It’s hard for me to imagine what life would have been like as a city kid. My mom and dad still live in the house I grew up in, in suburban town on Long Island, about an hour outside of Manhattan. We spent a lot of time in the city when I was young, and hearing stories about city life from friends who grew up in Manhattan or DC make it sound pretty cool. Even so, I have nothing but fond memories of growing up in the ‘burbs – just minutes from the beach and not too far from all the wonders the city had to offer.

The second leg of the Mount Pleasant Heritage trail speaks a little more to what life might have been like raising a family in DC. Maybe you’d send your kids to grade school at the Sacred Heart Academy (stop number 4). Maybe your family would attend Sunday mass at one of the many churches around 16th and Newton, referred to at stop number 5 as “The Avenue of Churches.” Maybe you lived in one of the gorgeous detached homes – perhaps 1626 or 1640 Newton Street – the two of which are some of Mount Pleasant’s original wood frame houses. Or maybe you skinny dipped in Rock Creek, just like Teddy Roosevelt did. How’s that for a mental image?!

As hard as it is to imagine having grown up in the city, it’s even harder for me to imagine what it would be like to raise a family here. While I was wandering around last week I came upon this house somewhere around 19th and Lamont, where it looks like someone’s got a few city kids of their own. Check out the personalized stepping stones leading up to the rocking horse. If it wasn’t for the kid-sized bikes lined up on the porch, I’d have wondered if it was just a group house full of 20-somethings who are young at heart! Whatever it is, I thought it was pretty sweet, and it makes me happy to know that Mount Pleasant is still very much a village in the city!