AROUND TOWN

from My Jarrell Monthly December 2021

NEIGHBOR LEIGH

by Ann Marie Kennon • annmarie@myjarrell.com

It's a Wonderful Neighborhood

"Look at it today...dozens of the prettiest little homes you ever saw."

If you're a movie fan and live in or near Sonterra, you may enjoy the pop culture and sense of nostalgia as you drive through Bailey Park, particularly during the Christmas season. No, there was no Mr. Bailey who previously owned and lived on the land; the neighborhood and its streets are named for Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life movie. From Bedford Falls Lane to Oddbody Court, several of the movie's great themes and characters are represented.

Developer Andy Bilger says he and his partner, Shawn Breedlove, were looking for a new way to name streets and subdivisions. "Names have to be approved by municipal authorities and we wanted to do something different because there are already many places named after animals, trees, or notable people. We didn't want to duplicate names from other towns so we decided to go with a movie theme. We chose this movie because it has a positive meaning and a great ending."

Andy says he has received positive feedback from residents on their choices. "Some noticed the names the moment they drove in," he says. "Oddly enough, there were several who lived here for quite some time before they made the connection."

If holiday movie names don't suit your taste, there is another neighborhood near Igo Elementary that may make your day. If you are a fan of the 'man with no name,' the streets off of CR 314 include Bronco Billy and Harry Callahan Drives and Joe Kidd Lane. If you like Westerns, you may want to take a drive down El Dorado Road and Quiet Man Drive off of CR 3001.

Andy adds that he and Shawn will continue to use movie themes and names until they get tired of the idea. "It has been a good run for us using movies," he says. "There are plenty of great movies and names out there just waiting to be used to help us keep things interesting."