AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Make a point to celebrate diversity this month

BECCA SCHMIDT BALDWIN PARK LIFESTYLE DIRECTOR

Lifestyle Director Becca Schmidt has lived in Baldwin Park since 2005 and has the pulse on neighborhood social gatherings. Check out the Groups and Gatherings section of baldwinpark.net for a list of Baldwin Parkbased groups. Contact Becca at lifestyledirector@baldwinparkpoa. com if you’d like to start a new group or have questions about how you can meet your neighbors.

What are you doing for National Celery Month? What?! Nothing?!? Did you not realize that March is the month we raise our bloody marys to this crunchy green veggie?

OK, so you don’t “celery-brate” National Celery Month. Instead, perhaps you get excited about going all green for St. Paddy’s Day or can’t wait for the March Madness hoopla. Some of us hit the beach or the books — or get ready for the college kids to come home for a week.

Whatever you look forward to, make March the month to celebrate the many people and diverse activities that Baldwin Park offers.

Our neighborhood is a wonderful mixture of people in all life stages, cultures and personalities. We are lucky to have so many opportunities to discover not only our similarities, but to also celebrate our differences.

This month, step out of your comfort zone by interacting with some of your neighbors who can offer a new perspective on how you currently see the world.

Consider some of these opportunities:

BALDWIN PARK LIVING | MARCH 2020 n WIN (Women Innovators Network) is Baldwin Park’s newest group of female entrepreneurs. It’s open to all Baldwin Park women who own a business. That includes all kinds of businesses — from hair salons to dental practices to cleaning companies. This group’s mission is to exchange ideas that work in one business and translate them to solutions for other types of businesses. WIN is a win-win for Baldwin Park women.

n Meet new people through fitness activities. This is something in which I have personal experience. Three times a week, I hit the pavement with the Mighty Girls running group. These are women I never would have met had I not made the commitment to join them on their 5:30 a.m. runs. We talk, laugh and learn that even though our lives are quite different, our fitness struggles are often exactly the same. These are powerful, fabulous new women friends I never would have had without this group. If running isn’t your thing, try the amateur tennis group What’s Love Got to Do With It

or the morning stretch classes at Grace

Hopper and Enders. Or swim with the diehards who plunge into Grace Hopper pool at sunrise. Hop on the elliptical or treadmill at the same time every day at one of our two gyms. Bump into the same people often, and you’re likely to make a friend — maybe someone your mom’s age, maybe a teenager, maybe someone from halfway across the world.

n Eat and shop local. Go to Café 906 on a Tuesday morning and listen for laughter and conversations

Let March’s motto be, “He or she is not like me … and that’s exactly why I want to meet them.”

in French. The women of Nifty Fifties also meet at the café on the first Thursday of each month. A coffee shop is the best place to practice going to a restaurant solo.

n Our Epicurean Enthusiasts dining group offers a huge mix of culture and life stages. Many participants are single and find this group intelligent, engaging and welcoming to newcomers. Group leader Shannon is a magician at connecting people who may have otherwise not ventured out to mingle with singles.

n No doubt that people connect over sports. On March 21, basketball fans of every age will come together at Tactical Brewing for a chili cook-off and the March Madness basketball tournament with a bunch of fun strangers.

n Make your rounds at Baldwin Park’s semi-annual porch sale on March 28 and get a glimpse into the life of some of your interesting neighbors.

n Finally, join other Baldwin Park neighbors at this month’s Meet & Mingle on Sunday, March 29, featuring UCF professor Fernando Montalvo, who will present a talk on how the brain understands others.

AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD Groups & gatherings

MARCH MEET & MINGLE! IT’S ALL ABOUT THE BRAIN!

Connect with like-minded neighbors. Choose from dozens of activities every month. For a complete list of groups, visit baldwinparknetwork.com.

BALDWIN PARK ART Mark your calendar for 1 to 3:30 p.m. Sunday, March 15, for a hands-on workshop to make gorgeous, oversized artist trading cards with collage, stamps and deli paper. A $10 materials fee will be collected at the workshop. Baldwin Park’s art club is a mixture of art classes, studio tours and gallery openings for art lovers. Contact Pat at plremingt@gmail.com.

BALDWIN PARK KIDS CLUB Activities for children ages infant to 5 years old. Parents and kids enjoy a variety of casual get-togethers, including story time, play dates, park picnics, mom’s night out and more. For details, Contact bpkidsclub1@gmail.com.

COOKING AROUND THE WORLD Learn the artful craft of cooking ethnic foods and much more! Every meeting features edible, hands-on demonstrations. Space is limited. Contact Dianne at dianne.brownmorin@gmail.com.

CRUISE AND TRAVEL Hear guest speakers, share travel tips and plan group travel in this popular Baldwin Park group. Contact Kathleen at kmpeters2009@gmail.com.

ETHNIC FOOD ENTHUSIASTS Craving global cuisine? Explore an exceptional epicurean eatery every month. Experience a chef talk or food flights and bites at unique local restaurants. Singles and residents new to the area are encouraged to jump in and enjoy incredible food and conversation. Contact Shannon at sfaith14@gmail.com.

