Sponsored by: Nexton SUMMERVILLE, SC – The fact is, some neighborhoods are just more neighborly than others. If you’re lucky, you find yourself in a place where everybody knows each other and likes each other and enjoys spending time together. But is a friendly community really just a matter of chance? Or is it possible to design a place in a way that actually inspires more dinner parties, book clubs and other get-togethers? If you ask some people at Nexton, they’ll tell you that neighborliness can be built right into the fabric of the community. “I’ve been in the business of community association management for close to 30 years,” says Lori Rockel, community manager for Nexton. “And I have to say that Nexton is the first community I’ve seen where people move into a brand-new place and immediately start organizing their own cookouts and Halloween activities and just chatting with each other and having a good time. It’s very refreshing.” Lori says one of the keys is Nexton’s abundant parks and trails. “For example, some of the first people who moved to Nexton bought homes next to a park called Tall Gee Woods. And those families just basically adopted that park and made it their outdoor living room. The kids are all playing. The parents are hanging out watching the kids. It is such a phenomenon.” Of course, it helps to have a super-friendly, highly creative person like Nexton’s lifestyle director, Philicia Pringle, whose sole responsibility is to give residents lots of reasons to come together. You can tell Philicia is good at her job by the way she describes it: “I have the opportunity to create moments that become memories for the people who live here. I just want to create as many memories as I can.” The thing about community gatherings in Nexton, Philicia says, is that they’re about more than just having fun. Each event is designed to be enriching as well as enjoyable. Take the upcoming Eggstravaganza Egg Hunt. As you might expect, the event will involve kids zooming around a big park trying to find their share of the hundreds of candy- and toy-filled eggs carefully hidden by Philicia and her team. And yet Philicia has also invited a local bunny rescue group to bring their soft, cuddly, long-eared friends to teach kids about bunny care, bunny safety and what to do when you encounter a bunny in the wild. Naturally, lots of bunny petting will be on the agenda. Perhaps the best part is, you don’t even have to live in Nexton to experience the community spirit of Nexton. In addition to residents-only activities such as the Eggstravaganza, Nexton also hosts events that are open to everyone. Like the Ben Miller Band concert that was held at Nexton’s Brown Family Park amphitheater last spring. It was part of the annual Piccolo Spoleto celebration and, in fact, was the first Piccolo Spoleto event to take place in Summerville. And it drew thousands of music-lovers from all over the Lowcountry. It doesn’t get much more neighborly than that. On the other hand, if you would like to be an official part of the Nexton community, you have some great choices for new homes, priced from the mid $200s to $400+. To tour the model homes, start at the Front Porch, 142 Brighton Boulevard in Summerville. Call 843-900-3200 or visit nexton.com.
