Roses for Rose Park
Cody and Eric standing in front of their artwork
How a Neighborhood Alley Became a Place of Belonging
In 2019, in Long Beach’s Rose Park neighborhood, Cody and Eric, alongside their neighbors, transformed a dull shared alley into a vibrant rose garden. What began as a small seed of an idea between two friends and next-door neighbors slowly blossomed into a neighborhood mural called Roses for Rose Park. More than a beautification project, it became a living example of withness, neighbors working shoulder to shoulder around a shared vision of turning an overlooked space into a place of beauty, hospitality, and belonging.
As Cody Lusby put it, “We wanted to invite our neighbors to create this community mural together, side by side.” That spirit captures the heart of the project. It was not simply about painting a wall or improving an alley. It was about creating something together. It was about making space for participation, shared ownership, and connection. The mural became an invitation for neighbors not only to contribute their creativity but also to share in the life of the neighborhood in a more meaningful way.
There is something powerful about what happens when neighbors make things together. Art has a unique way of drawing people in. It gives people a reason to gather, imagine, contribute, and take part in something larger than themselves. Neighbors often love the idea of making their streets, homes, and even their alleys more beautiful. Beauty awakens care. It invites attention. It creates a sense of pride and possibility. In this way, art can become much more than decoration. It can become a catalyst for connection.
That is part of what made Roses for Rose Park so meaningful. What may have first appeared to be a simple creative project became something deeper. It became a shared act of neighborhood imagination. Instead of leaving the alley as a forgettable in-between space, Cody, Eric, and their neighbors began to see it differently. They saw that even an ordinary alley could become a place of welcome. Even a neglected stretch of pavement and walls could become a place that reflected the spirit of the people who lived nearby.
As neighbors came together around the mural, the work itself created opportunities for relationships. Conversations happened naturally. Ideas were shared. People contributed their energy, presence, and creativity. The project invited participation, and participation built a connection. Working side by side changed the alley, but it also changed the experience of neighborhood life. The space was no longer just something passed through. It became something shared.
This is part of the gift of withness. Withness is not only about being near one another. It is about being with one another in a meaningful way. It is found in shared labor, shared joy, and shared purpose. In Rose Park, withness took the form of neighbors creating beauty together. It showed that community can be built not only through meetings or formal programs, but also through simple, creative acts that invite people to show up and make something together.
Roses for Rose Park reminds us that beauty matters in neighborhood life. It reminds us that art can gather people, create belonging, and help neighbors see one another and their shared spaces in a new way. Sometimes the path to deeper community begins with something as simple and hopeful as making a place more beautiful together.
What could you co-create in your neighborhood to make it more beautiful and build a greater sense of belonging on your block?
