MY NEIGHBORHOOD

Sophia Acaxtenco

7th Grade • St.Therese at St.Barbara

I live in a neighborhood called Back of The Yards. I often hear my parents talk about my neighborhood and how dangerous it can be. They say things like, Sophia, don’t go out by yourself, Sophia, you cannot go to the park across the street alone, or Sophia, you can’t walk to the grocery store that is two blocks away from the house, and I always wonder why. My family and I have lived in this neighborhood for over thirteen years and I know it is dangerous, but I think nothing bad will happen, but my parents think it is not safe for us kids. It has impacted us for good and bad reasons. Let me tell you some of the reasons why it has changed my family’s life.

First of all, let me tell you how it has shaped us in a good way. When I tell my friends or other people that I live in Back of The Yards, they stay quiet and think for a minute until they realize that yes, it is on the south side, and it is not the most wonderful place to go to. It is not a suburb, but it is where I have lived my whole life. Although my neighborhood has gangs, shootings, and robberies, my family and I have learned that as long you are friendly with the people in our community then everything is going to be okay. Maybe we will not invite everyone to a party at my house, or maybe, we do not have to have a full conversation but just a friendly “hey” will do.

Since my family and I do not live in a very lavish and rich neighborhood, we do a decent amount of community service at

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a little church right next to my house where we pack boxes of food and donate to the people who cannot afford to go grocery shopping as much as they need, I have gone there for not a long time but it feels like I know all the people that do go to the church for a long time. Another great thing my community does is at the park in front of my house. My neighborhood is mostly a Hispanic and Catholic community so many of our celebrations bring us closer to God and remind us of all the wonderful things God has done. I love my neighborhood for all the lessons it has taught me about family, community, and faith.

I live across the street from a park called David Square Park. A lot of things happen in this park like sometimes people from different organizations do little shows as fundraisers for various causes. We also have movie nights in our park, where we get to see a movie for free with family members and neighbors of the community. In the summer, the park offers summer camp and summer activities; I once joined boxing class, but I did not last long there because It was not right for me. Also, a swimming pool opens, which I love.

In conclusion, although my neighborhood is not the best, it is certainly not the worst. I have lived in Back of the Yards all my life and I have seen good changes and I think it will get better in a few years. We are close to everything: downtown, the lake, Soldier Field where I go to see the games with my dad. I do not know how many more years my family and I will live here, but right now I am and will keep enjoying the tacos from La Internacional and so many more delicious restaurants. Back of the Yards is my home and I am proud to be from there.

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