Among the tree-lined streets of Poplar Estates, the neighborhood’s more than 900 families enjoy a rare type of fellowship that’s not often found in America’s bigger cities. There, neighbors join for neighborhood music and singalong concerts, Fourth of July bike parades, picnics, chili cookoffs, pancake breakfasts and back-to-school ice cream socials, to name just a few annual events.

“Our thoughtful and considerate neighbors, the beautiful mature trees, the park at the end of our street and the pride of ownership here all serve to make living in Poplar Estates a dream,” resident Allison Holden said. “Poplar Estates is a humble gem, not just in Germantown, but in the whole county.”

For HOA secretary Trey Alberson, the neighbors make all the difference.

“Our neighbors make Poplar Estates the best neighborhood in Germantown!” he said. “We have great friends up and down our street that we know we can count on. We look after each other, making Poplar Estates incredibly safe.”

Whether it’s through community gatherings or evolving technology, the HOA works hard to keep all the neighbors connected and promote a sense of togetherness.

“Besides our social events, we publish a newsletter twice a year that is mailed to every resident in our neighborhood,” outgoing HOA President Christopher Schmidt said. “We recently integrated a new website, communications, payment system and membership database onto an online management system to make it easier to reach our members with news and events reminders. We also post this information on social media to keep our Poplar Estates community members informed in as many ways as possible.”

One recent bit of exciting news was the renovation of the subdivision’s front entrance. Planning for the project began in fall 2019, with early design concepts by Solo Landscaping. A design was then presented to residents at the neighborhood’s annual Chili Cookoff in February 2020. Once approved, the renovation began in September 2020 and was initially completed late that fall. Due to moisture issues that developed over the course of 2021, the HOA painted the slurry coat this past winter and finally received approvals for the new entry signage - a modern black font against white brick - in July.

“The Poplar Estates board and committee members had been discussing this project for several years, due to the existing landscaping needing to be replaced while also trying to refresh the entrance brick wall,” Schmidt said. “The ‘Old English’ style of architectural brick work, although iconic, did not necessarily reflect the generational change that Poplar Estates has seen during the past several years, so our goal was a timeless, yet impactful, refresh that has been well received by our community.”

When photos of the finished product were posted on Facebook last weekend, the response from residents was overwhelmingly positive, with comments such as “Love the updated look!,” “It looks amazing! Thanks to everyone who helped make our neighborhood entrance look so great” and “Classy update! Thank you!”

With regular events, consistent communications and an engaged community on social media, the Poplar Estates HOA is an example of a neighborhood association that’s hitting it out of the ballpark. Schmidt says the key to success is simple: just do it.

“Homeowners Associations are, at their core, a way to bring your community together for fellowship to develop lasting relationships across your neighborhood,” Schmidt said. “Germantown is such a wonderful and exceptional community with incredible neighbors who are willing to help and donate their time to build a stronger neighborhood. Someone just has to reach out and ask to be the spark to bring people together.”

Article published in the Germantown Up Front on August 11, 2022