Rockin' around the block
N.B. residents hold block party to celebrate community
BY JENNIFER AMATO Staff Writer

NORTH BRUNSWICK — Residents of Carpenter Road, Grissom Avenue, Shepard Avenue, Curie Road and Linwood Place gathered together on Saturday for a community block party.

The purpose of the day was to bring neighbors together to express the ideas of togetherness and community.

"Everybody was affected by 9/11 [2001]," said organizer Melanie Clark. "None of us personally had anyone involved with 9/11, but just as Americans, we wanted to bring back that closeness."

Eight years ago Clark and her friend, Karen Kushnir, who both grew up in North Brunswick, decided to bring back the idea of a block party that they enjoyed during their childhood. Clark also noted that there were seven other people on the block who grew up in North Brunswick.

"We decided we needed to bring back the tradition and not take life for granted … and hang out and not have to worry, to put the cell phones away and to have a good oldfashioned barbecue," she said.

This year, there were piñatas, a bouncing slide, a three-legged race, arts and crafts, and sports activities for the 15 families who decided to participate.

A librarian from Livingston Park Elementary School loaned the group a projector so they could watch "Star Wars" at night using a garage door as a makeshift screen.

Everyone makes a dish of food, and each family brings their own chairs and beverages.

"It's a good way to introduce neighbors to each other … so the next time we see each other we say hi," said Clark, who ran the block party with her husband, Matt. "We're so busy in our lives, running around going to soccer practice or going to work, that we don't take the time to say, 'Hi. How are you?' or we say hi and walk away and don't get a chance to know them. … I think it's better to enjoy life now while we're healthy and the kids can grow up and have this memory, like I did."

Any money raised from the participation fee is put toward the entertainment, with the rest being donated. The first year's proceeds went to a Sept. 11 fund; extra money from other years helped victims of Hurricane Katrina, breast cancer and a house fire; and this year's funds are going to the township's fire department and first aid squad.

Clark said the tradition should continue, despite the town's population basically tripling during her lifetime.

"It still hasn't taken away from the spirit of the old-fashioned neighborhood, of getting to know your neighbors," she said.

Contact Jennifer Amato at

jamato@gmnews.com.