Last Saturday, we had the pleasure of visiting Nextdoor Uplands in Lake Oswego, OR for the 6th stop of our Summer of Good Neighbors Tour. Over 65 neighbors gathered to enjoy tasty ice cream sandwiches and reflect on the achievements they’ve made as a community, both on and off Nextdoor.
Nextdoor Uplands is just north of Oswego Lake and is surrounded on all sides by sprawling city parks. Neighbors describe it as a safe and peaceful neighborhood, situated perfectly for those interested in taking advantage of the great outdoors. With several trails throughout the neighborhood, Uplands is also very dog and family friendly.
Paul Lyons, the Lead for Nextdoor Uplands, has lived in Uplands for 35 years and praises it for being a “beautiful and natural area with diversity of homes.” He has long been involved in the community, with a career in management consulting which led him to managing local non-profits. One such non-profit is Friends of Springbrook Park, which Paul started to help preserve and restore their city park over 14 years ago.
At the ice cream social event on Saturday, Paul was recognized as Uplands’ Good Neighbor for his many contributions to the local community. Several neighbors nominated Paul, citing his ability to bring neighbors together on and offline. Serving as a Lead on Nextdoor, Paul keeps everyone updated on the important happenings in the community whether around crime, traffic, construction, or local events. He also takes the time to welcome new residents to Uplands with a packet of information and maps of Lake Oswego.
When asked about his favorite story of how his community has used Nextdoor, Paul shared a personal story about his lost Golden Retriever, Charlie. While out in the front yard with Paul’s wife, Helen, Charlie broke loose from his leash and took off down the street. Helen posted to Nextdoor to alert the neighborhood and two nearby neighbors started looking immediately. While Paul and Helen were walking back home after an unsuccessful search through Springbrook Park, one of the neighbors who had been helping search for Charlie had found him and was bringing him safely home. Since then, Paul and Helen have become good friends with Jane and her partner Jan.
According to Paul, Uplands uses Nextdoor for a variety of purposes from buying and selling items, to giving recommendations, to planning neighborhood events. Uplands neighbors also hear from the City and the Parks and Recreation department on Nextdoor, both of whom use Nextdoor’s public agency platform.
We were honored to celebrate Paul and his lovely Uplands neighbors for all they have done to help Nextdoor grow over the last six years. And now, off to Cambridge, MA for stop #7!
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