The August Neighbor Spotlight shines on Johnny friend from Wilder Park. He is part of a team of neighbors who are co-designing Better Block 2023 which will be held in Wilder Park on August 12th & 13th at the Wilder Park Community Center, Huston-Quin Park, and “Historic Wilder Avenue“. He and his crew have organized “Ramenfest”, a two day mini-music festival at Huston-Quin Park.

What is your name?

Johnny friend

What neighborhood do you live in?

Wilder Park

What does your work focus on?

Community Building, Organizing, Art and Culture

Tell us about yourself!

I’m mainly a musician and a writer. My mission with ramen fest and booking shows is to keep the events I grew up going to around for new people to experience them

What do you love about your neighborhood?

The park and the community I grew up knowing around me. Everyone in my neighborhood is super respectful and easy to talk to and communicate with and I couldn’t ask for a better place to live

How and why did you get involved in your community?

I threw musical events at my house and my neighbors showed up to be apart of it.

What have you been working on recently in your neighborhood?

Ramenfest, an event that’s about doing the best you can with what little you have. Hoping to make my community a center for art and a safe space to create

What are your hopes for your neighborhood in the future?

To bring more people into the process of creating art and inspire new people yo do their own thing and involve others around them.

Anything else you would like to share?

If your thinking of starting a band, do it
If your thinking of starting a brand, do it
If you want to be involved in creating Anything at all, do it. You would be surprised the amount of people who will appreciate your work.