Welcome to our home! Can I get you a drink, or maybe some crack?

We continue to discover the quirks of our new house. F'rinstance...

Our house is the second in from the corner. The houses on either side of us have detached garages (or carriage houses, I suppose), but ours does not. Where the garage ought to be is a gravel parking area. It's pretty much impossible to see from the street, and difficult even to see from the alley. Consequently, our parking area appears to be one of the neighborhood's favored spots for the local crack dealers to ply their trade.

The city is pushing all the crack dealers and hookers off of Colfax Avenue, a block north of us, and has been trying to clean up the spot a few blocks away that has been known as "Crack Corner." So all the crack dealers and their associated crackheads are flocking towards us. There are skeevy characters hanging out on our back stoop at all hours of the day. Of course, sometimes they like to hang out in front, too.

Ah, the joys of urban living...