Northside block party unites neighbors

Delores Bailey remembers when there were only six people at the first Northside block party.

But at the ninth annual block party Thursday night, there were more than 200 residents and students gathered to eat, listen to music and meet neighbors.

The block party, which is co-sponsored by the University and the town of Chapel Hill, aims to give students and residents a chance to meet each other.

“To make something like this a success, it takes all of us working together and it takes consistency,” said Bailey, the executive director of Empowerment, Inc., an organization that helped plan the event.

Kenneth Lennon, community liaison officer for Chapel Hill, said the block party is a good way to help students be good neighbors.

The annual block party is part of the Good Neighbor Initiative, which encourages students living off campus to connect with year-round residents.

“This kind of event gives people an opportunity to see the good that UNC students are doing,” said town council member Jim Ward.

Ward said he thinks events like the block party allow students and long-term residents to build relationships.

“It activates people so that they are more focused on the health of their community,” Ward said.

The block party also gave neighbors — new and old — the chance to talk about some of the issues affecting Northside.

Residents of the traditionally black and low-income neighborhood have complained that student development pushed traditional neighbors out. Others have complained of excessive noise and cars.

UNC senior Jon Kasbe, who lives in Northside, said there has been tension with neighbors since he moved into his house in January.

Kasbe said the biggest problem with his neighbors is parking.

He said many of his friends have received fines for having too many cars in his driveway.

But Virginia “Little Mama” Hackney, a lifelong Northside resident, said she appreciates her student neighbors.

Hackney said she was thrilled when her student neighbors threw her a birthday party in July.

“I love them to death,” she said.

Lifelong Northside resident Robert Jones said he also likes living near students.

“It’s nice until about one or two o’clock,” he said.

Despite the fact that he will leave his home next spring, Kasbe said he still thinks it’s important to be a good member of the community.

“The relationships you make and the impact you make are temporary because you know you’re leaving,” he said.

Contact the desk editor at city@dailytarheel.com.