The 1300 block of J Street SW is the fourth block.  This block is an interesting block at the junction of J Street SW and 2nd Street SW.   The streets are in the shape of a piece of pie. 

The 1300 block of 9th Street NW is block number three.  This block is directly west of the original block, 8th Street NW. 

 This block is special for many reasons, one of which is because it has one of America's oldest Islamic buildings.  The Mother Mosque was built in 1934 and is the oldest permanent building built specifically as a mosque in the United States.

 Also on this block are a few residents who have lived there for more than 30 years and some new young families.  It is a block with a great mix of residents!

The 500 block of 4th Street SW, a dead end street just off 6th St SW, is an interesting mix of rental properties, owner occupied homes as well as our first attempt at a commercial residential property. The street may be a dead end, but the neighborhood isn’t!

This area is located just off of 6th Ave SW (across from Taylor Elementary) and it lies just west of I-380.This neighborhood responded slowly to the disaster, but is moving swiftly now, with Block by Block’s help.

Over the next few months, we’ll see 3 properties rehabbed and rented and an owner repair his house and set his roots more firmly in this neighborhood. Unfortunately, it appears two houses are too badly damaged to be repaired, but hopefully we’ll be able to replace those homes with two new homes. Keep an eye out for this block!

The 1300 block of 8th St. NW, between L and M Avenues, is the first neighborhood chosen for the Block by Block program. The area is located one block west of Ellis Blvd and two blocks north of A&W in the Time Check Neighborhood. At first glance, it appears that every house is fully restored and occupied.

Since neighbors have cared for each other’s lawns and sidewalks, it’s difficult to see the real story. The reality is that while neighbors have put in countless hours of hard work, there are homes that have only been mucked and gutted with no further work. The neighborhood also includes homes that are still in the process of rebuilding and some that are fully re-occupied. Standing at the entrance to the neighborhood is New Life Church, which was mucked just three months ago and remains at a standstill as the congregation determines its future. While the neighborhood should be commended for the care and hard work spent to rebuild, it also represents the unfinished recovery from the Flood of 2008.

The 1200 block of 8th Street NW is the fifth block, increasing our footprint by expanding near Blocks 1 and 3. This block featured three homeowners who had given up on their houses until Block by Block got involved - we’ve brought them back home again.

The 1200 block of 9th Street NW is the sixth block, again increasing our presence in the Northwest quadrant of Cedar Rapids.

The 300 Block of 6th Avenue SW is the seventh block, increasing our presence in the Southwest quadrant of Cedar Rapids.

The 600 Block of 4th Street SW is the eighth block and our goal block for 2009. Neighbors from Blocks 2, 7 and 8 have begun meeting together, providing them with the opportunity to regain pride in their neighborhoods.