This Space for Rent

Thank goodness it’s not concrete

3 (working) hours later

The city condemned our sidewalk (as well as most of the other sidewalks on the block) because tree roots were pushing sections up in the air. But we have (mainly) brick sidewalks, while everyone else has concrete, so I can take up the bricks, level the bedding layer, and relay the sidewalk without spending hundreds/thousands of dollars hiring contractors to cut out the old pavement and pour new stuff in its place (it’s cost me $140 so far – $35 for sand, $100 to have the sand delivered, and $5 for a roll of yellow caution tape that I wrapped around the working area to keep people from tripping and killing themselves until after I’ve finished levelling the thing – and I’ll probably be in for another $50 or so for edging and fill dirt to build up the surrounding yard to the new sidewalk level.)

Oh, and I had to pay the city $60 for permission to repair my own sidewalk. I must admit that I’m kind of baffled that we pay over $5k/year in property taxes and still have to pay to do mandatory sidewalk repairs. I think if I could do it all over again I’d suggest strongly to my younger self to rent in town and buy a summer cottage in the mountains instead.