Come celebrate community and art at a free barbecue hosted by the Bryant Neighborhood Association and The Arts Council of Lake Oswego this Sunday, June 3 from 12 noon to 2:00 p.m. at the Jean Road fire station.

With 20 recognized neighborhood associations in Lake Oswego, Oregon, there are lots of communities where local residents would say you’d be lucky to call home.

The Bryant Neighborhood Association is tooting its own horn with some help from The Arts Council of Lake Oswego this coming Sunday, June 3 from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. with a celebration featuring a free barbecue and art at the Jean Road Fire Station located at the corner of Jean Road and Bryant.

What’s the big deal?

• FIRST NEIGHBORHOOD SCULPTURE. The Bryant Neighborhood Association has been selected to receive the city of Lake Oswego’s first neighborhood public art sculpture, Totem II, to be installed at the Jean Road Fire Station in September. The artist, Travis Pond, will be on hand with a video depicting his sculpting process of welding reclaimed steel parts into his creations. Totems created by students at both Waluga and Lake Oswego Junior Highs will also be on site for viewing. Participants are welcome to bring ideas for what to include in the time capsule which will be installed in the base of the Totem. Firefighters will be on hand with their trucks for kids who are interested in what they do and want to climb aboard.

• RESIDENTS CARE ABOUT WHERE THEY LIVE. Bryant neighborhood residents care about making their community a better place. The association has applied for and received neighborhood enhancement grants from the city to install some landscaping, two neighborhood signs and organize this community gathering. Residents like Don Caldwell of Delap, provided the seed money to get the sculpture process started and local residents can “buy a plaque” that will be placed in the cement pad surrounding the sculpture.

• GREAT SCHOOLS. “There are great schools in this neighborhood,” explains neighborhood association co-chair Nancy Bignell. The schools, in fact, are why she located here. Although Bryant Elementary is closing to become part of the new Lakeridge Junior High, Bignell is equally happy with neighboring Westridge and River Grove Elementary Schools.

• LOCATION.LOCATION.LOCATION. “We have everything we need within a short distance,” explains Bignell. Judging by the cars parked at the renovated Lake Grove Village, neighbors are excited to have Zupan’s, Jefe’s, La Provence Bakery and Bistro, Rite Aid, and Starbucks nearby. There is easy access to I-5 and a variety of small businesses to cut your hair, babysit your dog and cook you dinner.

•  BRYANT WOODS NATURE PARK. The pathway through this shaded forested area makes you feel you are miles away from civilization instead of just down the street from where you live. You need a quick debriefing after work? You got it.

• IT’S ECLECTIC. This is not your cookie cutter housing project. Each house has its own personality from waterfront mansions to older cottages.

•  TENNIS ANYONE? Not too many neighborhoods in Lake Oswego can lay claim to two outdoor tennis courts, but the Bryant Neighborhood Association can. Located on the corner of Jean Road and Bryant, they are located right next to the fields at Waluga Junior High. So, if the courts are busy, you can throw a Frisbee or shoot a few hoops on the outdoor basketball courts while you wait.

•  IT FALLS WITHIN THE LAKE GROVE SWIM PARK BOUNDARIES. Under the terms of the original deed to this lakefront property from the Oregon Iron & Steel Company, use is restricted to residents within the boundaries of the former Lake Grove School District who pay an additional property tax to support the swim park. To get a pass for the summer at the Lake Grove Swim Park, you have to show proof of residence, so if you live here, you’ve got it. There are few better spots to be on a hot summer afternoon. “My kids can’t wait for summer for that very reason,” explains Bignell.

What’s your favorite neighborhood in Lake Oswego and why? We’d like to feature it in an upcoming post.

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