CHARLOTTE - Couches, board games, coffee tables - everything you'd expect to see in your own living room set up in a South End parking lot this weekend. The Neighborhood Living Room was meant to provide a free, public space where people could connect.
"What holds a community together is the relationships," said organizer Varian Shrum. "And the social fabric of a neighborhood and a community is strengthened by having a common space to gather."
People in South End say initiatives like this help build and preserve their neighborhood's culture and charm, as more and more developers flock to the area.
"We're losing a lot in the development, and while progress is good, I think we need to hold on to what makes our neighborhood really special - and it's events like this," said South End resident Katy Hill.
Organizers hope the temporary set-up inspires permanent results.
"I hope to plant seeds in people's minds about the possibility of public space, and how certain underutilized lots throughout your neighborhood could be so much more if you just put out things that attract people," Shrum said.
The Neighborhood Living Room was funded by a grant from the Knight Foundation.