
Change is happening inside UHCA, too. Our recent elections kept the officer team in place for another two years, and I want to sincerely thank you for your continued confidence and trust. But our board itself is evolving, welcoming new perspectives, fresh energy, and an expanding range of talents. Our UH Business Group is growing, and the relaunch of UH Arts Association is cementing our commitment to artists and the arts in our community.
But something hasn’t changed, and I hope it never will: what makes UH so special. We are first and foremost a community. We stand up for each other, we help each other, and we grow together.
Jeffrey and I were having brunch at Parkhouse recently when we struck up a conversation with a lovely couple at the next table. They’d moved back to University Heights, in part because they’d never found quite the same sense of community anywhere else.
Volunteers at Taste of UH: Stacy (left) and happy UH resident Denise. Thanks SO MUCH for helping us make Taste of UH and UH Fall Festival a success!
Denise, one of our awesome volunteers helping out at the Taste of UH, summed up her experience to me, “I used to live in Hillcrest, and it was just too much — the parking, the noise. Then I lived in La Mesa, which was the complete opposite. When I had the chance to move to UH, I knew this was the right place — lots of things to do, but it’s still so walkable — and has a real sense of community.”
That sentiment is what drives me and everyone involved with UHCA to protect what makes University Heights special — and to make it better for everyone who calls it home.
That doesn’t mean resisting change. It means embracing the changes that strengthen our community: the businesses that give us more places to gather, the new neighbors who bring fresh ideas and energy, and the artists who make our streets more beautiful. The best kind of change doesn’t erase what makes a neighborhood special. It builds on it.
If you’ve been thinking about getting involved, there’s never been a better time. Join us, volunteer (www.uhsd.org/volunteer), or simply say hello at one of our upcoming events as we enter the holiday season. University Heights will keep changing. Together, we can make sure it remains a special place for all.