6:30 to 8 p.m. Sunday, March 29. Meet UCF professor Fernando Montalvo for a fascinating presentation on how the brain understands human connections and how you can improve the human connections in your life. The program is free for Baldwin Park residents and will include a fantastic array of gourmet desserts and drinks. Don’t miss this incredible look at the brain. Contact Becca at lifestyledirector@baldwinparkpoa.com to reserve your seat today.

MAHJONG Ready, set, play Mahjong. Mahjong is a tile-based game played by four people at a time. New players at all levels are welcome. Contact Christopher at cfc106@ gmail.com.

NEW! GAMES GALORE! Enjoy Settlers of Catan, Scattegories, King of Tokyo and some of the old favorites such as Pictionary and trivia contests. Snacks and non-alcoholic beverages are provided. For the time and location of the next game night, contact Robyn at rhzgrodin@gmail.com.

MIGHTY MOMS STROLLER WALKS Meet at the flagpole in the Village Center on various days for walks around the lake. Children must be willing to sit in a stroller or be worn for the duration of the walk. Contact Dana at dana@drobinfitness.com.

NEW! WRITERS’ BLOCK WRITING GROUP A group gathering for bloggers, writers, authors, poets and aspiring authors. This group will discuss many topics to help writers, like thinking outside the box, preventing stagnation, learning new vocabulary words, research and more. You don’t have to be a published writer, but come with a desire to meet other writers and learn to hone your writing skills. Contact Rich at powerofselfentertainment@gmail.com.

NIFTY FIFTIES PLUS Socials for active couples and singles, ages 50 and up, meet several times a month for a variety of social activities including ladies coffee, happy hour, luncheons, parties and more. Reach out to niftyfiftiesplus@ gmail.com.

NOVEMBER PROJECT Unlike the name, this group meets year-round. Run, squat, plank and laugh while you work out with this all-levels fitness group. Meets at 6:29 a.m. every Wednesday at Harbor Park. Contact Dyani at novemberprojectorlando@gmail.com.

PICKUP BASKETBALL Basketball enthusiasts meet at Blue Jacket Park basketball courts at 8:15 a.m. Saturdays for five-on-five play. Contact Rick at rickschreiber2@gmail.com.

WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT? Novice tennis players practicing hitting, serving and improving their game without keeping score. Amateur players meet at Glenridge Middle School tennis courts for some non-competitive play. Tennis balls and drinks are provided, but players should have their own racquet. As the group expands, a tennis coach will provide free lessons. Contact Ceci at crmdesign@ yahoo.com.

What kind of Baldwin Park residents’ group would you like to join? Community service? Golf? Single moms and dads? Empty nesters? Sailing? Cigar club? Optimist club? Speakers round table? Wine tasting? Frisbee football? Friends of animals? If you don’t see your interests reflected in the groups listed here, consider spearheading a new group. Contact Becca Schmidt at lifestyledirector@baldwinparkpoa.com for directions on how to get started.

BOOK CLUBS

All book clubs listed below welcome new members! Find the day of the week and type of book that best suits you. Book Clubs meet once a month at a member’s home.

BOOK BUDS This fiction book club welcomes new members. This group meets on the third Tuesday of every month at various members’ homes. Contact Audean at audean63@gmail. com.

HOOKED ON BOOKS This club is welcoming new members who love fiction. They meet on Mondays at various members’ homes. For March’s book selection and location for their gathering, contact Melissa at melissajay522@gmail.com.

REAL DEAL NON-FICTION BOOK CLUB This group reads and discusses biographies, memoirs, business books and contemporary non-fiction. For March’s book selection and location for this month’s gathering, contact Kathy at klhgibbons@gmail. com.

PAGE TURNERS BOOK CLUB This club meets on the second Monday of each month to discuss a variety of books. New participants are always welcome! Ask about the next book selection and the location of the March meeting by contacting Genie at bsrocky@hotmail. com.

WIN! WOMEN INNOVATORS NETWORK This brand-new group is for Baldwin Park woman with a business — big or small. Come for lunch to exchange ideas and hear guest speakers. Find out about the next meeting by contacting Bekah at beautifiedbybekah@gmail.com.

YARN CIRCLE FOR A CAUSE This month, the Yarn Circle is knitting and crocheting pouches for kangaroos and koalas to help in the rescue effort of the animals of Australia. Throughout the year, the club works on projects for charitable causes. Yarn Circle meets at various members’ homes. For details about February’s time and location, contact Dawn at finddawn@gmail.com.

327062-1

shop, dine, unwind & live in style!

Enjoy specialty stores, delicious restaurants,

luxurious salons, the latest movies,

convenient grocery store, lifestyle apartment

homes, or sit by a sparkling fountain and

watch the world go by.

It’s a one-of-a-kind destination.

ShopWinterParkVillage.net 407.571.2700