One of my favorite things about my Prospect Heights neighborhood is how much it feels like a lived-in community. People enjoy interacting with each other, and its quirky character is unparalleled.

This garden on Carlton Ave. between Prospect Pl. and Park never fails to make me smile. Everyone who walks by pauses to look, often smiling or snapping a picture. It changes in appearance sometimes (animals get rearranged, accessories are added…) but the shared delight in the space remains the same.

There’s a beautiful history too of how the menagerie of animals started and grew outside of Laura Keith’s home. Right now, this tree bed is a leader in the Beautiful Tree Bed Contest, and I urge you to vote! This is what being a good neighbor is all about.