There has been a rash of burglaries in my greater neighborhood recently and even closer to home, a string of car break-ins about 20 feet from my back gate. We try to take what measures we can to avoid falling victim, but let's face it, a lot of it is just bad luck and there is only so much you can do.

Whenever faced with the collective yawn of the authorities, my mind flips to the scenario of leaving the city. It's only natural, I think, and it lasts only a few seconds. Because, I think of people I know who live out in the 'burbs and about how most of them have almost no human contact there.

And I think about the situation we lucked into when we bought our house. There are fewer than 10 houses on our block and two of those are home to singles. In the others, there are 14 kids and one on the way. The oldest is 14, but the next oldest is 8 and the youngest is about six months old. About a dozen of them, then, are between 3 and 8.

When we want or need to go out, there are a sister and brother across the street who are trustworthy, generally available and always within shouting distance of their parents if they need any help.

When we need emergency child care - or dog care - there are neighbors able and willing to step up. When I need help with something around the house, I know I can always count on one of my neighbors to help. During that huge December snowstorm, two of them pushed my car not only out of the alley, but down the block and around to the front of the house.

On Saturday, I got my new snowblower out and cleared the entire block. My neighbor let us park in her driveway for a few nights after the car break-ins, during which time we hoped the culprits would be caught or abandon our alley.

And if I want my kids to grow up in a diverse environment, there's no better place. On my street (and off the street but in homes that can be seen from my front window) there are African-Americans, Mexican-Americans, Asian-Americans, European-Americans of all kinds. There are Catholics, Protestants and Jews. There are adopted kids, there are ethnically mixed kids.

There are teachers and MPS administrators, there are cops, there are businesspeople, there is even a guy who crashes cars for a living in a Milwaukee lab.

All spring, summer and autumn, the block is alive with activity as kids and parents hang out together outside. Life is a little more insular in winter, but even a day like yesterday was sunny and warm enough that I returned home to find a half dozen kids playing on our street.

I never expected to find a place to raise my kids that would rival the street I grew up on. Yet, here is one, right in the heart of Milwaukee.

Of course, if they change the residency requirement for MPS and other city employees, you can expect neighborhoods like mine to be flooded with "For Sale" signs and it will all collapse. Let's hope that never happens. But that's a manifesto for another blog ...