Ahead of the Curve
How Pleasant Ridge's Sidewalk Revolution Matches Britain's Public Living Room Movement
What if the secret to stronger communities was as simple as moving your couch to the sidewalk?
For years, Community Happens Here has been transforming the space outside our building in Pleasant Ridge into an outdoor living room of sorts – creating space where neighbors naturally gather, conversations flow, and genuine connections form. So when we learned about a UK movement doing something remarkably similar, we knew we had to share their story.
In 2015, a British nonprofit called Camerados began asking the same questions we've been exploring: How do we help neighbors discover each other? How do we create spaces for authentic connection? Their answer – the "public living room" – is now spreading across continents and proving what we've known all along: people are hungry for real community.
The Movement Spreads
When Lisa Garcia unpacked her box from Camerados, she found hanging lights, mugs, and a vinyl sign. A week later, she did something that felt like "insanity" to her. She loaded her living room furniture into her car and set it up at the local farmers market.
Within 15 minutes, it was standing room only. "Folks would walk by and ask what we were selling," Garcia recalls. "I told them that we were selling nothing, that it was a public living room. Everyone is welcome to sit and chat." The results were nothing short of magic.
The Simple Philosophy
Camerados built their movement on six principles that challenge how we typically think about community building:
Mix with people who are not like you – Step outside your usual circles
It's ok to disagree respectfully – Difference doesn't mean division
No fixing, just be alongside – Show up without an agenda
Ask someone struggling to help you – Everyone has something valuable to offer
Have fun, to be silly is to be human – Joy is essential
It's ok to be a bit rubbish sometimes – Perfection isn't required, presence is
What starts as simple conversations often grows into community cleanups, mentorship programs, and food drives. Most importantly, these spaces rebuild trust. As Garcia puts it, "They remind us that generally people are nice and good."
Pleasant Ridge: Already A Leader
We’re always encouraged when we remember we’re in the company of movements all around the world responding to one of the most pressing human needs of our time. Community Happens Here is proud to be leading this vital work right here in Pleasant Ridge. For years, we've enlisted the help of local students and adults to make liveable, comfortable gathering space along Montgomery Road.
Did you know there’s been a quiet revolution brewing in your own backyards? It’s pioneering work. And we hope it brings about the change we all so desperately desire to see.
So stop by as much as you can.
The future of community is happening right here, and there's always room for one more.